Shopping - Ledra Street North and South

jakki



Joined: 23/10/2007
Posts: 865

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 10:23

What are the shops like around Ledra Street please. Is it easy, for example, to sample shopping in the South? If so, how is it done?



Many thanks - Jackie



(I apologise in advance if this topic has been covered a million times before!!)

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 10:26

Hi,



Debenhams, MacDonalds, Mark and Spencer, will be amongst the familiar "brands"..



They are the biggest / best stores in Nicosia and the Euro/ £ will mean they don't seem good value :(



Enjoy

jakki



Joined: 23/10/2007
Posts: 865

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 10:29

Thanks for that but can you tell me what the shops are like around Ledra Street in the North.

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 14:50

I'll have to leave that to someone else, as the Ledra Street crossing opened after I left Cyprus...

denizkisi


Joined: 18/09/2008
Posts: 196

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 14:58

In the North, its more smaller shops and cafes than in the South. Not so trendy, rather like Kyrenia high street than a major shopping centre.

DONTY


Joined: 07/06/2007
Posts: 534

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 15:05

North of the border there are plenty of cafes and restaurants (had a very nice drink from the new juice bar last week).



There is one pedestrianised street right by the border filled with clothing retailers with their wares spewing out into the thoroughfare which has its own charm. Here you can pick up fake everything from bags to socks. make sure you barter a bit.



down the end of the street you come across Buyuk Han (big inn) which is an old resting point for travellers. you can just imagine the camels tied up!



further in the same direction you come to the big mosque which is worth a few minutes to walk around. In this area are antique and trinket shops. Around the back of the mosque is the Sabor restaurant which does excellent tapas type food.



If you follow the blue line painted on the road you will go past many old buildings such as the Lusignian house and Eaved house. Look out for the notice boards that explain these old properties.



Take your camera and enjoy.

jakki



Joined: 23/10/2007
Posts: 865

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 15:07

Thank you Donty - you should be a travel writer!!

DONTY


Joined: 07/06/2007
Posts: 534

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 15:42

I might give that a go Jakki

tonyhickey



Joined: 13/06/2007
Posts: 413

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 15:48

hi Donty What is the name of the main street that leads to the ledra street crossing. Tony.

DONTY


Joined: 07/06/2007
Posts: 534

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 16:07

The road thru the Kyrenia gate is called Girne Cadessi.



Turn left just after the Saray Hotel and park in the car park on the left, close to Buyuk Han (i actually prefer the car park next to the mosque but don't want to confuse anyone).



If you walk past Buyuk Han (on your right whilst heading south) you come to the crazy pedestrianised shopping street which is Arasta sokak (had to look that one up!) I think this street might have another name as well? You then come to a sort of crossroads. turn left and Ledra street crossing point (did that just to please mmm) is in front of you.



According to the map we call that street Bahceli Sokak!



The map i recommend to get there is at http://mappery.com/maps/North-Nicosia-City-Map.jpg

Hippo


Joined: 02/02/2007
Posts: 2070

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 16:10

Ledra street-murder mile

Where the courageous Greek freedom fighters shot British civilians in the back.

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 16:11

Except most guides would correctly refer to the green line ...not a "border" ;)

DONTY


Joined: 07/06/2007
Posts: 534

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 16:25

Oh sweet baby Jesus...

deecyprus4


Joined: 27/07/2008
Posts: 3452

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 16:30

mmmmmmmmmmmmm why dont you shut up, you bore the ass of everyone here with your constant bleating ...it is a BORDER..GET OVER IT AND DEAL WITH IT.

deecyprus4


Joined: 27/07/2008
Posts: 3452

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 16:32

mmmmmmmmmmmmm no wonder you had to marry a russian ...no normal woman would put up with you, she probably cant speak much english so doesnt have to answer you

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 16:37

Dear Dee, re msg 15



Once again, I'm sure you would like to withdraw the above remark !

DONTY


Joined: 07/06/2007
Posts: 534

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 16:41

AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH! the needle is stuck again!

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 16:45

Yes, Donty, it appears yours IS... you know VERY well that the "term" border is not one used by most Cypriots or outside Cyprus save for Turkey.



It is certainly not used by the UN, EU, UK, ECHR...

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 17:01

Dear Hippo re msg 11



I guess you meant a "courageous" Greek Cypriot.. ? Some of them wanted to be part of Greece, but that didn't mean killing ..



You'll also remember that the country that most Cypriots associate with is the UK.. the most proportion of tourists come from there, etc.



EOKA ( original guys) now sit down and "break bread" with UK Army guys who were their enemies..

rocky


Joined: 17/10/2007
Posts: 1749

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 17:39

mmmmm seems to turn many threads into an issue over the border or green line. This spoils the topic of the thread and wastes everybodies time and eventually people ignore the thread. Get a life mmmm and accept it as it is for the time being. It is both isnt it? anyway a border is controlled if I paint a line on the road there is no control.

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 17:49

Dear Rocky, re msg 20



Of course you make a valid point. If it is a post by someone regularly posting you might notice I don't bother.. I realise that they are "making a point".



"Getting a life".. is more likely realising that calling the "green line" a "border" is either a mistake or making some sort of solidarity point..



A "border", as you'll well know, in this context, infers a national boundary...

sunrise


Joined: 14/02/2009
Posts: 274

Message Posted:
22/02/2009 17:57

You will find lots of little shops at the Locmaci gate leading up to the 'border', prices are a lot more reasonable than Kyrenia. It's like a small market place and then you can gor through the border to get lunch at McDonalds or Starbucks and shop at Next & Debenhams, Peacocks etc.

mint1955



Joined: 30/05/2007
Posts: 988

Message Posted:
08/08/2009 11:29

From the Ledra gate foot crossing how long a walk before you come to shops/cafes/shade etc

Want to try it when we cme over but don't want teenagers complaining if its a long walk in the heat.

Sheila

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
08/08/2009 12:45

Aboout 2-3 minutes walk to Debenhams. Next Starbucks etc. We sat at a little cafe to have a drink on the North side before we ventured South, it was very interesting watching young Greek girls coming North empty handed and going back loaded with handbags etc. Not many people coming back from the South with shopping though. We didn't even bother changing our tl into euros and glad we didn't as things were so expensive, much cheaper to eat and drink in the North, some lovely little cafes around the Great Han and nice to walk around inside the Great Han, some little craft shops in there.

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
08/08/2009 13:24

Woodspekie

Thanks for getting back on theme and making a valid point about what's on offer in goods the note about GC heading south with all the goodies is true

Try the Mezzie bar at the side of the great Hun really good food and value for money unlike the overpriced euro side

I believe the shoes are not bad but they do not seem to stock small size 12's

jupiter


Joined: 02/08/2009
Posts: 16

Message Posted:
08/08/2009 17:03

The area around Lokmaci Crossing is very interesting. There is a great little cafe in the Buyuk Han which is a pleasant spot to sit and have a tea, coffee or toasted sandwich. Nice environment and the cafe is run by a very pleasant man and prices very cheap. Recommend this one. Also some cute shops in Buyuk Han which sell local Cypiot crafts.

Turtle


Joined: 28/05/2007
Posts: 2669

Message Posted:
08/08/2009 18:09

Jakki, the area around Ledra is really a good day out.



Spending time both sides of the border/green line is very interesting................ totally different

You can change time in about 3 minutes from one side to the other and if its shopping your after then you have it all from cosmopolitan to back street bartering.....its great and you will enjoy it.





I will say though my wife and I were sitting in a cafe close to the border/greenline a few weeks ago and a party of Brits (south holiday makers) and they had obviously been lectured to about the north came walking along in a line with a guide at the front and the expression on their faces were a picture,



I am not sure if they thought we were plastic models or something that had just landed from Mars ?



Have a good time !

dalartokat


Joined: 14/04/2008
Posts: 734

Message Posted:
08/08/2009 22:27

Jakki I have just come back from 1 weeks holiday in NC and we went across via Ledra Street. No hassle or problems and I agree with Turtle it was really interesting and we had our lunch over there too in a nice air conditioned restaurant. We walked around and found Debenhams etc and a shop called "TAG" which is an outlet store and bought some pictures. It just made a change. One of the comments made by some "Brits" from the South when we went back was "Oh I can't be bothered with this" relating to showing passport etc and getting paper stamped. Their loss but we had a good day and a good week in NC. No problem parking either and charged 4tl for all day.