Oxford Street and West End
The delightful West End and Oxford Street area features some of the most expensive and luxurious property in the whole of London. With an intricate network of busy streets and garden squares, the area is awash with the buzz of visitors and locals enjoying the department stores, restaurants, nightlife and entertainment on offer.
The West End
The renowned West End includes Oxford Street, Mayfair, Marylebone, Piccadilly Circus, Soho and Bloomsbury. In this area, you will find London’s best theatres and some of the major attractions including the British Museum, the National Gallery, Covent Garden Market, Hyde Park, the Royal Opera House and Selfridges.
You can enjoy a stay in a serviced apartment within walking distance of Europe’s longest and most famous shopping street. Extending over 1.5 miles the stunning department stores and luxury boutiques of London’s Oxford Street will enable you to “shop till you drop”. Enjoy a stroll through the cobbled Covent Garden Piazza where you can enjoy a meal or a drink in one of the many bars and restaurants that abound. Take in the sights and sounds of Leicester Square and visit Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. An enjoy bustling Chinatown where you will see the roasted ducks and pork hanging in the windows of the amazing restaurants. Theatre fanatics should get a seat at one of the award-winning West End shows, such as The Lion King before retiring for a well deserved rest!
Trafalgar Square
Enjoy a wander round the National Gallery, the fabulous art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster. Founded in 1824, it houses a myriad collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900, altarpieces to the Impressionists. It is open daily and you can enjoy a daily guided tour. It houses bars and restaurants and offers stunning views across Trafalgar Square. The National Portrait Gallery has re-opened after extensive refurbishment and welcomes visitors daily.
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is the world’s biggest high street, a shoppers paradise offering a mile and a half of retail opportunities in the City of Westminster in the West End of London. It runs from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus.
It is Europe’s busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors visiting some 100+ flagship stores and shops.
Whether you are looking for fashion, beauty, technology or homeware you will not be disappointed.
You can shop the very best high-street brands such as Gap, H&M, the American Niketown, the young and hip River Island, Primark (inexpensive fashion) and the UK’s iconic department stores including the world famous Selfridges where luxury goods are beautifully displayed, the quality retail store of John Lewis (good for fashion and electronics) and the flagship store of the ever popular Marks & Spencer.
With over 500 restaurants within five minutes’ walk, you’ll have plenty of dining opportunities.
Getting there
Getting to Oxford Street is easy, with Marble Arch, Bond Street and Oxford Circus stations all serving this lively hub. The bus service is very good in this area. Much of Oxford Street is pedestrianised and there are, of course, plenty of black cabs around.
Many shops and department stores are open Monday to Saturday until 9pm and Sunday from 11.30 am to 6pm. Oxford Street can be quite busy at times so to avoid the crowds it is probably best to avoid the street during rush hour. The queues to pay in shops and to access the underground are normally more dense at that time.
Leading from Oxford Street you can also enjoy the luxury shops of Regent Street towards Piccadilly Circus and take a stroll through Carnaby Street on the way and experience a taste of London’s cool and trendy 60’s heritage.
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is one of London’s most popular tourist destinations and is located in the City of Westminster in London’s West End. You can sit by the famous Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, otherwise known as the statue of Eros, whose naked statue cast in aluminium stands atop the fountain, in the centre of glamorous Piccadilly Circus and watch the world go by. And then have your photo taken in front of the iconic advertising screens whose videos and animations, along with a host of neon illuminated signs, have dominate the landscape for over a century. Coca Cola has had a sign here since 1954!
From Piccadilly Circus, you can easily walk to Piccadilly, Leicester Square or Shaftesbury Avenue. The closest Underground station is Piccadilly Circus, which is served by the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines. This station is one of the very few on the London Underground to have no buildings on street level – everything here is subterranean.
Fitzrovia
Nearby Fitzrovia is a diverse residential area where grand 18th and 19th century apartments abound. Well situated for the West End theatres, Fitzrovia has many hotels, galleries and old-school pubs. Charlotte Street is lined with lively bistros and cafes and many of the quiet streets are now home to new media, advertising and architectural companies as well as a number of art galleries. The iconic BT Tower is in the centre of the neighbourhood and dominates the skyline.