Introduction
Bristol has never been modest about its creative identity. The murals started before Banksy made them globally famous, and the independent culture, music venues, food markets, community pubs, has been here longer than the regeneration. The harbourside is where Bristol performs for visitors; Stokes Croft and the North Street corridor are where it lives. Both are worth your time, for different reasons.
The food scene has developed faster than almost anywhere outside London. Wapping Wharf's container restaurants, the rotating Trinity Kitchen in the centre, and a clutch of serious independent restaurants across Clifton and Bedminster have made Bristol a city where eating well is both easy and affordable. The Sunday markets. Wapping Wharf and the Tobacco Factory, are two of the best in England.
Getting There
Bristol Temple Meads station is 1.5 miles southeast of the city centre, well connected by bus and taxi. GWR trains from London Paddington run in about 1 hour 45 minutes. From Bath, it's 15 minutes. Bristol Airport (BRS) is 8 miles south of the city, connected by the Bristol Flyer bus (30 minutes to city centre). By car, the M4/M5 junction puts Bristol within easy reach of the Midlands, Wales, and London.
Neighbourhoods to Know
Harbourside is the waterfront regeneration zone. M Shed, Watershed, Wapping Wharf, and the SS Great Britain.
Stokes Croft runs north from the city centre, murals, the Canteen, independent shops, and political energy. It bleeds into Montpelier and St Werburghs.
Clifton sits on the hill above the gorge, the Village, the bridge, Clifton Down. The city's most expensive postcode and also genuinely beautiful.
Bedminster and Southville on the south bank are the coming neighbourhoods. North Street, the Tobacco Factory, and increasingly good independent eating.
