London is divided into 29 boroughs (or areas), with lots of smaller districts or towns and villages situated within this city.
The main areas of London where visitors will spend much of their time - extends from Kensington in the west for about five miles to the Tower of London in the east and from Chelsea in the south to Hampstead in the north which is also around on five miles.
The above specified area is filled with many locations of historical interest or beauty. Given below are information on various areas, boroughs, places, parks and districts that make up what is modern day London .
Barbican
Barbican is a large area of post-war redevelopment within central London , designed to reintroduce a balanced residential and cultural life back into the heart of the business area of London .
Pedestrians are separated from traffic on elevated levels and accommodation is grouped around squares, gardens and lakes. The historic church of St. Giles and a length of the Roman and Medieval City Wall were incorporated within this development.
The area is probably best known for its Barbican Arts Centre, which was opened in 1982 and was designed to be the London equivalent of the Lincoln Center, New York or the Centre Pompidou, Paris. Facilities include the Barbican Hall, Barbican Theatre, The Pit (studio theatre), Barbican Library, Art Gallery , Cinemas, conference and trade exhibition space, a roof-top conservatory, restaurants and a car park.
The Barbican area of London also includes the Museum of London , Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the City of London School for Girls.
The nearest underground station is Barbican.
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is just south of the Thames and stretches from Albert Bridge to Chelsea Bridge . Formerly known as "Battersea Fields" this park was the scene of a famous duel between the Duke of Wellington and Lord Winchelsea in 1829.
Battersea Fields was laid out as a park in the 1850's with soil excavated from the Royal Victoria Docks. This park contains playgrounds, boating and fishing lakes, playing fields and a children's zoo, plus a 110 ft Japanese Peace Pagoda built by Japanese monks, an open air theatre and a concert pavilion. The Festival Gardens were added for the Festival of Britain in 1951.
Various events are held at the park during the year including the " London Harness Horse Parade ".
The nearest underground station is the Battersea (or you can walk to it from Sloane Square ).
Bayswater
Bayswater which is situated at the top of Hyde Park and within the circle line (the unofficial boundary of central London ) has neither the fashionable status of Notting Hill to the west, nor the respectability of Marylebone to the east. The handsome early 19th-century stuccoes buildings give a glimpse of its fashionable past and whilst the area is not seedy, a question mark still hangs over it.
This lack of fashionable status works to the traveler's advantage; Bayswater is an ideal base and location for a stay in London , because of the lower property prices. Bayswater is a cheap place to stay, and yet it is with walking distance of central London.
Another relic of Bayswater's low cost of living is that it has always been one of the most ethnically diverse London neighborhoods. As a result it boosts a wide array of cheap ethnic restaurants, all perfectly placed for the travelers staying nearby.
The nearest underground stations are Bayswater and Queensway for the western side or Paddington and Lancaster Gate for the eastern side.
Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury is a quite and a pleasant district to stay in or to walk around and it has six tube stations (which make it easy to get to and from all over London ). It is close to Euston, St Pancras and Kings Cross mainline stations and a short walk to the west end. Accommodation is reasonable too, all of which make Bloomsbury an ideal base for a stay in London .
In the early 20 th century the quiet squares and Georgian terraces of Bloomsbury were home to the famous 'Bloomsbury Group' of writers and intellectuals, including T.S. Eliot, E.M. Forster, Virginia Woolf, Bertrand Russell, Vanessa Bell, and John Maynard Keynes.
Today Bloomsbury is the home to universities, colleges, and specialist hospitals, plus the British Museum and the British Library, making it London 's undisputed intellectual centre.
But don't expect the kind of campus atmosphere you'll find in Oxford ; Bloomsbury has a quiet and sedate pace, with fine architecture, pleasant garden squares and a few fine restaurants. Even so, it offers everything you'd expect in an area dominated by students - great bookstores, cheap food, and good shopping.
The nearest underground stations are King's Cross, Goodge Street , Russell Square , Warren Street, Euston and Tottenham Court Road.
The British Museum and the British Library are both situated in Bloomsbury .
Chelsea
Young, trendy, titled and seriously wealthy Chelsea has the status of Knightsbridge and Kensington without their stuffiness. Chelsea is bordered by Chelsea Embankment and the Thames to the south and Old Brompton Road to the north.
Chelsea is a hotspot for shopping. In Chelsea you'll find some of London 's best boutiques. It is also the place for the young and well-to-do, to be and be seen, with lots of trendy (and expensive) cafes, bars and restaurants.
The Albert Bridge creates a dramatic entrance into Chelsea and the College of Art and Design is located in Chelsea , which adds to its urban style.
Chelsea doesn't have an underground station. The nearest underground stations are Sloane Square , Fulham Broadway & South Kensington stations.
Chinatown
London 's Chinatown is based in the area around Gerrard Street , to the south of Soho and just above the Piccadilly Circus corner of Leicester Square . It is a small but striking area of central London , with a dramatic arch, twinkling streetlights and Chinese style street furniture (including pagoda style telephone boxes).
It is full of great Cantonese and Szechwan restaurants, Chinese supermarkets selling exotic looking cooking ingredients and an assorted mix of Chinese shops including craft stores, bookshops, and specialists in traditional Chinese medicine.
Chinatown is a fun place to wander, but an even better place for lunch or dinner. Chinatown is almost always busy, but Sunday is a particularly good day to visit, as the area comes alive as London 's Chinese population head here for their weekly family dim sum feasts.
The best places to eat are where the locals (Chinese) eat, but beware, if you are a couple you might be seated at a table with another couple of diners. But this just adds to the fun.
You can head to Leicester Square or Covent Garden after dinner for some ice cream and unique London entertainment.
The nearest underground stations are Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square .
Covent Garden
Between Shaftsbury and Strand Streets is one of London 's liveliest and most child friendly areas. Covent Garden was originally a convent garden, supplying fruit and vegetables to Westminster Abbey, and then a market - Covent Garden market was given a Royal Charter in 1671 and grew into London 's largest wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower market.
The market has long since gone. Covent Garden is now a popular pedestrian square with the old market buildings restored and opened as shops, studios, cafés, promenades, landscaped areas plus a small market with stalls selling jewelry and other accessories.
Although you'll find many tourists there, Covent Garden is not a tourist trap. It's a place that Londoners genuinely enjoy. Tourists and locals mingle amongst the upscale shops, trendy cafes, fine restaurants, cobbled side streets, street theatre, the funky market and wooden lanes. It's a pleasant place to wander and spend an hour or two.
Covent Garden on a clear day is also a great place for children. Buskers (street entertainers) perform under the porch of the Actors' Church in Covent Garden (where Britain 's first Punch & Judy show was performed), and you will usually find busker's playing different styles of music dotted around the square. Each 'show' lasts about half an hour and Covent Garden actually auditions its buskers as quality control, to ensure that you'll always see something good. Kids love it and are often pulled in to the show.
The nearest underground station is the Covent Garden underground.
In addition to the Buskers (street performers) in the square Covent Garden offers many other attractions. The former flower market now houses the London Transport Museum . The Royal Opera House is to the north of the piazza and Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square is a short walk away.
Fleet Street
Named after the Fleet River , one of the many rivers that flow beneath London 's streets to the Thames , Fleet Street was once the centre of the British newspaper industry.
Traditionally the home of writers and printers, the UK 's first newspaper, 'The Daily Courant', was published and printed in Fleet Street in 1702. Journalists made the most of Fleet Street's convenient location - it is near the City (financial centre) and Westminster , where most major stories originated.
However, Fleet Street went into decline in the 1980's with the introduction of modern technology in new premises, mainly in redeveloped docklands area. All of the newspapers have now gone and Fleet Street houses some impressive office blocks.
The nearest underground station is Blackfriars.
Green Park
The smallest of London 's royal parks, Green Park covers an area of 53 acres. King Henry the VIII (1509 - 47) set aside this area as parkland but it was not until almost 150 years later, under King Charles the II (1660 - 85), that Green Park became a royal park.
Named Green Park for its lack of colorful flowers, this large grassy area with its beautifully large mature trees is a wonderful spot to relax and find peace and quiet. It is said that Handel wrote the music for the Royal Fireworks that were held here to celebrate the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748 at the Green Park .
Green Park is a stately place, with a fine central avenue and informal groups of trees, amongst which the valley of the former river Tyburn can just be detected. There is also an avenue that runs along the eastern edge of the park that is named "Queen's Walk" after George the II 's wife Caroline. The avenue centres on Sir Aston Webb's 1901 round-point in front of Buckingham Palace . The fine iron gateway on the Piccadilly side is that of old Devonshire House.
Its central location makes it a nice spot to escape the crowds of shopping and dining that surround the park and just relax. The nearest underground stations are the Green Park and Hyde Park Corner stations.
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath in the Hampstead suburb of North London is a sprawling, green, tree-lined area that covers 791 acres within two London boroughs - Camden (681 acres) and Barnet (110 acres).
Hampstead Heath has a variety of landscapes: heath land, meadows, hills, ponds and lakes. Popular among walkers, joggers, and sports enthusiasts, it is one of London 's most popular green spaces. You can stroll, take a guided walk, jog, sunbathe, picnic, fish, play football, tennis or bowls and swim in one of the ponds or Parliament Hill Lido.
Other facilities include a horse-riding circuit, adventure playground, play equipment and activities for under-fives. There are also deer and animal enclosures with a variety of animals and birds, including flamingoes.
In the summer there are shows for children with clowns, puppets and magicians. Funfairs are held at the upper and lower ends of the Heath on the Easter, May and August bank holidays.
It is also home to Kenwood House, which holds a large collection of paintings and fine furnishings and hosts summer lakeside concerts. Even though it seems further, it is only 4 miles from central London . The nearest underground station is Hampstead.
Hyde Park
Hyde Park is probably the best-known and most popular park in London . One of London 's Royal Parks, King Henry the VIII acquired it in 1536 for hunting grounds (it had been owned by the monks of Westminster Abbey before that). Now it forms a large area of open space in the city centre, some 350 acres with a perimeter of around 4 miles.
On the south side from Hyde Park Corner westwards is Rotten Row, the fashionable riding track through the park, popular for early morning horse rides.
The Serpentine, a large lake in the centre of the park, provides boating, and is one of London 's Lidos (open from the last Saturday in April until the second Sunday in October).
And at Speaker's Corner, near Marble Arch, you can hear many Britons exercise his or her right to free speech. There is usually a dozen or more 'speakers', each standing on a soap box or a small step ladder and shouting controversial views on any topic you can think of - religion, politics, war, peace, trade unions, Europe, tourists......etc.
During the summer the park hosts regular music festivals & concerts and on a hot day, it can get quite busy.
The nearest underground stations are situated at Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, Lancaster Gate and Marble Arch.
Kensington
Heading west out of central London , past Mayfair and Knightsbridge, you'll find one of central London 's larger neighborhoods - Kensington. This large borough includes the very stylish and moneyed Kensington High Street and the antique shops on Kensington Church Road to the north, the Museum strewn Cromwell Road to the south, beautiful Holland Park to the west, and Knightsbridge and Mayfair to the east.
A stroller's paradise, Kensington has some of London 's best churches, historic buildings, landmarks, shopping, museums, parks and a palace. For the shoppers, Kensington high street has the diversity of Oxford Street , but without the crowds. Kensington church road is lined with antique shops, and Sloane Street (although probably in Knightsbridge) is known as "Designer Row".
Kensington and neighboring Chelsea and Knightsbridge are two of London 's most expensive addresses and yet Kensington is also home to some great budget accommodations. On the tube line into London from Heathrow, South Kensington and neighboring Earls Court are the home to London 's main hostel and budget hotel areas.
Both the High Street and South Kensington have a number of budget hotels, but Earl Court has streets and streets of them. Formerly the bolt hole of backpackers, others have cottoned on to its combination of cheap accommodation, cheap places to eat and good transport links to central London and a number of hotels have been upgraded to good 3 and 4 star facilities.
Kensington has five underground stations - Kensington Olympia, West Kensington , Kensington High Street , Gloucester Road and South Kensington . Even Earls Court is on the boarders.
Kensington Gardens , Kensington Palace , The Natural History Museum , Science Museum are some of the attractions in Kensington
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens covers 111 hectares (275 acres). It was originally a part of Hyde Park , but was bought by King William the III in 1689. As an asthma sufferer, the king found the location quiet and the air comforting and so he commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to design the redbrick building that is now " Kensington Palace ".
Queen Anne enlarged the palace gardens by 'transferring' 30 acres from Hyde Park . The park is now open to the public and the peace of the gardens is a sharp contrast to the openness and activity of Hyde Park , a short walk away.
In this woodland park, children gather at the Round Pond to sail their boats or around the statue of Peter Pan. The Diana, Princess of Wales' Memorial Playground is located within the grounds too. It is a fantastic adventure playground for kids up to the age of 12.
The Gardens are particularly popular for sunbathing and picnics in fine weather. It is also popular as a healthy walking route to work for commuters. The paths are used extensively by joggers and runners. Cycling is allowed on the designated path linking the Queen's Gate to West Carriage Drive , Mount Gate to the Broadwalk and the Broadwalk itself from Black Lion Gate to Palace Gate.
The playing of games in the gardens is discouraged in view of the importance of the historic landscape and the desire to maintain their primary role as a peaceful refuge for people living, working or visiting Central London .
The nearest underground stations are located in High Street Kensington, Lancaster Gate and Queensway.
Knightsbridge
Flanked by Gloucester Road to the west, Kensington and Knightsbridge Roads to the north, and Brompton Road to the east, Knightsbridge is a stylish area with plenty of historic attractions and shops.
Knightsbridge has synonymous with wealth. Centrally located in the city of Westminster and bordering Belgravia , it has been one of London 's most desired addresses for the last two centuries. The home of London's social elite, Knightsbridge is an oasis of haute couture calm within this busy capital city, attracting the rich, the royal and the celebrated from all over the globe. The nearest underground station is the Knightsbridge underground.
Knightsbridge is home to two of London 's shopping legends, so popular they have become tourist attractions: Harvey Nichols and Harrods'. In addition, all of the big-name fashion designers can be found in Sloane Street or if you prefer equally elegant shops on a smaller scale, head for Beauchamp Place .
The former home of the Duke of Wellington (now the home of the Wellington Museum ) " Apsley House " (or 'No. 1 London') is also in Knightsbridge.
Leicester Square
Leicester Square was built between the years 1635 - 70 and named after the Earl of Leicester, whose residence was on its north side.
Situated between Piccadilly to the west, Covent Garden to the east, and Soho directly to the north, some suggest Leicester Square is the centre of London , with the rest of the city spiraling out from this hub.
Visited or crossed by 22 million people a year, within a block or so of the square you can find many of London's Theatres, Nightclubs, Top Jazz Clubs, Cheap Restaurants, Soho, Eros (and Piccadilly), Regents Street and Covent Garden. So if it's not the heart, it's at least a hub.
It is perhaps best known for its film premiers - major cinemas stand on three sides of the square offering all of the latest releases in state of the art screening rooms. The square is busy during the day and can be wild at night, with young people ready to drink the place dry and party until dawn.
On the square the usual mix of portrait artists and buskers (outdoor entertainers) try to catch the attention of the passing public. In the center of the square is a copy of the Shakespeare memorial in Westminster Abbey, with busts of Sir Isaac Newton, Joshua Reynolds and William Hogarth (famous former residents) and a modern statue of Charlie Chaplin (1981) by John Doubleday
The square also houses 'tkts' ticket booth. Founded in 1980 as the Half Price Ticket Booth, tkts is London's official half price and discount theatre ticket booth.
The nearest underground station is the Leicester Square station. ( Piccadilly Circus is close also)
Mayfair
Mayfair is probably the most exclusive neighborhood in central London and includes some of the finest 18th century homes in the city.
Flanked by Oxford Street to the north, Park Lane to the west, Regent Street to the east and Piccadilly to the south, some of London 's most exclusive shops and hotels are to be found here. The nearest underground stations are Green Park and Bond Street .
Mayfair is the home to Christies and Sotheby's auction houses and the royal parks " Green Park " and " Hyde Park ". London's theatres are also a walking distance away from Mayfair .
Notting Hill
For decades one of London's most vibrant and ethnically mixed neighborhoods, even before that film, Notting Hill was where the young artsy crowd lived and would hang out. The movie brought an influx of tourists and an increase in prices (from food to house prices), but Notting Hill remains essentially a 'cheap chic' neighborhood.
Notting Hill is located on the western side of central London , just past Bayswater and at the top of Hyde Park to the east, Holland Park Avenue to the south and the Westway (A40m) to the north. Notting Hill is home to galleries, funky shops and the popular Portobello Road Market, which brings out throngs on weekends to meander through its stalls.
Once a year, the whole neighborhood explodes with Caribbean color and sound during the Notting Hill Carnival (which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2004). The carnival is held on the last weekend of August and attended by over two million people. The nearest underground station is the Notting Hill Gate.
Regents Park
The proper name is "The Regent's Park". One of London 's Royal Parks, the 'The' and the apostrophe are usually dropped; it's more commonly referred to as ' Regents Park '.
Regents Park is one of the largest of London parks, covering an area of 472 acres. It is the largest grass area for sports in central London and offers a wide variety of activities including an open air theatre, the London zoo , cafes, restaurants, and a large boating lake. On a hot summers day it can feel like the whole of London is there and on cool evenings the two-mile Outer Circle acts as a promenade for local residents.
Like many of the other Royal Parks, Regents Park formed part of the vast chase 'appropriated' by Henry VIII. Then known as Marylebone Park , it remained a royal chase until 1646. It was in the early 1800's that John Nash, architect and friend of the Prince Regent, developed Regent's Park as we know it today. He created a vast rounded park, surrounded by palatial terraces, a lake, a canal, 56 villas and a second home for the prince. It soon became known as the 'Jewel in the Crown'.
Over the succeeding years the park became the home of several organisations like the Zoological Society (more commonly known as London Zoo) and the Royal Botanic Society. It wasn't until 1845, during the reign of Queen Victoria , that the general public were actually allowed into the park and then only for two days of the week.
The main development in the 20th century was the creation of Queen Mary's Gardens. Today, of the buildings and monuments within the park, only two villas remain from John Nash's original conception of the park.
The nearest underground stations are Baker Street and Regent's Park.
Soho
Nestled amongst London 's swanky shopping districts, with Oxford Street to the north, Piccadilly Circus to the south, Regent Street to the east and Covent Garden to the west, Soho is the grungy but newly hip neighborhood where trendy young Londoners head for a late night.
Formerly London's seedy red light area, over the last few years it has had a bit of a transformation and become a trendy place to live, eat and be. There are still a few strip joints, but if you are looking for rowdy bustle, London 's Soho has it in spades.
Eateries and clubs are numerous and in good weather, the restaurants take over the footpaths for al fresco dining, adding to the party atmosphere.
The nearest underground stations are Leicester Square , Piccadilly Circus and Tottenham Court Road.
Southwark
On the south side of the Thames across Blackfriars Bridge , Southwark was the site of the first roman crossing place across the Thames .
In its early days, Southwark was a rough kind of place, a settlement for undesirables; those wishing to escape the regulations of the City established themselves there. Brothels which had been expelled from the City took up residence in Southwark spawned the complementary activities of bear baiting and theatres. The Rose, Swan, Hope and Globe theatres, where Shakespeare and his contemporaries presented their plays, were all in Southwark.
From an area with few tourist attractions and where few tourists ventured, over the past 5 - 10 years Southwark has enjoyed a rebirth thanks to slew developments including the Tate Gallery of Modern Art, the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe, and other recently refurbished or created attractions. Southwark is also home to the Oxo Tower (a development with galleries and a fine restaurant), and the laid-back Gabriel's Wharf.
The nearest underground stations are Blackfriars and Southwark.
St. James's Park
St James's Park is London 's oldest Royal Park . It is surrounded by three palaces - the Palace of Westminster (now the Houses of Parliament), St James's Palace and Buckingham Palace . The Park, once a marshy water meadow, takes its name from a leper hospital founded there in the 13th century.
Like many of London 's other parks, it was 'acquired' by King Henry - VIII in 1532 as yet another deer park . He built the Palace of St James's and when his daughter, Elizabeth I, came to the throne she indulged her love of pageantry and pomp, and fetes of all kinds were held in the park.
Her successor, James I, improved the drainage and controlled the water supply. A road was created in front of St James's Palace, approximately where the Mall is today, but it was Charles II who made dramatic changes. The Park was redesigned, with avenues of trees planted and lawns laid. The King opened the park to the public and was a frequent visitor, feeding the ducks and mingling with his subjects.
During the Hanoverian period, Horse Guards Parade was created by filling in one end of the long canal and was used first as a mustering ground and later for parades. Horse Guards Parade is still part of St James's Park, just across the road at the opposite end to Buckingham palace.
The Park changed to its current style when John Nash redesigned it and gave it a more romantic style. The canal was transformed into a natural-looking lake and in 1837 the Ornithological Society of London presented some birds to the Park and erected a cottage for a bird keeper. Both the cottage and the position of bird keeper remain to this day.
The lake is home to many geese and ducks, and both locals and tourist flock here to feed the birds. A favorite for its smallish size, central location, and lovely landscaping, this park boasts perhaps the finest view of Buckingham Palace , from the bridge over the lake. A cafe provides welcome refreshment and there is a band stand which provides regular summer entertainment.
The nearest underground station is the St. James's Park underground.
