Neighbourhood descriptions with listings of their areas and attractions

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Neighbourhood:	LONDON SOUTH WEST 1
Main Areas  (Sub areas, postcode)	Victoria/Westminster (Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Pimlico, St. James’s, SW1)
Westminster is the home to the British Royal Family with the world famous Buckingham Palace. It has also been the seat of British Government since the 14th century with the imposing façade of the Houses of Parliament being home to the sittings of Parliament, behind which are the awesome spires of Westminster Abbey. Nearby Belgravia is a particularly elegant area with its delightful mews houses and grand mansions together with major embassies and consulates. Knightsbridge is renowned for its exclusive shops culminating in the world famous Harrods. It also contains many premier hotels, fashionable restaurants and casinos. Victoria is the hub of major rail, underground and coach terminals into London. It also has many budget hotels (converted from Victorian houses). Pimlico is a more peaceful and residential area running south down to the River Thames.
Landmarks/Attractions
* Buckingham Palace * Westminster Abbey * Harrods * Green Park	* Houses of Parliament * Cabinet War Rooms * Horse Guards Parade * St James's Park	* Big Ben * Tate Gallery * The Mall

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Neighbourhood:	WEST CENTRAL LONDON
Main Areas  (Sub areas, postcode)	Bloomsbury (Holborn, Russell Square, WC1) Leicester Square/Covent Garden (The Strand, Soho, WC2)
Bloomsbury features some of London’s most delightful Georgian squares and terraces and is well known for its academic and literary roots with Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury set residing there in the early 20th century. Bloomsbury also contains the British Museum, one of the greatest museums in the world and the UK’s largest, which contains an unrivalled collection from all over the world of man’s achievements from prehistoric to the present day. Leicester Square is at the very centre of London’s entertainment teaming with theatres, restaurants, cinemas and nightlife. Whilst Covent Garden offers a great choice with a wide selection of shops, theatres, restaurants, bars and cafes. It also has the well-known Covent Garden market with its impromptu street entertainers who perform for free with jugglers, musicians, fire-eaters and clowns.
Landmarks/Attractions
* British Museum * Leicester Square * National Gallery * National Portrait Gallery	* Soho and Chinatown * London Transport Museum * London Brass Rubbing Centre * Unicorn Theatre for Young People	* Trafalgar Square * Courtauld Gallery * Theatre Museum * Dickens House Museum

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Neighbourhood:	WEST LONDON
Main Areas  (Sub areas, postcode)	Bayswater, Paddington (Hyde Park, Queensway, W2) Kensington (High St. Kensington, W8) Notting Hill (Holland Park, W11)
The centrepiece of this neighbourhood is very much London’s largest Royal Park, Hyde Park covering 340 acres and featuring the famous Serpentine Lake. Together with the adjacent Kensington Gardens they are very much an oasis in the heart of London where you can relax or take part in some recreation. You can hire a boat on the Serpentine, listen to a brass band concert, go horse riding, roller blading or just relax and take it all in. In the northern corner of Hyde Park is Speaker’s Corner, which dates back to Victorian times, where every Sunday morning people from all over join in impromptu debates. Also on Sundays along Bayswater Road which runs alongside the north end of the park is where artists display their paintings from the railings of Hyde Park for sale to the passing public. Paddington is the site of a major train station and it also features a wide range of hotels particularly in the budget to medium range. Bayswater features lively cosmopolitan Queensway where you will find a range of different ethnic restaurants as well as the elegant Whiteleys Shopping Centre. Kensington is one of the most fashionable areas in London with its tree lined streets containing splendid 19th century town houses whilst neighbouring Holland Park features even more lavish properties. Notting Hill has found prominence in recent times with its trendy bars and restaurants and it is the home of the famous Portobello Road Market.
Landmarks/Attractions
* Hyde Park * Portobello Road Market * Commonwealth Experience	* Serpentine Gallery * Kensington Palace and Gardens * London Toy & Model Museum	* Whiteley’s * Roof Gardens

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Neighbourhood:	NORTH WEST LONDON AND THE CITY
Main Areas  (Sub areas, postcode)	Regents Park (Marylebone, Baker Street, Euston, Kings Cross, Camden, NW1) The City (The City of London, EC1/2/3/4)
Regents Park has a commanding presence due to its 400 plus acres and its famous feature, the London Zoo. It also contains the Open Air Theatre, which holds performances of Shakespeare’s plays and musicals in summer. Next to Regent’s Park is Marylebone with Madame Tussaud’s, London Planetarium and Baker Street where Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective, once resided. Camden a lively cultural area features some very trendy markets. The City is London’s business area and is one of the leading financial centres in the world. It is built on the site of the original Roman settlement and is now characterised by a mix of state of the art buildings such as Lloyds of London together with some historic churches and splendid old architectural buildings. Recent times have seen the opening of some very good restaurants to compliment the City’s famous traditional pubs and wine bars.
Landmarks/Attractions
* London Zoo * Tower Bridge * London Planetarium * Bank of England	* Regents Park * Open Air Theatre, Regents Park * House of Detention * Camden Town Markets	* Madame Tussaud’s * Museum of London * St Paul’s Cathedral * Tower of London

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Neighbourhood:	SOUTH WEST LONDON
Main Areas  (Sub areas, postcode)	Chelsea (Kings Road. SW3) Earls Court (Earls Court Road, SW5) South Kensington (Cromwell Road, SW7)
South Kensington is well known for its three great museums, the Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert. It is also a popular residential area. Earls Court in contrast once known as mini Australia is now one of London’s most cosmopolitan areas and known for its budget hotels, low priced eateries and laid back style. It also features the famous Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre, which is host to many well-known shows including the Ideal Home Exhibition, World Travel Market and the Motor Show. Chelsea is an exclusive area with its charming residential streets and is famous for its King’s Road, which was the birthplace of the mini-skirt in the Swinging Sixties, and punk shops in the Seventies. It is still a haven for great shopping with the latest fashion boutiques and lots of interior designers.
Landmarks/Attractions
* Natural History Museum * Chelsea Physic Garden * Chelsea Antiques Market * Royal Albert Hall	* Victoria & Albert Museum * Earls Court Exhibition Centre * Olympia Exhibition Centre * National Army Museum	* Science Museum * Kings Road * Albert Memorial

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