In Depth

London continues to be the city that sets the trends, rather than merely following them. On the streets of Soho, the trading floors of the Square Mile, or the mighty bridges spanning the River Thames, it still feels like London is the fulcrum of the world -- just as it was at the height of its power, when half the world was run from Westminster. Expect to discover a city steeped in history and nobility, certainly, but one that's also inventing the future.

Britain's capital is so big -- and its residents such a diverse bunch -- that almost anything we could write about contemporary London life would be true somewhere in the city. Londoners dine out to an unprecedented degree, but at the same time, there's more interest than ever in food preparation at home. High-fashion boutiques sell outfits with staggering price tags, but thrift-store shopping for that unique vintage look has never been more popular. Londoners stand generally to the left of Britain's political middle, but a right-wing mayor leads the city. The shiniest new thing always attracts attention, but reverence for the old never disappears.

London practically invented tradition, but in fields as different as food, film, theatre, music, and just about everything else, the city is now, as always, right on the cutting edge.

London Today

The most obvious trend of recent years is the eastward shift of London's center of gravity. Residents -- particularly nightlife-loving, young Londoners -- are rediscovering the areas around the original city walls. First came the rebirth of Spitalfields and Shoreditch; then Hoxton and Brick Lane became magnets for the hip; and now the cutting edge is moving northeast -- following a path first laid down by the Romans, up the Kingsland Road to Dalston. Come on a weekend, and you'll find the streets of these areas as busy at midnight as they are at midday.

It's therefore appropriate that East London in 2012 will be in the global spotlight like never before. From July 27, the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are coming to Olympic Park in Stratford. London is the first city to host the Games three times -- 1908 and 1948 were the previous occasions -- and London 2012 represents the only time since World War II that the Games have returned to a host city. If you're planning a trip here to see London stage the "greatest show on Earth," you'll need to book accommodation way ahead of time and plan carefully. On the plus side, if it's been a while since you were last here, you'll notice a hugely improved transport system in the eastern half of the city.

The political spotlight will also be trained on London in 2012. The Conservative Mayor, Boris Johnson, faces a reelection battle that's likely to come down to a straight rematch against the Labour Party foe he dethroned in 2008, Ken Livingstone. Johnson was elected on a platform of "cleaning up" City Hall and transforming relations with London's powerful transport unions, and Livingstone -- who served as Mayor himself for 8 years -- will doubtless challenge him on his record. The battle has more than just local significance. It's likely to be a major referendum on Prime Minister David Cameron's tenure in national office. Although London is hardly a political barometer to judge the weather in the rest of the country, defeat for Johnson would certainly be seen as a setback for Cameron's Conservative-led coalition government. As usual in London, Britain's third major political party -- the Liberal Democrats -- are likely to trail in a distant third place.

Whether London's voters opt for a change, or more of the same, the city itself isn't likely to alter its permanent state of self-transformation. Architects in the Square Mile and its environs are once again looking up, and a major redrawing of the city's skyline is in progress. Building is already complete on Bishopsgate's 230m (755-ft.) Heron Tower, its outer surface coated in energy-generating photovoltaic cells, and is well underway for the 288m (945-ft.) Pinnacle building, and the Shard of Glass above London Bridge station -- which at 310m (1,017 ft.) will be the tallest building in the European Union when it opens in 2012. All will dwarf one of the capital's most famous recent skyscrapers, 30 St. Mary Axe, fondly dubbed the "Gherkin" by Londoners for its distinctive, pickle-like shape.

Musically, London is enjoying a mini-renaissance, and the city's urban music is finally holding its own in a market dominated by the U.S. East London's grime scene has produced headline acts, such as Dizzee Rascal, Tinie Tempah, and Tinchy Stryder. Camden Town's N-Dubz have achieved mainstream chart success. Dubstep, a fusion of urban music styles, including garage and drum-and-bass, has traveled way beyond its London roots to influence some of the biggest names in U.S. hip-hop and R&B. London's Mobo ("music of black origin") has never been bigger, nationally or internationally.

Recent years have also seen Londoners grow increasingly interested in the ethics and economics of their food supply -- with those at the upper end of the income scale prepared (and able) to pay a substantial premium for a cleaner conscience. However, shopping seasonally and locally isn't straightforward in a metropolis with a taste for food from every corner of the globe, and the issues aren't always as clear-cut as they may appear. In spite of the "food miles" gap, an out-of-season tomato reared in Morocco can have a much lower carbon footprint that one grown in a cool Kent summer. Still, you'll see supermarkets and niche convenience stores such as Planet Organic selling a wide range of seasonal, organic, and Fairtrade goods, as well as produce markets like the one at Borough, which is packed to the rafters on weekends. In an upscale restaurant, expect your meat to be ethically reared, your poultry to be free range, and your vegetables and pulses to be organic -- and don't be shy about quizzing staff on these points. It's also increasingly easy to find local beers. Ales brewed by Meantime, in Greenwich, and Battersea's Sambrook are available in ever more bars around town. The year 2010 even saw the rebirth of historic brewer Truman's -- for now as a niche concern whose beer is brewed in Suffolk, but with grand plans afoot to bring it back to its historic East London home in Brick Lane.