London's exciting West End area is known for its entertainment and shopping. This place is considered the most expensive in the world after Tokyo. Here you can find exclusive shops and world famous department stores with excellent boutiques, restaurants and cafes. The best theaters of the city and the largest cinemas are also located here.
The area has long been inhabited by wealthy people, and not least because of this it is one of the cleanest areas in the city. Westminster is nearby. The West End includes many entertainment and shopping areas.
What to look for in the West End?
Piccadilly
Piccadilly Circus is one of the largest centers of life in London. This is one of the busiest areas in London, where the five largest streets of the city intersect. In the center stands a memorial to the Earl of Shaftesbury, with a bronze fountain topped with the figure of a cast aluminum archer commonly known as Eros. Piccadilly Circus is another of London's trendiest streets with many famous shops.
Royal Academy of Arts
Founded in 1768 under the patronage of George III, the Royal Academy of Arts is located in Burlington House, a Renaissance mansion. The Art Academy has a large number of outstanding students who have become world renowned architects and painters. The crown jewel of the academy's collection is Michelangelo's famous work Tondo, his only creation in the UK.
Burlington arcade
This is one of the first glass passages in Europe. It is located in the heart of the West End. It is one of the most exclusive shopping centers in London.
Soho
Fashionable Soho is an area bounded by Oxford Street, Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue. The area is very popular with film companies, publishers and record companies. Soho also attracts tourists with a large number of specialty food shops and restaurants serving world cuisine. For theatergoers, Soho has many world-renowned theaters.
Leicester Square
Leicester Square was built in the 19th century as a small garden with a statue of Shakespeare and four other famous Londoners at the time, including Sir Isaac Newton and Charlie Chaplin. Nowadays it is a pedestrian zone with a large square in the center. Leicester Square is known for its entertainment and the most famous cinemas in London are located around the square. This is the place where all the major UK film premieres take place. A little north of Leicester Square is London's Chinatown.
