Walking across a city, one neighborhood at a time

Julie Falconer: crossing her city on foot

Julie Falconer starts in Uxbridge, in west London, and walks east across the city to Upminster. Her journey passes through Ealing and Shepherd’s Bush, continues through Westminster and Stratford, then carries on through Romford to Upminster. The continuous walk connects outer neighborhoods with the center instead of treating each as a separate destination.

In Ealing she leaves residential streets for a busy shopping area, then continues toward Shepherd’s Bush. Westminster brings the landmarks and river into the middle of the journey; after Stratford the route heads through more shopping streets and residential areas toward Romford. Reaching Upminster makes the eastward progress tangible: the viewer has seen each change happen on foot.

Julie talks along the way, pointing out the transition from one neighborhood to another and explaining why she keeps walking rather than taking transport between them. That conversation makes the long crossing feel like company as well as a way to understand how the districts connect.

For a shorter route to follow, Julie’s published Thames walk starts near Sloane Square in Chelsea and continues through Battersea, Pimlico, Westminster and the South Bank to Rotherhithe. Her guide provides a separate self-guided route and map.

References: A Lady in London

Pulenaz: seeing a familiar neighborhood afresh

Pulenaz treats a familiar neighborhood as if she has time to visit it properly. A flower shop, a small repair shop and a row of houses sit on a street she normally passes quickly. She turns into a side street, notices the change from shop windows to front gardens, and returns by a quieter parallel road.

The walk does not claim to cover the whole city. Its close view makes it useful for someone interested in streets visitors might drive past, or in finding something new in a place they already know.

Two useful scales

Julie’s crossing connects districts and explains the distance between them. Pulenaz stays within one neighborhood and pays attention to individual corners. Choose Julie for continuity and conversation over a longer journey; choose Pulenaz for an ordinary local walk that can fit into an afternoon.

Sources and attribution

1. A Lady in London

   Lady’s 3 Best Walks Along the Thames in LondonPublication date not listed · Recorded Oct 29, 2026