Jessica Furseth

I'm Jess, a journalist in London || My work: jessicafurseth.com || Newsletter: jessicafurseth.substack.com || "Between the wish and the thing, the world lies waiting."

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If no one ever sits there, is a balcony still a balcony? – Dezeen

When I walked the Thames Path last summer I passed a lot of newbuilds with tiny balconies – and barring the occasional lone smoker, they were all abandoned. We love the idea of outdoor space, but this isn't working! Over on Dezeen I got to sound off about the uselessness of tiny balconies, and what we might do instead.

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En alternativ guide til London – Vagabond Reiselyst

For this Norwegian travel magazine I wrote an alternative guide to seeing London, with all the stuff I love and that I think people should see, do, and eat when they come here. This is a guide for people who have already seen Big Ben and the British Museum, and are ready for a taste of the city the locals love. Out now in the July issue of Vagabond Reiselyst. (This is in Norwegian – if you're looking for an English version of the same idea, check this out).

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It’s the river’s first official swim spot. So why is Thames Water threatening the 'Costa del Ham'? – The Londoner

This river does something to people. Regular folks come to the Thames just to swim or row, but before long they're fired up about sewage and now, an abstraction scheme that threatens to take over the bank. In my first story for The Londoner, I met the locals who started out campaigning for bathing water status, and who are now taking on Thames Water's plans which would bring the beach party to a sorry end. As Londoners are claiming back the river, we’re demanding a say in what happens to it.

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The strangers in the Google Maps comments want you to have a nice day – The Simple Things

One of my favourite ways to find something different, strange or simply unexpected things to do is to poke around on Google Maps. It's one of the kindest and most useful places left on the internet. I wrote about it for The Simple Things' July issue.

"My best Maps moment of all time came last year, when I went to the Peloponnese in Greece with my dad. We’d spent days seeing glorious ruins from thousand year old civilisations, but while drinking my morning coffee on our last day, Maps revealed a strange entry. Something called “Caves of the Twins Dolines”, an hour’s drive away on “Unnamed Road”, had blurry photos of two sinkholes, with some tiny chapels dug into the side. There was no mention of opening hours, but reviewers assured me that although the tunnel-like entry was narrow and uneven, it was doable. We headed out with fingers crossed, and it was the most remarkable thing we saw on our trip."

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The urban swimming revolution is here – Dwell

All over the world, everyone's at it. For Dwell I wrote an US-centric story about the global push towards urban swimming, speaking to campaigners in Portland, Oregon, and New York City about their work to bring people closer to their waters. I also caught up with Swimmable Cities to talk about their global progress, and how even though some things are different in the US, cities around the world mostly deal with the same challenges. And no matter where we go, everybody's dressed the same in the water.

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Salerno: The charming and affordable gateway to Italy's Amalfi coast – The Guardian

Salerno is a place I probably never would have visited were it not so perfectly located to reach the Amalfi coast by ferry and train. This spring my dad and I spent a few days there, and left charmed by this insight into a local Southern Italian town with its remarkable food and lack of pretentiousness. I wrote about Salerno for the Guardian's travel desk – it's out today (20th June) in the Saturday supplement.

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In praise of slow travel – Insider

When I travel places, I like to do not very much at all. I will plan one thing per day, I will sleep in and get there late, and at least half my destinations will be food-related. For Insider, I wrote about why I love to move slowly when I travel, and make sure I have time to take it all in. There's no such thing as going on holiday wrong, as long as you enjoy yourself.

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New favourite tattoo just dropped 🔥 Look at my amazing upper arm piece that Adrien @adritatoue did when he visited Studio Almost in London Fields in May. This is the 29th tattoo, if we’re still counting. This is for the rhythm, the drop, the flow - I have never had a piece heal so smoothly.

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A beacon of light: Trinity Buoy Wharf is East London's blueprint for a sustainable creative-led ecosystem – The Wick

Trinity Buoy Wharf sits on a narrow-necked peninsula in London's Docklands that's so out of the way that people used to phone from the station to ask for directions. Fortunately, this is exactly the sort of location that lends itself to becoming an arts hub in East London – a hard-to-reach corner where there’s plenty of room to spread out and get messy, and no one will object if it gets a little loud.

For the relaunch of The Wick in magazine format, I visited Trinity Buoy Wharf to find out why this charming creative hub has succeeded in doing its own thing for nearly 30 years.

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As the Thames becomes an official swim spot, the river is the only place where Londoners can cool off for free – Adventure

"We feel closer to the river when we use it. Official swim status will signal to more Londoners that the river is ours to enjoy, and every new dipper will care a little more about protecting it."

We're official! London got its first recognised swim spot in the River Thames this May, thanks to local campaigning to recognise that thousands of people already swim here every year. But it's been a gatekept secret – we need to make it easier for more city folks to cool off in the increasingly hotter summers. For Adventure, I wrote the Thames swimming feature I've always wanted to write – come on in, the water's fine.

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The best swim spot in London this summer is the River Thames – Broadsheet London

Forget lido queues and sold-out pond tickets – the river is always open. For Broadsheet London, I wrote a little news story about London first official swim spot in the River Thames, and how this will mean better protections for urban river swimmers.

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How a useless window became the secret weapon for resisting my phone – Psychologies

When we grab our phones the moment we're awake, we're immediately flooded with images and opinions that set the agenda for us. As tempting as it is, it puts us on the back foot before the day has even started. I got so sick of that rushed, queasy feeling I got from scrolling in bed that I did something radically simple: I started sitting by the window, reading a physical book. I wrote about my wild morning experiment and why it worked for Psychologies – the story is out now, in the May issue.

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Earplugs are cool now — it's an incredible boon for inclusivity – Motley Bloom

Last year I wrote an article for Slate on the rise of noise-filtering earbuds, which are rapidly on their way to becoming the new sunglasses. Afterwards I still wanted to dive deeper into this trend, and why it's such a relief for sound-sensitive people who did this back when it was considered weird. For Motley Bloom, I wrote about how the earbuds trend is a welcome reprieve for people who no longer feel othered for needing life to be a little quieter.

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New tattoo / heart on sleeve, half just for me ❤️‍🔥

Drawn straight on skin by Ryan Jessiman at Old Habits in Dalston, before the spring came.

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Spring in your step: London's best walks for the season – Mr & Mrs Smith

I've been out walking in the city these past few years, and now I know things! For Mr & Mrs Smith, I wrote a little guide showcasing six great day walks in London, depending on whether you'd like nature, urban or historical highlights. This was fun – the city has so much of everything.

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My bookshelf of broken links – Oh Reader

For 15 years I’ve been curating reading lists of online articles and blogs I’ve enjoyed. Some of is is now a graveyard of broken links, proving that the internet can be just as vulnerable as zines in a box stored in a damp basement. But even when the links lead nowhere, my reading lists are a record – like how a set list from an old gig is still proof of what happened, even if you can never hear the music.

I wrote an essay about my Tumblr Reading Lists for Oh Reader. Issue 23 is out now, on paper. The Reading List archives are here, still.

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The creatine pink tax: Why does pink-packaged creatine cost so much more? – The Independent

I get my creatine in the same cheap gym bro packaging that my partner buys, as it's all the same. But as a new market is emerging for this muscle-and-brain-boosting supplement, my social media really wants me to spend as much as five times more on a beautiful bottle that promises strength and harmony for "women who keep going". For The Independent, I wrote about the creatine pink tax.