Visit Popular London Areas

What to do in London...

What to do in London! Visit all the top London areas we have listed below and you are sure to have a great time without even spending any money!

So as you don't get lost it's a good idea to invest in a map of London or one of the popular London street maps which are definitely a must if you are visiting London for the first time.

Central London

They say that Trafalgar Square is in the very center of London which is probably why this is a favorite place for meetings, festivals and having fun. Towering over the square is the majestic National Gallery and the iconic Nelson's Column, fountains and famous statues of lions which Londoners and visitors love to sit on.

Nearby is the trendy area of Covent Garden which is also known as theatre-land. The Royal Opera House and the many trendy shops, restaurants and street entertainers make this a very exciting area of London. Close by is Tin Pan Alley (Denmark Street) a very famous music area of London where in the 1960s the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones recorded their albums.

Not far from Covent Garden is the lovely London area of Bloomsbury with many universities and places of interest such as the British Museum.

All the wonderful high street shops and restaurants of Central London can be found in Oxford Street, Regent Street, New Bond Street and Piccadilly.

As well as all the fantastic attractions and sightseeing there are many lovely London parks such as Regent Park, Hyde Park and Green Park and St James Park which are close to Piccadilly, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the popular neighborhood of Victoria.

There are many theatres in nearby Soho which is also famous for it's cafes, clubs and restaurants and China Town which is also close to Leicester Square and central London is also famous for it's lovely hotels of which there are many to choose from.

Central London's is also home to the city of London where the London Stock Exchange is and where millions of pounds exchanges hands in a matter of seconds. The Lord Mayors Show is definitely not to be missed!

London Areas - West London

This side of London is home to Kensington and the trendy areas of Notting Hill and Portobello Road. Both were made famous by the film Notting Hill. Not far away is Holland Park with it's popular school and pretty park.

Opposite Kensington Gardens is the cosmopolitan area of Queensway full of hotels, shops, restaurants and the popular Whiteleys shopping center. Nearby are Westbourne Grove and Paddington.

Bordering Kensington are Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush which is home to the BBV Television Studios and the newly opened Westfield Shopping Center which is the largest in Europe.

The area includes the neighbourhoods of Westminster, Kensington, South Kensington and Chelsea which have many shops, cafes and restaurants. Nearby is Knightsbridge which is home to Harrods and Sloane Street (from which the name 'Sloane Rangers' came from) and many designer names and restaurants fill the streets.

London Areas - South London

South of the river is the trendy area of Southbank and Bankside which is full of cafes and restaurants which stretch to Tower Bridge and the tower of London.

This is home to the London Eye and art galleries such as the Tate Modern andTate Britain and theatres such as the National and Globe Theatre.

Southbank Centre has a variety of concert halls and riverside cafes and restaurants and the nearby Borough Market is one of the best markets in town.

London Areas - North London

Just north of central London is Camden which was famous for it's retro market which is sadly no more (a shopping center is on the horizon!) and quirky shops. Once an area renowned for it's Greek Cypriot community, there are still many delicious Greek bakeries and restaurants. A bit further north is Palmers Green, another very 'Greek' area of London which also includes Green Lanes with it's variety of Turkish and Greek Cypriot shops, cafes and restaurants.

The leafy suburbs of Hampstead Heath and Highgate Village contrast sharply with these colorful neighborhoods. Quaint cobbled streets, beautiful Georgian cottages and the lovely heath where Keats and Marx enjoyed a walk. Highgate Village is only 500 meters from Kenwood House, second largest private residence after Buckingham Palace.

Once known as 'grotty Islington' and now one of the more trendy sides of London, the area has re-invented itself and is full of gastropubs and the ever popular Business Design Center. Not too far away is King's Cross and St Pancras station home to the Eurostar and one of the longest champagne bars in Europe.

London Areas - East London

Canary Wharf on the Isle of Dogs is full of towering glass buildings and is another of London's thriving business centres. Winners and losers make this a highly pressurised area of London so when the day is done the many riverside pubs overflow with people desperate to relax and chill out. London City Airport is close by for business travelers.

East London is also famous for it's Brick Lane Festival where you can taste the famous curry and enjoy Bollywood at its best! The area is full of vintage clothes shops and upmarket bars and nearby are the lovely marekts of Smithfield and Exmouth.

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