London Bridge may have fallen, but this tenacious society has a knack for bouncing back from just about anything. Although much of the city’s visible history has been wiped out by centuries of fires, rebuilding and modernization, London is inescapably a prevailing icon of the global past, present and future. Museums, monuments and the presence of the Royal Family all maintain an air of London’s ancient and imperial history about the city.
The London Reality: From Lackluster to Illustrious
During the Industrial Revolution, London was by far the most polluted city in the world. The infamous London Fog killed thousands of people while Parliament had to move away from the River Thames due to the unbearable stench. London cleaned up its act since then but the streets are still a composite of poverty and wealth, doldrums and brilliance. The proximity of these realities is what makes London so fascinating and unique to the city’s visitors.
The Tate Modern Museum is a leading example of how London likes to reinvent itself. The exclusively contemporary museum is housed in the old Bankside Power Station, contributing an industrial, factory-like feel...