Royal Albert Hall, Adobe Stock
The View from London
Alumni share their favorite spots in the city they call home.
- By
- October 14, 2026
- Community
A city with ancient Roman walls beneath its streets and modern glass towers rising along its banks, London tells a story of continuous reinvention. Throughout its history, it has been shaped by industry, commerce, and the ambitions of people arriving from elsewhere. Today, that outward-looking spirit defines the view from London, home to more than 700 Chicago Booth alumni and the school’s Robert Rothman, ’77, London Campus. A few of those alumni shared their favorite places in the city with Chicago Booth Magazine.
The Londoners
Erin Blute, MBA ’04, former head of insights, Bridebook
Ryan Blute, MBA ’04, managing director, head of global wealth management and product management, EMEA, PIMCO
Tracey Grace, MBA ’05, director, GBS Fine Art Limited
Doug Loewe, MBA ’01 (EXP-7), senior advisor and nonexecutive director and board member, African Infrastructure Investment Managers
Mary Ann Pashigian, MBA ’96, former head of finance, operations, and marketing, Mediterranean Food and Wine Limited
Van Stults, MBA ’78, founding partner, Orion Capital Managers
The Place to Catch a Show
Royal Albert Hall
For Van Stults, MBA ’78, there’s one London landmark that never fails to feel extraordinary: the Royal Albert Hall.
Opened in 1871 during the reign of Queen Victoria, the historic building sits just south of Hyde Park in an area once known as Albertopolis—a cultural district envisioned as a center for arts and sciences. With its soaring dome and circular design, the building was originally constructed as an exhibition hall, and its grandeur is known to stop first-time visitors in their tracks.
“There is nothing else quite like it in London,” Stults says. “Just being inside, you feel like you’re in a truly special place.”
The Royal Albert Hall hosts a wide range of performances, from the BBC Proms—a multiweek classical music festival with standing-room tickets often available for a few pounds—to rock concerts, pops acts, and even Cirque du Soleil.
“You can see everything imaginable there,” Stults says. “And the acoustics are phenomenal.”
For Stults, some performances stand out more than others: David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, and Nine Inch Nails. “At the Nine Inch Nails concert, because of the acoustics and the space, it felt so intimate,” he says. “Even from a distance, it didn’t feel like I was watching it from afar; it felt like I was inside the performance.”
Stults also enjoys the annual Christmas sing-along shows, when thousands of people gather for a festive, communal celebration—sheet music in hand.
The Perfect Spot for a Stroll
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
For Erin Blute, MBA ’04, and Ryan Blute, MBA ’04, one of the best ways to experience London with their family is also one of the simplest: a long walk through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, just steps from their home.
Collectively spanning more than 600 acres, the two parks have become the couple’s most visited spaces in the city. “Hyde Park in particular is just the nicest park in London,” says Erin, who enjoys the wild areas, formal gardens, walking paths, and space to wander. “It’s fun to pick a path, get lost, and just keep going.”
The two parks offer something in every season, the Blutes say.
In the summer, they enjoy the concert series BST Hyde Park, which takes place in July. “The shows end right around sunset, and it’s nice to just walk home to our flat,” Ryan says.
In winter, concert grounds give way to Winter Wonderland, a sprawling holiday market and carnival.
As temps warm back up, families gravitate toward the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground. Locals refer to it as “the pirate ship playground,” Erin says, for the large Peter Pan–inspired pirate ship that can be found there. “For anyone with children, that’s a number one stop,” she says.
A stroll through the park for the Blute family often includes a stop at the Serpentine Lido Café, located along the Serpentine, the man-made lake that winds through Hyde Park. The café is a favorite spot for an espresso or cappuccino, with plenty of outdoor seating. Nearby, a section of the Serpentine is open for swimming. “People swim in there year-round,” Erin notes. “Even when it’s freezing outside!”
A Hidden Gem in the West End
Jermyn Street Theatre
Not far from the bright lights and dazzling marquees of the West End, some of London’s most memorable cultural experiences happen in much smaller spaces. Mary Ann Pashigian, MBA ’96, points to Jermyn Street Theatre as one such place. “It’s a well-kept secret,” Pashigian says.
The intimate 70-seat venue is just steps from Piccadilly Circus and occupies what was once the disused basement of an Italian restaurant, yet the programming is anything but modest. Well-known playwrights, directors, and actors work alongside those early in their careers. “Some of their productions end up transferring to the West End, but the difference is that at Jermyn Street every seat feels immersive,” Pashigian says.
Despite its small size, the theater offers ambitious, wide-ranging programming at ticket prices well below the West End’s. Its repertoire spans new works, reimagined European classics, musicals, and one-off readings. It even features a stand-up comic whose stock-in-trade is Greek mythology. Pashigian says she enjoys the holiday-season pantomimes—musical comedy that is playful and participatory, but smartly done.
“I like to have dinner beforehand at Dishoom’s Carnaby location in nearby Soho,” Pashigian says. Known for its Art Deco interior and Bombay-inspired atmosphere, the restaurant is a favorite among Londoners. “Start with their Dishoom House Chaat, and don’t skip dessert,” she says. “Especially the pistachio kulfi.”
Where Soho Swings After Dark
Ronnie Scott’s
No matter the occasion—flying solo, on a date, or out with business colleagues—visiting Ronnie Scott’s jazz club is a transformative experience, Doug Loewe, MBA ’01 (EXP-7), says. “It’s my happy spot. You walk in there, and time just stops. I’ve brought people to Ronnie Scott’s who’ve never heard live jazz, and they walk out a different person.”
Founded by famed saxophonists Ronnie Scott and Pete King, the club has been a fixture of Soho’s nightlife since 1959. Tucked below street level on Frith Street, it has that supper-club feel: a low ceiling, closely packed tables, and an unmistakable red glow. It’s an intimate spot that puts audiences within arm’s reach of the music.
The venue’s stage has been graced by legends including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, and Nina Simone. Jimi Hendrix played his final public performance at the club just two days before his death in 1970. Visitors can see live music just about every night of the week, including a main show, late-late shows, and jazz jams at Upstairs at Ronnie’s, an expansion of the venue’s primary space.
“The upstairs is a bit quirky, and I love that,” Loewe says. “Some places come and go, but this magical place remains.”
For Those Long on Culture
Victoria and Albert Museum
Tracey Grace, MBA ’05, may no longer work in finance (she’s an art dealer now), but that doesn’t stop her from using a little finance vernacular when speaking about the value of visiting London.
If you’re someone who’s “long on culture” but short on time, Grace recommends that you visit the Victoria and Albert Museum. “There’s an exhibit for everybody,” she says. “I love taking kids and adults there, or just popping in for a few minutes if I’m waiting for somebody in South Kensington.”
Grace particularly enjoys the museum’s Cast Courts, which contain full-scale plaster casts and reproductions of some of the world’s most significant sculptures, architectural fragments, tombs, and monuments. Grace notes that one peculiar item stands out: a fig leaf. It’s on display near a full cast of Michelangelo’s David, which was donated to the museum by Queen Victoria in 1857.
Legend has it that when the Queen first encountered David, she found it a bit too . . . revealing. A bespoke fig leaf was cast and kept nearby, ready to be attached to the statue’s private area whenever royalty were in attendance. “It’s so funny that the cast is in the collection now too,” Grace says with a laugh.