9
10
T
OKYO ISSOSPRAWLING
thateven
theexpertsargueover itsboundaries
andthenumberofpeoplethat liewithin
them.Butwithmorethan35million in-
habitants,wecansafelysaythatTokyo is
biganddense,anutterlyurbanspectacle,
ametropolitanforestofneonsky-scrapers
thatwilldelightkidsofallages.Yetthe
cityoersexperiencesofsurprising
intimacy:Convincethefamilytorise in
theweehourstoexperiencetheTsukiji
FishMarket,andyou’llhavethemakings
ofendlessretellingsaboutthetimeMom
andDadgoteveryoneupat4a.m. toseetheworld’s
largestfishmarket.Yourhotelcan likelyarrange
aguide,but ifnot,
TsukijiGuidedTours
are
brilliantathelpingyounavigatethehandcartsand
fishmongersandallowingpeeksofthedeadlyseri-
ousauctioneers.Combiningthetourwithatuna
breakfastatoneofthetinysushibarsthatflankthe
market isaconventionnottobemissed.Happily,
themarket isconvenienttotheGinza,anepicenter
ofhigh-endshoppingandsky-highbuildings.The
neighborhood’sfameddepartmentstores—such
asMatsuzakaya,Mitsukoshi,andTakashimaya(of
theglovedelevatoroperators)—aretheprideof
thecity.AlongtheGinza’sstreets,you’llfindnu-
merousquickandreasonablerice-bowlcounters
incasethekidsgetantsyandhungry.Andtechies
willfindthe landmarkSonyBuildingadestination
unto itself,asthetower’sShowroomandCom-
municationZoneOpusarethespotstosample
the latestgadgetsandentertainmentequipment.
Finally, toshowcontrasttomostofthecity’sasser-
tivemodernity,planaday inandaroundSensoji
Temple,which istraditional,colorful,andadjacent
toNakamise,afestiveshoppingstreetwhereyou’ll
wanttopickupsouvenirkimonosandfans.
—D.L.
WHETHERDUE TO THE2012OLYMPICS
,
Harry Potter, or OneDirection, chances are
your kids know something about London, sight
unseen. Andwhat they will learn by visiting is
that the city’s fame isn’t limited to fleeting pop
culture. Royals still dwell inBuckinghamPalace.
They once imprisoned traitors in the Tower of
London, and still stow their crowns there. Historic
figures fromCharles Darwin to Sir IsaacNewton
lie interred inWestminster Abbey, while the spirit
of Charles Dickens seems to haunt the historic
streets from Little Venice to the East End.
Amid all the grandeur, London’s scale—
generally short, if sprawling— appeals to kids.
Add in crowd-pleasing pub fare, a network of
inviting parks, and no language barrier, and
London emerges as a top choice for culture-
and history-fan clans.
London seems to invite you to stretch your
mind as well as your legs. West End theater isn’t
just The LionKing but director SamMendes’
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory opening in
May. Unsure about museums? Chance it; admis-
sion is free at top stops like the BritishMuseum
and theNational Gallery. There’s always Potter
— subject of the newWarner Bros. Studio Tour
nearby— to fall back on.
—E.G.
Tokyo
TRAVEL
10 Epic Family Trips
LONDON
TAKEAWAY
The U.S. is
a young country with
young cities, so children
will gain an understanding
of theways inwhich a
centuries-old culture can
maintain itself beneath the
strobe lights of a strikingly
modernmetropolis.
TheornateVictorian
landmark
St. PancrasStation
stood in for HarryPotter’s
King’sCrossStationandnow,
thoroughly renovated, stands
as apreservation victory, home
to theelegant St. Pancras
Renaissance LondonHotel.
Book in thehistoricwing for
rooms filledwithgold leaf,
leadedglass, and soaringceil-
ings befittinganenchanted
stay. Rooms from£325 ($425).
011-44-20-7841-3540,
stpancrasrenaissance.com
STAY
The177-roomParkHy-
att Tokyo, housedon the top14
floorsof ShinjukuParkTower,
boastspanoramic views that
still astound. TheClubon the
Parkoffersaglorious respite
from thehecticcityand fea-
turesa full-service spa, lap
pool,wet anddry saunas, gym,
and relaxationareas. Rooms
from$398. 81-3-5322-1234,
tokyo.park.hyatt.com
STAY
TIPS
Spare your legs and
take advantage of London’s
often-entertaining transit
options, from the River
Thames boats to black cabs.
•
Hyde Park, Regent’s Park,
and St. James’s Park offer
central and gloriously green
spots to run around.
TAKEAWAY
History is
not the stuff of dusty books
and datememorization. In
London, it inspires.
41
celebratedliving.com
SUMMER2013
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