Blame the credit crunch, the pusillanimous dollar, or our overly expensive attractions: whatever the reason, tourist numbers dropped by 4% during 2007, after a downturn in the final six months of the year. Worse is expected: visitor levels are expected to drop 2.7% and 1.2% respectively over the next two years. The sharpest fall is in visitors from the States, where a queasy greenback is inclining Americans to visit cheaper shores (like almost anyplace else......

Our economy is being crunched by a credit conundrum, and the pennies in your pocket are being squeezed to within an inch of their copper lives - a loaf of bread now costs approximately £1,600 plus VAT, and financial planners are offering guidance on weighty investment decisions, like whether to purchase one- or two-ply toilet paper. Things are tight. So are the good times over? Not if you're a City banker. Despite melodramatic predictions......

If you’re paying attention to the mayoral race you probably already know a little about where the candidates stand on crime and bendy buses. But what candidate will be best for your bank account? To help you answer that question, we’ve put together a quick economic summary of the big-party candidates: Ken Livingstone We already have a pretty good idea of what the incumbent will do in this area — more of the same.......

There’s nothing like an outing to Hackney to start the mind whirring about gentrification. And we can think of no surer way to start an argument than to wander into an unreformed East End boozer enthusing about all the new construction and upscale shops popping up in the neighbourhood. The term gentrification was actually born in Islington. It was coined in the 60s by sociologist Ruth Glass, who noticed the phenomenon of middle-class people......

If you’re having a stroll along the South Bank tonight, be on the lookout for friendly hawkers trying to push books into your hands. We’re told that Canongate Books will be handing out 1,000 free copies – that’s free, folks – of Lewis Hyde’s 1983 classic, The Gift, along the South Bank at 6.00pm this evening. If you’re not familiar with the book, expect some heavy but worthwhile questions about the role of creativity......

OK, so maybe not kills, although it might, but it is bad for you. Details to follow. A new report shows that shopping in an area with a high volume of traffic has a worse affect on your lungs than walking around a park. For a moment this looks like one of those no shit Sherlock stories; however, the study is specifically related to people with asthma and the effect that diesel engines have......

The United States remains tops in London’s tourism market, according to stats released by Visit London, as leaders of the tourism industry convene this week at London’s annual World Travel Market. This, despite the dollar’s worst performance against the pound in 26 years. That whimper you hear every morning? A collective sigh from your American coworkers, mates, and visitors, as they monitor the daily exchange rate. The American market, though continuing to send forth......

Four-cast: London has 20% of the UK's economy. Why don't we have any of it? Four-bidden: A crackdown on scooter raids. Four-ensics: Foot and mouth barriers in Egham to be lifted. Four-wheeled: Hybrid buses to double. Sounds like some weird biotech story. Image of Channel 4 Horseferry Road logo thingy courtesy of...Channel 4.......

What would you do for 10p? Probably not a whole lot if you’re like a very tired friend of ours on Saturday night. The lure of saving a couple of shillings failed to persuade her to stay for another drink: ‘Wait a half hour and the bus fare cut kicks in. You’ll even save 20p on your two buses back to Ealing.’ Predictably she chose bed over beer. Buses are now 90p instead of......

The fourth in our series of interviews with potential candidates for next year's Mayoral election. Previously: Victoria Borwick (Tory), Andrew Boff (Tory) and Warwick Lightfoot (Tory). Sian Berry is the Green's candidate for next year's elections. Unlike the Tory rivals we've previously interviewed, she is a strong supporter of the congestion charge. She's the only person we've ever known to use the words 'The North London Line is good'. And she's also got a......

This weekend column is brought to you by the founders of Niceties Tokens, Liz and Pete of Team Nice. 15. Poll-itics II Last week we did a little poll about what people thought was important to some of the topical political parties. What is the most important thing to our political parties then? There is so much information on these parties that it is tricky to tell. But from a quick look at their......

The Underground is running again, but how much did the strike cost? Perhaps not as much as you might think. The Press Association and many others have been bandying about a figure of £50 million a day. Unfortunately, details about where that number comes from are difficult to come by. We can’t judge the methodologies of anonymous ‘analysts’, but we can point out that a simple count of all the transactions that weren’t made because......

From BBC News: RMT general secretary Bob Crow said they now had the assurances, they had been seeking, in writing from the employer. However, he warned a 72 hour strike planned for next Monday remained, pending the outcome of further talks. "The three days of strike action is on next week," he told BBC News 24. "Our view the deal we have got is the best possible but if these people from Transport for......

An occasional column on the forces behind the capital’s economy. Potemkin, a Russian-themed vodka bar on Clerkenwell Road, has unveiled an intriguing set of five cocktails whose recipes will be tied to stock prices. It’s not an entirely new idea. We (barely) remember a night at the Dax bar in Hannover, and there’s the near-famous Dow Jones in Barcelona. The twist this time around is that Potemkin will adjust the alcohol content of its drinks......

Clouds were billowing over Park Royal yesterday afternoon when a blaze broke out in a warehouse. The fire took hold quickly and spread to two neighbouring companies, triggering the widespread evacuation of the area. It took 20 fire engines and over 100 firefighters to bring matters under control, and the area was still smouldering and pretty much sealed off this morning. The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but it is believed to......

It would seem that Mayor Livingstone, famous for courting the unusual, is at it again. He is new-best-friends with the Polish community in London. His jolly japes this time include a Polish reception at Town Hall, replete with pierogi and pickles, and a trip to POSK, the Polish Community Centre in Hammersmith. He is quite the darling of the Polish press, by all accounts. Of course only the very cynical would suggest that it has......

For only Ken Livingstone has the right blend of schmaltz and gravitas to deliver yesterday’s ground-breaking apology for London’s involvement in the slave trade. Generally speaking, Londonist is a little cynical when it comes to apologists. The national apology is the grandest theatrical gesture of politics, and the ultimate in political correctitude for those in thrall to politicians. And we reckon it has to top baby-kissing and hospital-bedside-visiting for ensuring a swift ratings boost......

It's competition time again. Every day this week, we'll feature a new 'touch up' courtesy of Skyscraper City forums. Members of the forums were asked to get creative with image software and present an alternative view of London. Today, 'wjfox2002' offers a boost to the City's flagging economy, as Foster's Gherkin lifts off for space. We'll be giving a prize to the best image. If you like what you see, please vote by clicking......

The third of our interviews with the Tory candidates for London Mayor. Previously, Victoria Borwick and Andrew Boff. Warwick Lightfoot has, no doubt, spent a lifetime tolerating jibes about his Tolkeinesque name. He's also acquired an outstanding CV that includes stints as Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, Special Advisor to the Chancellor and 20 years experience as a councillor. Most impressively of all, he's the first Tory candidate to admit to vomiting on the......

In the UK, public inquiries are used as a way of scrutinising our systems and making sure they work as they ought to. The tragic death of Victoria Climbié rightly triggered an inquiry which concluded that had timely action been taken on any one of twelve opportunities for intervention which were identified, Victoria might still be alive. More widely, the inquiry looked into how well – or how badly – public bodies work with......

This week - The East German Stasi listen in on a writer's life (The Lives Of Others) and Disney rape our minds (Wild Hogs). First up, The Lives Of Others, a film written and directed by a man called Florian Maria Georg Christian Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck. It won the Oscar for best foreign language film this year for that name alone. It beat Pan's Labyrinth to the prize, a film that we thought......

Yup, the towering innuendo has been sold by Swiss Reinsurance for over a billion dollars. German real estate company IVG are the proud new owners, but Swiss Re will remain the main tennants. OK, it's rather dull news. We got bored trying to work out if it means anything interesting. It doesn't. So here instead are an assortment of other things the investors could have got for their money... - All the heart failure......

Westminster Council has unveiled what are thought to be the first two recharging points for cars in the UK. The borough suffers from the UK's highest levels of air pollution caused by the amount of traffic flowing in and out of central London. Electric cars produce no pollutants and are exempt from the congestion charge, which will come as welcome news to US embassy staff. The recharging points may also come in handy for......

This week, we're in Holborn Circus. That masterclass in spatial economy, which packs the junction of six major roads into an area the size of a portacabin. We like to think of it as the neutron star of road infrastructure. And you can quote us on that. The shots here are from around 1920 and 2003. Certain similarities remain, like the fairytale pinnacles of the Prudential Insurance building in the distance, the location of......

This Day In London’s History 1975: The Sex Pistols play their first gig at Saint Martin’s College. After Johnny Rotten joined The Swankers as their new vocalist, the band changed its name to The Sex Pistols under the guidance of its new manager Malcolm McLaren. Shortly afterwards, on this day 31 years ago, they played (or attempted to play) their first gig at Saint Martin’s College. Their debut was not exactly an overwhelming success......

A new report says that Muslims should 'play a greater role' in London's politics and the economy to help stem prejudice and discrimination. In the meantime, the City apparently needs to do more business with China and India. Looks like they might spray the Tube with anti-flu disinfectant. It works in Hong Kong by all accounts. A 'location aware' adventure game at the Tower of London you say? Where do we sign up? Dirty......

Want to know what Ken Livingstone's definitive statement about the future of the capital's transport system was earlier this week? We are all breeding like rabbits and you have to build the trains. That Ken Livingstone...sex mad. Honestly though, is that it? That sounds like an excerpt from some strange x-rated version of Thomas the Tank Engine, not a serious and far-reaching transport policy. Come on Ken, you can do better than that: Mrs.......

Ever wondered how the financial services sector would cope with a bird flu pandemic? Well, we're about to find out... sort of. Next month more than 60 organisations from the financial services industry will take part in an annual 'simulation of a major crisis' exercise staged by finance industry regulators. Last year it was 'major operational disruption', this year it's sick chickens. Think of it as a kind of office christmas party with a......

According to someone who knows about this sort of thing, over the next two years the works associated with the Olympics will feed through to into the economy and possibly raise inflation. According to a new poll London is the least energy-efficient region in the UK. The Guardian's Zoe Williams tells Ken to leave us cyclists alone! According to a new CAMRA list London's top unspoiled pub is the The Salisbury, Green Lanes, Harringay.......

You know we can't resist something that a Conservative dismisses as a "socialist propaganda fest". That's the attitude of Angie Bray (leader of London's Tories - one of the ones with the cute little caps aboard the Death Star) at the news that those two red menaces Ken and Chávez have a scheme to flood London with black gold: an extraordinary deal struck with London's mayor, Ken Livingstone, that would see Caracas benefit from......