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About London
In the sixties it was "Swinging London" Some thirty years later it was "Cool Britannia" And since then…. Well, London is still the place to be! Its vibrant culture just keeps expanding and developing, and you can feel the buzz as soon as you arrive. And there's more to come. Thanks to London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympics, the city will change and reinvent itself at a pace not witnessed since the days of Queen Victoria.
London is changing and it's changing fast. Look across the skyline and you will see not only the familiar landmarks - Big Ben, St Paul's and Buckingham Palace - but also extraordinary new buildings such as the Swiss Re Tower, known as the "Gherkin" because of its shape, and the new County Hall, like the head of an alien in a space helmet, quietly gazing over the river Thames. Take a ride on the London Eye, the world's largest observation wheel offering a spectacular view over the city. Take in over 55 of London's most famous landmarks.
But these changes are also visible in almost all of London's neighbourhoods. It used to be easy to divide the city into the wealthy west stretching from Belgravia to Chelsea, and the working-class and immigrant populations in the east. To some extent that is still true today, but Clerkenwell, Islington and other eastern neighbourhoods have gentrified, attracting a more affluent population.
At the heart of London is Soho and its mix of narrow streets and alleys, trendy shops, elegant bars, and theatres. Notting Hill, well-known from the movie of the same name, attracts ever increasing numbers of visitors. Despite this, it has managed to retain its character of an eccentric village where some people still get the Sunday papers in there pyjamas.
And there's more to come. Over the next two decades, London will see new development on a scale not witnessed since the days of Queen Victoria and will build up even more momentum for regeneration, thanks to London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympics.
Stroll down famous Oxford Street, the home of the chain stores, with one exception. Selfridge's is London's best department store. Close to Oxford Street is fashionable Bond Street in Mayfair, where more and more interesting shops have opened over the last couple of years. New Bond Street boasts a concentration of some of the biggest designer shops in the world, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Donna Karan and Versace to name a few. Bond Street also houses Sotheby's auction house and a number of antique stores.
London may be a city, but that doesn't mean sacrificing nature and wildlife, there are plenty of green and open spaces to enjoy. With eight Royal Parks you're spoilt for choice and can enjoy everything from boating lakes, golf courses, outdoor theatres and relaxing on deckchairs.
Some of the most known parks are; Green Park, between Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park, with it's Open Air Theatre, St James's Park facing Buckingham Palace and Richmond Park, the former hunting park of King Charles I featuring roaming deer and other wildlife.
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