Still awed by Canary Wharf

I still get a small thrill each time I go back to Canary Wharf. Last week I had to visit the offices of one of the banks in the early evening. I can't believe it is quicker and more pleasant to get to Canary Wharf from Waterloo than it is into the City.

Anyway. I exited from a different tube entrance than I usually do and was a bit disoriented for a while. I walked along the toy town like streets to admire the continued development and expansion that appears to be oblivious to the recession. And the people there appear to be impervious to the financial meltdown that we keep hearing about in the press.

I know the architect for much of the original development here was Canadian and that explains the almost subterranean lifestyle that exists - you don't need to see daylight if you don't want to - the below ground shops and walkways provide an underground labyrinth in which you can lose yourself for hours. I almost did.

There is a really good selection of shops (one of my property palls told me that Canary Wharf is one of the largest shopping centres within the M25 - beaten only by Brent Cross and, nowadays I suspect, Westfield) although probably verging on the expensive end. And it is nice to find some independents as well as the usual chains. And it all seems so calm and quiet here - that's the absence of traffic aI guess. And the shops are generally open quite late. And there are more eating places than you can shake a stick at (I am particularly partial to the ones on Canary Wharf Riverside - near Westferry).

It reminded me that during the summer months, I much prefer to spend an evening with friends here rather - looking out across the water - than tackle the scrum in the West End or the City. It's on my list for when spring arrives - so where's your favourite places in that part of the world that I should visit?