Oxford Street
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13 
 Marble
Arch, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street
Oxford Street, traditionally London’s main shopping street, has been taken over by chain stores
featuring a broader variety of goods than available in the past, though at
the expense of some of its character. If you are looking for casual
"British style" clothing, this is the place to shop. Be
prepared for crowds most any time, but If you shop on a Saturday,
you might begin believing the claim that this is the busiest street in
Europe.
Oxford Street is a good but not great area for shopping since it is similar
to shopping at home. If you want to
take a look at the shops and where they
are on Oxford street, visit this
UK based site
where you can view photos of the stores,
arranged as the occur along Oxford Street starting at Marble Arch.
Selfridges, an enormous, traditional British department store, near Marble
Arch is a good place to start your trip along Oxford Street.
Dover
Street Market 
The Dover Street Market (17-18 Dover Street London W1S 4LT) is one of the
newest and most trendy retailers in London. The 6 floors of the
building is the brainchild of Rei Kawakubo and Comme
des Garçons. He describes the shops as existing in an atmosphere of
"...beautiful chaos." If you have time and like shopping at
trendy boutiques, this is a
must see when in Mayfair. For more information see this
site .
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Oxford
Circus, Piccadilly Circus
If you choose to explore Oxford Street for shopping, you might consider turning onto
Regent Street
for even more shopping between Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus. Visit
this UK based site where you can view photos of the stores, arranged as
they occur along Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus.
If you decide to wander down Regent Street for shopping, you might want to
spend some time on Carnaby Street
in Soho, if its tastes suit you
(in Soho - to the east of Regent Street south of Oxford) ). Soho might best
be described as "edgy". It is an area that mixes popular
restaurants and nightclubs with sex shops and a sometimes mixed clientele.
See this
site for more
information on visiting Carnaby Street.
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Green Park, Hyde Park Corner
Near Piccadilly Circus, this is a quiet little area
in Mayfair between Piccadilly and
Curzon Streets
that provides great restaurants, outdoor dining when the weather permits,
interesting shops and a great atmosphere. If you are in the area, wander its lanes and you will be glad you
did.
Several of the cafes are
breakfast shops and provide great breakfasts for a reasonable
price (much more reasonable than you will pay at most hotels).
Shepherd Market (not to be
confused with Shepherd’s Bush Market in another part of London) is quite
small and can be toured in a matter of minutes. It is likely you will
find a restaurant of pub beckoning to you, if one of the quaint shops does
not get you first.
If you enjoy Middle Eastern/Lebanese food,
try Al Hamra at 31-33 Shepherd Market (at
corner of Trebeck). Or, wander up Piccadilly towards the Circus
to dine at Fakhreldine at 85 Piccadilly.
For more detailed information about this enchanting, hidden corner of
London, see this
site.
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Piccadilly
Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a
London landmark that like many signature locations, doesn’t offer much more
than a dazzling view. Piccadilly Circus reminds the traveler of
Times Square or Ginza, due
to the preponderance of huge, glitzy, advertising adorning many of the
building in the intersections.
The most famous meeting space in the Circus is the
statue commonly known as Eros (not the original name or intent of the sculpture).
Nevertheless, the Greek god of love attracts many tourists and provides a
good, identifiable photo opportunity
Five of London’s major thoroughfares
converge at Piccadilly Circus and it is a good jumping off point for Trafalgar Square, Soho, Chinatown or shopping on Regent and, then, Oxford Street.
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Charing Cross, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square
These two National
Galleries are next door to each other and provide a thorough
collection of English portraiture and European art.
The National Gallery bills
itself as “...one of the greatest collections of European painting in the
world” and the public seems to agree, as the this is the most visited
attraction in London. The Gallery’s collection includes over 2,300 paintings created
between the thirteenth and twentieth centuries. Visit
the National Gallery web site for
information on its hours of operation and special exhibitions.
The National
Portrait Gallery is just that, a gallery containing portraits of over 1,000
British men and women, both royalty and others, who are noted for their roles
in the country's history. Visit
the National
Portrait Gallery web site for details and opening
hours and special events.
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Charing Cross, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square
One of London’s most famous attractions, Trafalgar Square was created in the
1800’s to commemorate the victory of the British fleet, commanded by Admiral
Nelson in the Battle of Cape Trafalgar (near Cadiz Spain). In the battle, an
element of the British fleet soundly defeated a French-Spanish fleet in what
was the deciding naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars.
Admiral Nelson died of battle wounds shortly after hearing that victory was
his. In a rather interesting move, his body was preserved in a keg of
rum, for the voyage back to port. Nelson’s statute adorns a tall column in his honor that is the focal
point of the Square. Four massive black lions surround the base of the pillar
and together form a remarkable monument. Other statues scattered throughout
the Square commemorate famous
members of the British Empire.
Trafalgar Square was renovated and made pedestrian friendly during the last
decade and provides
good photo opportunity (if you can clear some space from the ever-present
billions of pigeons). The National Gallery and the Church of St. Martin in the Fields face the Square.
If you are a Sherlock
Holmes fan, wander down Northumberland Avenue (across from the
south side of the Square) a few steps to 10 -11Northumberland Street
and the
Sherlock Holmes Pub
. It has good “pub grub” and an upstairs room decorated in the milieu of
221b Baker Street.
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If you need information about another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web
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![Just down Northumberland from Trafalgar Square you will find the Sherlock Holmes Pub, a good place for pub grub, it has a small but fun "Holmes Room"](../../images/pagepix/London/uklonshrelock.jpg "Just down Northumberland from Trafalgar Square you will find the Sherlock Holmes Pub, a good place for pub grub, it has a small but fun "Holmes Room"")
