Wapping

Wapping is an old dockland district beside the Thames. It's full of narrow streets, pubs, stairs to the river and small parks. It was once a very uneasy district but now there are no traces of unorderly behaviour. It's a great place to just walk around minding your own thoughts and staring at the river. Some of the pubs in this area are among the oldest pubs in London (from around 1500's). They're still there, since the fire of London didn't extend here. Here and there you can reach the river and walk by the Thames when the tide is down.
Drinking:

• Right next to Wapping Old Stairs is a nice old pub called The Town of Ramsgate. It's surrounded by narrow alleyways and the river. They used to hold convicts destined for transportation to the colonies in their cellar and nearby was an execution dock. As a reminder of this, they have fake gallows in the seating area overlooking the river.
• Prospect of Whitby claims to be London's oldest riverside pub from the 1500's. Its interiors have masts and other parts of ships and it's got a view to the river where old gallows stand. Outlaws used to be hanged here as well. Charles Dickens was a regular here at one time. There's a balcony for sunny days to look onto the river. The beer selection is excellent!
• The Dickens Inn is a modern reconstruction of an old galleried inn. It looks amazing and it's a great place to drink your pint picturing Dickensian London.

Art:

• The Wapping Project is an art venue hosting changing exhibitions. The venue itself is something of a sight. It's a red brick building that used to be a power station. There's also a fancy looking restaurant in the building.

Areas around Wapping: Shadwell, City, Limehouse