An Overview of London
While Central London doesn't formally define itself, most Londoners today would probably accept the Underground's Circle Line as a fair boundary.
"The City" (the financial district) is where London began; it's the original square mile that the Romans called Londinium, and it still exists as its own self-governing entity. Rich in historical, architectural, and social interest, the City is one of the world's great financial areas. Even though the City is jeweled with historic sights, it empties out in the evenings and on weekends, and there are lots of better places to stay if you are looking for a hopping nightlife scene.
The West End, where most of London's main attractions are found, is unofficially bounded by the Thames to the south, Farringdon Road/Street to the east, Marylebone Road/Euston Road to the north, and Hyde Park and Victoria Station to the west. Most visitors will spend their time in the West End, whether at Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, or the shops and theaters of Soho. You'll find the greatest concentration of hotels and restaurants in the West End. Despite attempts to extend central London's nocturnal life to the south side of the Thames -- notably the ambitious South Bank Arts Centre -- London's energy fades when it crosses the river. Still, the new urban development of Docklands, the tourist attraction of the new Globe Theatre, and some up-and-coming residential neighborhoods are infusing energy into the area across the river.
Farther west are the upscale neighborhoods of Belgravia, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Paddington and Bayswater, Earl's Court, and Notting Hill. This is also prime hotel and restaurant territory. To the east of the City is the East End, which forms the eastern boundary of Inner London (Notting Hill and Earl's Court roughly form the western boundary). Inner London is surrounded, like a doughnut, by the sprawling hinterland of Outer London.
Finding Your Way Around
It's not easy to find an address in London, as the city's streets -- both names and house numbers -- follow no pattern whatsoever. London is checkered with innumerable squares, mews, closes, and terraces that jut into, overlap, or otherwise interrupt whatever street you're trying to follow. And house numbers run in odds and evens, clockwise and counterclockwise -- when they exist at all. Many establishments, such as the Four Seasons Hotel and Langan's Brasserie, don't have numbers, even though the building right next door is numbered. Just ask if you're having trouble finding something. Throughout this book, street addresses are followed by designations like SW1 and EC1, which are postal areas. The original post office was at St. Martin-le-Grand in the City, so the postal districts are related to where they lie geographically from there. Victoria is SW1 since it's the first area southwest of St. Martin-le-Grand; Covent Garden is west (west central), so its postal area is WC1 or WC2; Liverpool Street is east central of St. Martin-le-Grand, so its postal area is EC1.
If you plan to explore London in any depth, you'll need a detailed street map with an index. No Londoner is ever without a London A to Z, the ultimate street-by-street reference guide, available at bookstores and newsstands. There's even a Mini A to Z, which is easier to carry around and ideal for all but the most myopic.
