I live in Notting Hill, London. Here are 5 things I wish tourists knew before visiting.

Weekdays are the best time to have a stroll around Portobello Road. Maria Noyen/Insider I grew up in the UK and moved to Notting Hill in London three years ago.   Tourists should know to be respectful of locals and to explore quieter, lesser-known streets.

Don’t try to sneak into private gardens and remember there is actually a hill in Notting Hill. Notting Hill is one of my favorite neighborhoods in London, which is convenient considering I’ve lived here on and off since 2019.  It’s the first time I’ve spent a good amount of time learning what it’s like to live in a place beloved by tourists, especially those who are fans of the 1999 Richard Curtis film “Notting Hill,” starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.

 So after three years of calling one of London’s most colorful neighborhoods home, here are five things I wish tourists knew before visiting. If you want to take a photo in front of famous homes, remember people actually live thereI can’t count the number of times I’ve tried to get past groups of visitors lining up to take selfies in front of the big blue door at the corner of Portobello Road and Westbourne Park Road, which is where Hugh Grant’s character, William Thacker, lives in “Notting Hill. “If it annoys me on a very low level as someone who doesn’t actually live in the house, I can’t imagine what the residents of the house with the big blue door think.

Words like “tourists are sheep,” are written in black marker outside, and although it’s not clear who actually did the graffiti, it does give an indication of local sentiment. Writing next to the blue door reads: “Tourist are sheep! Baaaa. “Maria Noyen/InsiderWhether it’s the house with the blue door or the pink home a short walk away where Kiara Knightley’s character lives in “Love Actually,” I’d remind visitors to try to be respectful and avoid standing in big groups in front of the door so the owners can enter and exit in peace.

 Notting Hill is a great place to go out, even as familyThere’s something distinctly British about going to a pub.  But what’s great about the pubs I’ve been to in Notting Hill is how appealing they are to people of all ages. I’ve seen places cater to all generations, a contrast to places in South and East London that generally cater to younger people.

  I’ve also had some really delicious meals at pubs, which makes them perfectly suitable for family outings. Some popular choices include The Elgin, The Westbourne, and The Pelican.  Don’t trespass into private gardens like in ‘Notting Hill’In the film “Notting Hill” Grant and Roberts’ characters sneak into Rosmead Garden, a private communal garden, and share a special moment where they have their first kiss.

 I stood outside the garden filmed in “Notting Hill. “Maria Noyen/InsiderBut sneaking into private gardens is so not worth it, considering the physical danger you would put yourself in by trying to hop over these very pointy fences.  Instead of trespassing, I’d recommend visiting some of the publicly accessible green spaces Notting Hill has to offer, or even taking a brisk walk up to Holland Park or Hyde Park, which are massive and have a bunch of different gardens, ponds, and fountains to explore.

 Walk everywhere, but be wary of the actual hillNotting Hill is an extremely walkable part of London, but it does actually have a vertical gradient to its topography so I’d recommend wearing some good shoes if you’re looking to explore the whole area in one day. You’ll really notice it if you travel from the Ladbroke Grove area toward Notting Hill Gate.  I’d also be conscious of how busy Notting Hill is on the weekends, both during the cooler and hotter months of the year.

If you get anxious being in crowds and prefer having the time to enjoy the most well-known spots with a little bit more peace and quiet, I’d recommend coming to the neighborhood on a weekday. Explore — Notting Hill is more than one streetPortobello Road is iconic, but I didn’t really know other places in the area existed until I moved here. While there are great stalls and shopping opportunities on Portobello, I’d also recommend checking out Golborne Road, a connecting street with a bunch of independent boutiques and antique selling vendors, especially at the weekends.

 Different areas in Notting Hill that aren’t Portobello Road. Maria Noyen/InsiderAnother area to add to the list is Westbourne Grove, which is dotted with a variety of restaurants and boutiques. I brought a friend of mine from the US there in June and she said it felt a lot like a blend between California and New York City.

 As a local, these two areas are much more my speed when walking around the neighborhood at the weekends as they tend to be slightly less crowded.   Read the original article on Insider.