London’s West End presents a unique atmosphere that is replete with a wide range of offerings with its fantastic bevy of theatres, shopping options, tourist attractions, hotels and restaurants. The iconic, vibrant streets in this central London area have a dynamic mix of history, culture, different types of shows, shopping, delectable food, drinks and exotic night life. For both residents and tourists, London’s West End is a much-desired destination for fun, entertainment, sightseeing and gastronomic pursuits. West End is the city centre area, west of the historic City of London, within the City of Westminster. The areas famous for entertainment in West End are Leicester Square and Covent Garden and for shopping the areas of Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street are world-famous.
Identified as one of the two international centres in the London Plan, the fashionable areas situated west of Charing Cross began to be called ‘West End’ in the early 19th century. Over the decades, it developed into the main commercial and entertainment centre of London whereas the City of London or the Square Mile developed into an important business and financial district. It is no less important than the Midtown Manhattan area in New York City, the 8th arrondissement in Paris or the Shibuya district in Tokyo, having developed into the largest central business district of the UK. In December 2013, it beat Tokyo as being the most expensive place in the world for renting an office space.
Over the years, the areas of West End have been chosen by the rich elite of the city for their place of residence, as it lies west of the historic Roman and Medieval City of London, being upwind of the smoke emanating from the crowded city. Most film stars, rich business tycoons, traditionally rich people and celebrities have their homes in this area making it one of the most posh, sophisticated and affluent areas of London. Moreover, it is close to the royal seat of power at Westminster.
The maximum development of West End took place in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries with the building of many palaces, fashionable shops, places of entertainment and expensive town houses. In the process of development, the areas nearest to the City such as around Holborn, Covent Garden and Seven Dials were redeveloped in the 19th century after clearing them as they historically had poorer communities. The name West End is a loose term that is applied to all the areas including the entertainment and shopping districts and also to the entire part of central London that is situated to the west of the City of London.
The inner districts of West End that were all developed by 1815 are Bloomsbury, Covent Garden, Fitzrovia, Holborn, Marylebone, Mayfair, Seven Dials, Soho, St James’s, and Westminster. Some areas lying west of Park Lane are loosely considered to be a part of West End such as Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Pimlico, Chelsea, South Kensington, Bayswater, Paddington, Holland Park and Notting Hill.
Hotels near West End
West End also has many hotels of all descriptions but the most prominent luxury hotels in London West End are The Marble Arch at Montcalm London, The Montcalm at the Brewery London City, London City Suites by Montcalm, The Montcalm London Marble Arch, The Marble Arch by Montcalm London, M by Montcalm Shoreditch London Tech City, M by Montcalm Finsbury Square London City, Park Grand London Paddington, Grand Royale London Hyde Park, Park Grand London Hyde Park, The Shaftesbury Premier London Paddington, London Premier Notting Hill, Park Grand Kensington Hotel, Park Grand London Lancaster Gate, Shaftesbury Paddington Court London, Shaftesbury Premier London Piccadilly, Shaftesbury Hyde Park International, Executive Rooms London Kensington, The Metropolis London Hyde Park, London Premier Kensington, Shaftesbury Suites London Marble Arch, Paddington Court Executive Rooms, Paddington Court Suites and others.
West End comprises of a wide spectrum of London’s activities and attractions through its various edifices and other establishments such as art galleries and museums; company headquarters excluding the financial establishments; embassies; educational institutions; Government buildings and offices; hotels; institutes of learning and legal work; media establishments; cinemas, theatres, nightclubs, restaurants and bars and different types of shops. The streets of West End are the venue for the annual New Year’s Day Parade.
Leisure Activities in West End
Since most of the areas of West End are posh and affluent and since many London attractions are located here, there are many places for leisure activities in all fields of life. These include Thai Square Spa, AWAY Spa West London, Phoenix Garden, Urban Golf Soho, So SPA Sofitel St James, Victoria Embankment Gardens, The Hospital Club, ESPA Life at Corinthia, Triyoga, The Beauty Lounge, John Lewis Roog Garden, Catalyst Heath and Fitness Ltd, Agua at Sanderson, May Fair Spa, Elemis Spa, All Star Lanes, Bloomsbury, The London Academy of Krav Maga, Sense Spa at Rosewood London, London Marriott Hotel County Hall Spa, Jubilee Gardens, Nyumba, Chuan Spa, Claridge’s Health Club and Spa, Green Park, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Dolphin Swimming Club, Ted’s Grooming Room and Ottoman Lounge, Aman Spa, The Athenaeum Spa, Brown Hart Gardens, Fitzroy Square Garden, Chang’s Hapkido Academy, Big Bus Company, Westminster Alexander Centre, London Brass Rubbing Centre, 53 Monmouth Street, Biodanza, Football Association, Football Foundation, Curzons and many more.
Attractions in West End
Besides the above places for leisure activities, there are many attractions in West End such as British Museum, Somerset House, Speakers’ Corner, The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, Davenports, Wallace Collection, Wigmore Hall, Royal Institute of British Architects, Foundling Museum, Silver Vaults, Thomas RIB Experience, Getty Images Gallery, The Cartoon Museum and many more.
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