London is one of the world’s great shopping cities, with over 30,000 retail outlets dotted across the capital (3,000 of which in Central London alone). Typically for London, particular areas of the city have their own shopping characters. In the west, The King’s Road in Chelsea, SW1, has a long-standing reputation for fashion, although is now mainly high-street chains, while the Notting Hill area, once primarily antiques, is now also very popular for fashion boutiques, in particular along Westbourne Grove
and Ledbury Road, W11. In the east, the Brick Lane area, E1 and E2, has long been
home to up-and-coming fashion designers’ studios but now the area is really taking off, with many designers opening shops alongside shops selling vintage furniture, second-hand clothes, design objects and other quirky finds (Cheshire Street is especially good for this).

More centrally, Oxford Street (the busiest shopping street in Europe, with 200 million visitors a year and a turnover of £5 billion) and Regent Street, both W1, attract swarms of shoppers to well-known high-street clothing shops and megastores, including Hamley’s toy emporium, 188-196 Regent Street. Department stores (such as the enormous and trendy Selfridges, the reliable Marks and Spencer, and the back-to-basics John Lewis) are mostly located along Oxford Street, although the high-fashion Liberty is just down Regent Street. Just around the back of Liberty, Carnaby Street, popular in the swinging ’60s, is enjoying a revival, although it is mostly filled now with chains. The parallel Newburgh Street has independent trendy boutiques.

Nearby, Tottenham Court Road, WC1, is lined with electrical shops, while directly south, Charing Cross Road, WC2, has long been the center for bookshops in London, with enticing second-hand shops and bigger chains. London’s largest bookshop, Waterstones, is situated on Piccadilly, W1. Covent Garden, WC2, is one of the most popular shopping areas. Its Piazza, once the site of the fruit and vegetable market, is now filled with specialist shops, cafes, craft stalls and street performers, while Floral Street is home to trendy clothes shops and Neal Street trendy shoe shops.

Old and New Bond Streets, W1, are home to the flagship stores for big international designers, such as Prada and Gucci, with nearby Conduit Street providing a home to more off-the-wall designers, such as Issey Miyake and Vivien Westwood. All these rub shoulders with the home of bespoke tailoring, Savile Row, while high-powered art galleries are scattered throughout the area, particularly Cork Street.

Visitors looking for a gift that is representative of London need look no further than the number of tacky shops and souvenir stalls that line Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and other tourist-attracting areas. Passers-by are assaulted with all manner of kitsch, cute and colorful souvenirs, toys and clothes (mostly sporting a Union Jack or member of the royal family). Harrods, Knightsbridge, SW1, sells more upmarket souvenirs and attracts huge numbers of tourists (and locals) every year, with its legendary sales and heavenly food hall. Another good place for typical British food stuffs as gifts is Fortnum and Mason, on Piccadilly, W1, a classic from the early 20th century.

High-street shopping still dominates in the city center, however, out-of-town shopping centers are becoming increasingly popular. The massive Bluewater , one mile off the M25 ring road, is the biggest of this new breed.

Visiting one or more of London’s markets is a way of combining shopping with a cultural experience. The vast market at Camden Lock, Chalk Farm Road, NW1, is one of the city’s top attractions, open daily but primarily Saturday and Sunday. Visitors also flock to the antiques and flea market on the Portobello Road, W10, on Friday and Saturday. In the East End, Sunday markets sell everything from fruit and vegetables to jewelry and junk, such as Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane, E1, open 0900-1400 and 0600-1300 respectively, as well as the Sunday morning flower market at Columbia Road, E2. (more…)

London’s cultural scene combines the assurance of long-standing tradition with the verve of regained creativity. The sheer breadth of cultural activities on offer in the capital is breathtaking, with over 150 theaters and 300 art galleries. Contemporary figures like Tracy Emin and Zadie Smith complement the rich heritage of Turner and Shakespeare.

The hulking concrete mass of the South Bank Center, South Bank, SE1 , is one of the city’s cultural Meccas. It houses theHayward Gallery and three concert halls - the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room. Next door is the flagship Royal National Theater, South Bank, SE1 . Flying the cultural flag north of the river, the labyrinthine Barbican Center, Silk Street, EC2 , is an all-inclusive performing and visual arts venue with a varied all-year program of events.

London Tourist Board’s Visitor Call service and the weekly Time Out magazineprovide details of the week’s entertainment. Ticket agencies include First Call Ticketing and Ticketmaster UK .

Music: The world-famous Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2 , is home to the excellent Royal Opera. However, despite some attempts to cut the price, ballet and opera tickets are still often fairly expensive. More accessible are performances by the English National Opera at the London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, WC2 .

Large-scale concerts are staged at the Royal Festival Hall (see above), home of the London Philharmonic Orchestra , or the Barbican , home of the London Symphony Orchestra . The Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 , can also stage huge concerts, including London’s annual musical highlight, the summer series of the Proms.

Music connoisseurs should head for the traditional but friendly surroundings of the Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, W1 , to hear impeccable chamber music and solo recitals. More informal concerts take place in halls and churches all over the capital, including St Martin-in-the-Fields , St John’s, Smith Square, SW1, and St James’s, Piccadilly, W1.

Theater: Within the extraordinary diversity of London’s theater scene (there are over 100 theaters in the capital, including 50 in the West End), the Royal National Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company compete for audiences with commercial West End theaters, repertory companies, ‘off-West End’ productions and fringe theaters. The National Theater’s three auditoria - The Olivier, The Cottesloe and The Lyttleton - allow productions of different scale, from classics to new writing. The Royal Shakespeare Company, performing primarily Shakespeare and based out of Stratford-upon-Avon, did use the Barbican as its London home but will now perform in a range of venues including the Barbican.

The Old Vic, The Cut, Waterloo, SE1 , offers inspired traditional drama. Meanwhile, down the road, at 66 The Cut, the Young Vic presents modern productions of contemporary and classic plays. The Royal Court Theater, Sloane Square, SW1 , continues to foster excellent new writing.

Quality innovative productions can also be expected from ‘off-West End’ theaters, such as the Donmar Warehouse, Earlham Street, WC2 , and the Almeida, Almeida Street, N1 . Fringe theater, ranging from the inspired to the insane, is performed in dozens of local venues, including the King’s Head, 115 Upper Street, N1 , which is the oldest pub-theater in London, and the Finborough Theater, 118 Finborough Road, SW10 .

From May to September, the Globe Theater, New Globe Walk, SE1 , stages open-air productions of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. There are also outdoor summer performances at the Open Air Theater in Regents Park, NW1.

Theater tickets in the West End cost £15-40. They can be purchased in advance from the theater box office. Alternatively, for purchases on the day of the performance, there is a booth on the south side of Leicester Square, formerly called the Half-Price Theater Ticket Booth, now called tkts . It is open Mon-Sat 1000-1900 and Sun 1200-1500. This is the official Society of London Theater’s booth; visitors should avoid touts and other outlets in the area. The booth sells mainly half-price tickets, although some tickets at 25% discount and some full-price tickets. Because of the booking fee, when only full-price tickets are available for that night’s performance, visitors are advised to go to the actual theater box office. There is also a new tkts outlet in Canary Wharf DLR Station (platform 4/5), open Mon-Sat 1130-1800.

Dance: Touring dance companies perform mostly contemporary dance at the Sadler’s Wells Theater, Rosebery Avenue, EC1 . Ticket prices are usually more reasonable than at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2 , which is home to the Royal Ballet .

Film: Local cinemas are less expensive than those in the West End, where tickets cost approximately £10. Two main cinema chains are Odeon and Vue (formerly Warner) , with venues all over London, their biggest in Leicester Square, WC2. Barbican Screen, Silk Street, EC2 , is London’s leading independent cinema showing independent, arthouse and blockbuster movies, along with the National Film Theater, on the South Bank, SE1 . IMAX magic can be experienced at the largest cinema screen in the UK, the new BFI London IMAX Cinema, South Bank, SE1 .

The Ealing Studios in west London presented English eccentricity and black humor in a distinctive London setting in the ‘Ealing Comedies’, such as Passport to Pimlico (1949) and The Ladykillers (1955). Before the war, Alfred Hitchcock established his reputation at Elstree Film Studios, with London-based thrillers such as The 39 Steps (1935), featuring Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) hanging precariously from the clock face of Big Ben. Recently, Sliding Doors (1997), Shakespeare in Love (1998) and Notting Hill (1998) have achieved huge success by combining a London setting with the box-office draw of Hollywood stars. The compelling gangster face of East End London has also been portrayed in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000). Less blockbuster, more critically acclaimed, London has been portrayed in Blow Up (1966), Mona Lisa (1986) and Wonderland (1999). The most recent movies shot in the capital include Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001), Dirty Pretty Things (2002), About a Boy (2002), 28 Days (2002), Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Love, actually (2003). (more…)

Sightseeing Overview

Before setting off sightseeing, it is wise for visitors to study a London Underground map, to get a feel for the straightforward color-coded system. Visitors should also bear in mind, however, that many of the Underground stations are very close to each other and many central areas are easily navigable on foot.

Walking the streets of London, or strolling through its parks, one realises that, in a city hailed for its ability to embrace modernity and change, the past is, however, never far away: there are four world heritage sites in London (the Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwhich and Kew Gardens) and some 40,000 listed buildings and structures. Three of Britain’s top 10 paying attractions and six of the top ten free ones can be found in London. The London Eye, since it made its appearance on the banks of the Thames to mark the turn of the millennium, has since become the most popular attraction for visitors to the capital.

The tourist heart of London lies mainly on the north bank of the River Thames, with the chunk of flat land between South Kensington in the west to Tower Bridge in the east stuffed full of things to do and see. Starting in the west, there are the three major South Kensington Museums - the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.

Moving eastwards, the next key attraction is Buckingham Palace, back in vogue after the Jubilee Year in 2002. A short walk away, through St James’s Park, is Westminster, with the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. From here, it is another short walk up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, with the National Gallery and other attractions. This is where the ‘West End’ starts, heading slightly north to Leicester Square - a busy tourist-infested piazza where many Londoners would not be seen dead - connecting up with Piccadilly Circus to the west and Covent Garden to the east, with the stately old British Museum a little further away to the northeast. In the middle of the West End, Theaterland and Chinatown merge into Soho, with its nightlife and new media offices.

Along the river itself, on the north bank is the Tate Britain gallery in the west, followed by Westminster and then the Embankment. Crossing over the River Thames from the Embankment can by done on the new pedestrian Hungerford Bridge. The south bank of the river now has its own throngs of tourists, at the British Airways London Eye and London Aquarium. This side of the river also dominates culturally, with the South Bank Center and, further east, the Tate Modern and the Globe Theater. Another pedestrian bridge, Lord Foster’s Millennium Bridge, connects the Tate Modern with St Paul’s Cathedral, back on the north bank. From St Paul’s, it is possible for one to walk through the City of London, reaching the Tower of London further east. Tower Bridge connects this ancient seat of power to City Hall, on the south bank, the new state-of-the-art home of London Mayor Ken Livingstone and the London Assembly, designed by Lord Foster (website: www.london.gov.uk).

London’s main tourist information center is the Britain and London Visitor Center (BLVC), 1 Lower Regent St, SW1. Opening hours: 0930-1830 Mon, 0900-1830 Tue-Fri and 1000-1600 Sat-Sun. (Jun-Sep, Sat-Sun 1000-1700).

There are various London Tourist Information Centers (TIC) situated throughout the city, including one at Pepys House, 2 Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich, SE10 open daily 1000-1700; and one at Vinopolis, 1 Bank End, SE1 , open Tue-Sun 1000-1800, Mon closed.

Passes

The London Pass (website: www.londonpass.com) allows free access for one child or adult to over 50 attractions (including the London Aquarium, London Zoo, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Buckingham Palace in summer). The ‘with transport’ option also includes free transport on all London buses, Tubes and trains. The price varies depending on whether or not you take the ‘with transport’ option. A pass for one day costs £23 without transport and £27 with transport; for two days £36 or £47, three days £44 or £60 and six days £62 or £94. Children pay £15 or £17 for one day, £25 or £29 for two days, £29 or £38 for three days and £41 or £52 for six days. Add 17.5% tax to all these prices. The London Pass can be purchased at the airport and tourist information offices around London.

Key Attractions:

British Airways London Eye and County Hall

Towering 135m (444ft) into the heavens, right in the heart of London, the BA London Eye is literally an unmissable attraction. The world’s tallest observation wheel has become one of London’s most popular attractions, which usually means a ‘flight’ requires booking in advance and often queuing as well. However, the experience (one revolution of the wheel, lasting approximately 30 minutes) is absolutely worth it - the unparalleled views of the city reach as far away as 40km (25 miles).

Although the London Eye is the focus of the area, sitting right next door and directly across the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament, County Hall, the former home of the Greater London Council (abolished by Margaret Thatcher in 1986), comes a close second. The enormous building is home to the London Aquarium, the Dali Universe and, most recently, The Saatchi Gallery, majestically situated on the first floor above the rabble.

Here, Charles Saatchi’s extensive collection of modern British art is displayed, with a permanent exhibition and a changing temporary exhibition. The 3,716sq meters (40,000sq feet) of County Hall that make up the gallery have been restored to their original splendor and much of the art is hung in former offices among the oak panelling. The central conference hall contains the most (in)famous pieces, such as Marcus Harvey’s portrait of Myra Hindley, Tracey Emin’s Unmade Bed and Damien Hirst’s The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, better known as ‘the shark in formaldehyde’.

For live sharks in tanks, visitors should go to the London Aquarium, home to over 350 different aquatic species from around the world, including a touch area where visitors can stroke the friendly rays. The Dali Universe meanwhile contains over 500 works of art by the famous surrealist, including the painting, Spellbound, which was created specially for the set of the 1945 Hitchcock thriller, and the sofa in the shape of Mae West’s lips. County Hall is also home to two hotels (Marriott and Travel Inn), numerous bars and restaurants and a Namco Station, a vast entertainment center offering video games, ten-pin bowling, bumper cars, a pool hall, as well as a licensed bar and lounge with big TV screens.

South Bank, SE1

Transport: London Underground Waterloo, Westminster or Embankment.

Tate Gallery of Modern Art and Bankside

Opened in 2000, the Tate Modern is a £130-million project that is regarded as a model of urban regeneration, with the disused Bankside power station transformed into an avant-garde space dedicated to 20th-century art. The permanent exhibition changes biannually so that much of the Tate Gallery’s collection of modern work can be on show, displayed thematically rather than chronologically. This includes major works by Matisse, Picasso, Rothko and Warhol, as well as contemporary pieces. The Turbine Hall displays changing pieces of artwork, specially commissioned to fit the enormous space. The last artist to exhibit here was Olafur Eliasson with his huge ‘Sun’ installation.

The Bankside area itself is becoming one of the most exciting corners of the capital, especially now the £14-million Millennium Bridge has opened. Designed by Lord Foster, it provides a pedestrian link from the Tate Modern to St Paul’s Cathedral on the north bank. Bankside’s cultural regeneration is enhanced by the beautifully reconstructured Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and Exhibition, which is open all year round, although plays are only performed at the outdoor venue during the summer. Other attractions along the river, past Southwark Bridge towards London Bridge, include Vinopolis, an interactive celebration of wine, and the Golden Hinde, a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s flagship. Southwark Cathedral, with its Visitor Center and Exhibition, is nestled under London Bridge, on the edge of the nearby Borough Market (website: www.boroughmarket.org.uk), a heaven for gourmets.

Bankside, SE1

Transport: London Underground Southwark, Blackfriars or London Bridge.

Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster contains the Houses of Parliament, part of which is one of the city’s most famous landmarks- Big Ben. Big Ben is actually the name of the huge bell, whose tolling tune is instantly recognizable, while the clock tower itself, which rises above the seat of British government, is called St Stephen’s. The most ancient part of the whole Palace, Westminster Hall, is 900 years old. After almost total destruction by fire, the rest of the palace was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style, during the 19th century, to designs by Charles Barry.

All year round, free tours of the Palace of Westminster are available to UK residents, if they contact their MP who can arrange them. It is no longer possible to provide overseas visitors with small group tours. However, during late July/August and mid September/early October, Parliament is in recess and the Summer Opening of the Palace of Westminster takes place. Extensive guided tours are offered for all visitors; these last about 75 minutes and include the Royal Robing Rooms, the House of Lords and the House of Commons and Westminster Hall. These are not free and they must be booked in advance (in person or from Firstcall). All visitors who want to watch Parliament at work, rather than tour the Palace, can watch from the Strangers’ Gallery. When Parliament is in session, there are two long queues (one for the Lords and one for the Commons) outside the Palace.

Westminster Abbey

Across Parliament Square is Westminster Abbey - a magnificent Gothic structure where innumerable members of the British royal family have been christened, married, crowned and interred. Consecrated under Edward the Confessor, in the 11th century, it was rebuilt over the next four centuries in Gothic style. Highlights include Henry VII’s Chapel, Poet’s Corner and the Coronation Chair.

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London has hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in 1908 and 1948. In July 2005 London was chosen to host the Games in 2012, making it the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times [19]. London was also the host of the British Empire Games in 1934.

The most popular spectator sport in London is football, and London has several of England’s leading football clubs. Tottenham Hotspur were the first team to win the League and Cup “double” in 1961, and along with North-London rivals Arsenal were the traditional dominant forces of the south of England. However, the last decade has seen Arsenal and Chelsea being regarded as two of the Premier League’s “big four” alongside Liverpool and Manchester United, and regularly play in the UEFA Champions League. The other London clubs in the top flight are Charlton Athletic, Fulham and West Ham United. The current season has seen Chelsea take up a dominant position in the country, while Arsenal falling below Spurs has seen them be replaced by Liverpool in the Premiership’s “big three”.

Wembley Stadium (which is currently being rebuilt) has traditionally been the home of the England football team, and serves as the venue for the FA Cup final, as well as rugby league’s Challenge Cup final. Twickenham Stadium in west London is the national rugby union stadium, and three Guinness Premiership sides (London Irish, Saracens and Wasps) all originate from London, although they are now all based just outside the Greater London area.

Two Test cricket grounds are located in London: Lord’s, home of Middlesex, in St John’s Wood, and The Oval, home of Surrey, in Kennington. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, home of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships is in Wimbledon in the south. London also hosts the annual London Marathon, one of the largest mass-participation marathons in the world [20], and the Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race

Olympic Games

London has hosted the Summer Olympics in 1908 and 1948. In July 2005 London was chosen to host the Games in 2012, making it the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times.

The 2012 games will see massive development in the east-end of London, particularly Stratford, which will be home to the Olympic Village, Olympic Stadium and many major venues. Other events are spread out across the city, from Wembley Stadium in the north-west to Wimbledon in the south.

Commonwealth Games

London hosted the second British Empire Games at White City in 1934.

Football

The most popular spectator sport in London is football, and London has several of England’s leading football clubs. Historically the London clubs have not accumulated as many trophies as those from the North West of England, such as Liverpool and Manchester United, but at present Arsenal (founded at Woolwich Arsenal but moved to Highbury in 1913), and Chelsea (who play in Fulham) are regarded as two of the Premier League’s “big three” alongside Manchester United. In 2003-04 they became the first pair of London clubs to finish first and second in the top flight, with Arsenal winning. In 2004-05 they did so again, this time with Chelsea winning.

London clubs are able to charge higher ticket prices than clubs in other parts of the country (particularly for corporate facilities), and this has swung English football’s balance of power towards London. Before Chelsea’s recent rise in fortunes the two highest profile London clubs were Arsenal and their long-standing North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, both of whom were considered to be members of English football’s “Big five” for most of the post-war period. In 2005-06 there are six London clubs in the Premier League: Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea, plus Charlton Athletic, Fulham and West Ham United.

There are also six London clubs in the fully professional Football League (the three divisions below the Premiership), namely Barnet, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Leyton Orient, Millwall (who play in Bermondsey) and Queens Park Rangers (QPR). Barnet are the only one of these clubs not to have previously played in the top division. In a controversial move, Wimbledon left London in 2003 to play in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, changing their name to Milton Keynes Dons; the newly formed AFC Wimbledon inherited most of their support, despite playing at a much lower level in the football pyramid. There are also numerous London clubs playing outside the top four divisions of English football, one or two of which are fully professional and many of which are part-time professional. Hackney Marshes in east London, home to many amateur sides, is reportedly the single largest collection of football pitches in the world.
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When Pope Gregory the Great sent St. Augustine to bring England into the Catholic fold in 597, it was intended that the envoy should become “Archbishop of London”, as the city was remembered as the capital of Roman Britain. In the event, the saint received his most hospitable reception in the Kingdom of Kent, and the archiepiscopal see was founded at Canterbury. Nonetheless London has been at the centre of England’s religious life for much of its history, and each Archbishop of Canterbury has traditionally spent much of his time in London, where he has an official residence at Lambeth Palace.

London’s two Anglican bishops are the Bishop of London, whose see is London north of the Thames, and whose throne is in London’s grandest church, the baroque St Paul’s Cathedral (designed by Sir Christopher Wren), and the Bishop of Southwark, who tends to Anglicans south of the river. Important national and royal ceremonies are divided between St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey, a gothic church on the scale of a cathedral.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster is generally regarded as the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Other traditional Protestant denominations whose headquarters are in London include the United Reformed Church, the Salvation Army and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Many of London’s immigrant groups have established denominations in the city, for example Greek Orthodoxy In addition various evangelical churches exist.

London is the most important centre of Islam in the United Kingdom. Two London boroughs contain the highest proportion of Muslims in the UK: Tower Hamlets and Newham. The London Central Mosque is a well-known landmark on the edge of Regent’s Park, and there are many other mosques in the city. London also has the largest Hindu population outside of India. (more…)

London is a major international communications centre with a virtually unrivalled number of media outlets. Much of the British media is concentrated in London and is sometimes accused of having a “London bias”. All the major television networks are headquartered in London including the BBC, which remains one of the world’s most influential media organisations. Partly to counter complaints about London bias, the BBC announced in June 2004 that some departments are to be relocated to Manchester. Other broadcasters headquartered in London include ITV, Channel 4, Five and BSkyB. Like the BBC, these produce some programmes elsewhere in the UK, but London is their main production centre. Local programming, including news, is provided by the regional services of the main networks: BBC London on BBC One and ITV London on ITV1).

There is a huge choice of radio stations available in London. Local city-wide stations include music-based stations such as Capital Radio, Heart 106.2, Kiss 100 and Xfm. Popular news/talk stations include BBC London, LBC 97.3 and LBC News 1152.

The London newspaper market is dominated by London editions of the national newspapers, all of which are edited in London. Until the 1970s, most of the national newspapers were concentrated in Fleet Street, but in the 1980s they relocated to new premises with automated printing works. Most of these are in East London, most famously the News International plant at Wapping. The move was resisted strongly by the printing trade union SOGAT 82, and strike action at Wapping in 1986 led to violent skirmishes. The last major news agency in Fleet Street, Reuters, moved to Canary Wharf in 2005, but Fleet Street is still commonly used as a collective term for the national press.

London has three daily newspaper titles - the Evening Standard, plus two free titles, Metro and Standard Lite (published by the Evening Standard) which are distributed every day at London tube and railway stations. The independent weekly listings guide Time Out Magazine has been providing concert, film, theatre and arts information since 1968.
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London is home to a diverse number of universities, colleges and schools, and is a leading centre of research and development. The largest and most prestigious colleges include University College London (UCL), Imperial College, King’s College London, Queen Mary, University of London and the London School of Economics, Schiller International University, while smaller schools and institutes include the School of Oriental and African Studies, the Institute of Education, and Birkbeck College, which specialises in part time and mature students.

London has the largest student population of any British city, although not the highest per capita. Universities in London may be divided into two groups. First, the federal University of London which, with over 125,000 students , is the largest contact teaching university in the United Kingdom and in Europe. It comprises over 50 colleges and institutes with a high degree of autonomy. Constituent colleges have their own admissions procedures, and are effectively universities in their own right, although all degrees are awarded by the University of London rather than the individual colleges.

Secondly, there are other universities not part of the University of London, some of which were polytechnics until UK polytechnics were granted university status in 1992, and others which were founded much earlier.

Universities

London has the largest student population of any British city, although not the highest per capita. Universities in London may be divided into two groups:

First, the federal University of London, which, with over 125,000 students, is the largest contact teaching university in the United Kingdom and in Europe. It comprises over 50 colleges and institutes with a high degree of autonomy. Constituent colleges have their own admissions procedures, and are effectively universities in their own right, although all degrees are awarded by the University of London rather than the individual colleges.

The largest and most prestigious colleges include University College London (UCL), Imperial College, King’s College London, Queen Mary, University of London and the London School of Economics, while smaller schools and institutes include the School of Oriental and African Studies, the Institute of Education, and Birkbeck College, which specialises in part time and mature students.

Secondly, there are other universities not part of the University of London, some of which were polytechnics until UK polytechnics were granted university status in 1992, and others which were founded much earlier. Among these are City University, London in the City, Middlesex University in North London, Brunel University in West London and various other universities. For a full list see Universities in London.

Other institutions of higher education

There are also number of sometimes colleges in London which provide education leading to degrees validated by universities, but which are not actual universities themselves. Some of these colleges are private institutions very similar to actual universities, such as European Business School or Regent’s College.

Further education

London also has many further education colleges run by local education authorities. Traditionally these were clearly separated from the higher education system, and offered vocational education below university level, but this distinction is breaking down and further education colleges now offer university level courses validated by a local university and prepare students for university entrance, as well as providing vocational courses.
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Electric power supply

Several power stations were built to generate electricity in the centre of London, including the famous power stations at Bankside and Battersea (both now disused). Bankside power station has now been converted into Tate Modern, but still houses part of a large electricity transformer substation (you can hear it humming when you visit Tate Modern).

HVDC Kingsnorth has been a unique element of the London power grid since 1975, the first urban high voltage direct current transmission system in the world. It was subsequently converted to standard 3-phase alternating current.

Water

The Thames Water Ring Main supplies much of London with water. Sewage disposal was historically a problem, causing major pollution of the Thames and potable water supplies. London suffered from major outbreaks of cholera and typhus well into the mid-1800s. Indeed, the problem was so severe that Parliament was suspended on occasion due to the stench from the river. These problems were solved when Sir Joseph Bazalgette completed his system of intercepting mains to divert sewage from the Thames to outfalls east of London, where the tide would sweep the sewage out to sea.

Transport

London is at the centre of road, rail, air and water transport in the United Kingdom. Transport is one of the four areas of policy administered by the Mayor of London, but the mayor’s financial control is limited. The executive agency which runs London’s transport system is Transport for London (TfL). The public transport network is one of the most extensive in the world, but faces serious congestion and reliability issues.

As of mid-2005, in preparation for the 2012 London Olympic Games a total of £7 billion ($12 billion) will best be spent on refurbishment and expansion of city links, mainly on the London Underground. Although the main reason for this is because of the increased traffic flow that will be caused by the 2012 Olympics, the work would still have been completed had London not won the games.

Rail

London ’s Underground Railway is the oldest in the world, and possibly one of the busiest. It is thought that more than 3 million people use the Underground every day. The Underground has in recent decades suffered from a lack of sufficient investment since the sums of money needed to keep it fully modernised are very high. This has led to congestion and delays for passengers in some areas of the network, although there have also been improvements, for example the opening of the Jubilee Line Extension. Recently the London Rail and Tram network has received substantial funding.

London has the second largest urban rail system in the world after Tokyo. It includes:
Mainline services
London Underground
Tramlink
Docklands Light Rail
Heathrow / Stansted / Gatwick Express
Eurostar

Many of the UK’s rail lines radiate from London. London’s rail termini are: Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Fenchurch Street, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge (which also has through platforms), Marylebone, Paddington, St. Pancras, Victoria and Waterloo. With the exception of Fenchurch Street, all of these stations also have associated London Underground stations.

The Heathrow Express is not strictly a part of the public rail system, but is owned by BAA plc. As of 2005, Transport for London runs the London Underground (the world’s first underground rail network or metro), commonly also known as “The Tube”. The national government’s recently introduced public-private partnerships to the Underground despite opposition from many parties, including the Mayor of London.

The largest project currently underway is the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, (CTRL) Phase 2, which will provide fast Eurostar rail services all the way from Stratford in East London to the CTRL Phase 1, which was completed in 2003, and on via the Channel Tunnel to Paris, Brussels and other destinations in continental Europe. Currently Eurostar operates out of Waterloo International Terminal at Waterloo, and Eurostar trains have to traverse a circuitous route over local railway tracks through Vauxhall, Clapham and Brixton before connecting to the CTRL Phase 1 at Ebbsfleet in Kent. The CTRL Phase 2 project involves a huge civil engineering project to construct a tunnel from Stratford to St Pancras Station (now completed), where a major renovation and redesign of the terminal will open for Eurostar train services in 2007. Eurostar will then run from London to Paris on high speed track for its entire journey. The CTRL project is significant in that it represents the first new major rail line to be built in the UK for over 100 years.

An ambitious project is Crossrail, which proposes a new east-west tunnel traversing central London. Financing for this has not yet been agreed. Smaller projects include extensions to the East London Line of the Underground, and to the Docklands Light Railway. The tram system is also being extended, particularly in Croydon, in South London.

There are far fewer Underground rail lines in South London than in North London. This is partly because the underlying geology of South London is much less favourable for tunnelling than it is north of the Thames. It also reflects the concentration of the network on Central London, which was focused to north of the Thames to a greater extent when most of the underground lines were built than is the case today. South London relies on over-ground commuter lines to a greater extent, but these tend to offer less frequent services.

The North London Line runs from Canning Town in East London all the way to Kew in the west, going through Hackney, Hampstead and Acton on the way.

Until 2003 there was also an underground railway for mail transport, the London Post Office Railway. (more…)

London is an important centre in the international economy. As Europe’s largest city economy, it generated $365 billion in 2004 (17% of the UK’s Gross Domestic Product) although this only refers to the city proper. The economic impact of the entire London metropolitan area is far higher, year-on-year accounting for approximately 30% of the UK’s GDP [12] or $642 billion (estimate) in 2004. If it were a country, the London metropolitan area would be the 13th largest economy in the world - higher than the GDP of Australia. London is also a large financial exporter making it a large contributor to the UK’s balance of payments.

The City of London is the largest financial centre in London, home to banks, brokers, insurers and legal and accounting firms. A second financial district is developing at Canary Wharf to the east of central London. This is smaller than City of London, but has equally prestigious occupants, including the global headquarters of HSBC, Reuters, Barclays and the largest law firm in the world, Clifford Chance.

Non-financial business headquarters are located throughout central London. Some are in City of London, but more are located further west, in and around Mayfair, St. James’s, the Strand and elsewhere. More than half of the UK’s top 100 listed companies (the FTSE) are headquartered in central London, and more than 70% in London’s metropolitan area. London is a leading global centre for professional services, and media and creative industries. 31% of global currency transactions occur in London, with more US Dollars traded in London than New York, and more Euros traded there than every city in Europe combined. (more…)