Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TograspLondonmorecomfortably,seeitastheoldtowninthecitycenterwithoutthemod-
ern, congested sprawl. (Even from that perspective, it's still huge.)
The Thames River (pronounced “tems”) runs roughly west to east through the city, with
most of the visitor's sights on the North Bank. Mentally, maybe even physically, trim down
your map to include only the area between the Tower of London (to the east), Hyde Park
(west), Regent's Park (north), and the South Bank (south). This is roughly the area bordered
by the Tube's Circle Line. This four-mile stretch between the Tower and Hyde Park (about a
1.5-hour walk) looks like a milk bottle on its side (see map on next page), and holds 80 per-
cent of the sights mentioned in this chapter. With a core focus and a good orientation, you'll
get a sampling of London's top sights, history, and cultural entertainment, and a good look
at its ever-changing human face.
The sprawling city becomes much more manageable if you think of it as a collection of
neighborhoods.
Central London:
This area contains Westminster and what Londoners call the West
End. The Westminster district includes Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Buck-
ingham Palace—the grand government buildings from which Britain is ruled. Trafalgar
Square, London's gathering place, has many major museums. The West End is the center
of London's cultural life, with bustling squares: Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square host
cinemas, tourist traps, and nighttime glitz. Soho and Covent Garden are thriving people-
zones with theaters, restaurants, pubs, and boutiques. And Regent and Oxford streets are the
city's main shopping zones.
North London:
Neighborhoods in this part of town—including Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia,
and Marylebone—contain such major sights as the British Museum and the overhyped Ma-
dame Tussauds Waxworks. Nearby, along busy Euston Road, is the British Library, plus a
triooftrainstations(oneofthem,St.PancrasInternational,islinkedtoParisbytheEurostar
“Chunnel” train).
The City:
Today's modern financial district, called simply “The City,” was a walled
towninRomantimes.Gleamingskyscrapersareinterspersedwithhistorical landmarkssuch
as St. Paul's Cathedral, legal sights (Old Bailey), and the Museum of London. The Tower of
London and Tower Bridge lie at The City's eastern border.
East London:
Just east of The City is the East End—the increasingly gentrified former
stomping ground of Cockney ragamuffins and Jack the Ripper.
The South Bank:
The South Bank of the Thames River offers major sights (Tate
Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, London Eye) linked by a riverside walkway. Within this
area, Southwark (SUTH-uck) stretches from the Tate Modern to London Bridge. Pedestrian
bridges connect the South Bank with The City and Trafalgar Square.
