Middle Temple Hall

Bayswater & Paddington is a touristic dream if shopping, dining, and strolls in the park are your thing. Famous Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are situated here, as are some of London’s most famous restaurants and upscale accommodations. Whiteleys Shopping Centre, many fine art galleries, and many entertainment opportunities lay in this area too. You might also want to take in sightseeing spots like St Sophia’s Cathedral and the famous Marble Arch in between shopping excursions as well.

Camden Town is London’s most exclusive area. Surrounded by lovely parks and imbued with a history of “who’s who” residents, this area is the place to live and play in the city. Colorful and classy, the area attracts visitors looking for London’s elite, and for enjoying some of the best entertainment, shopping, and dining spots in town. The Roundhouse Theater is a favorite as a live performance venues, while London’s biggest green space, Hampstead Heath, is an ever popular city park.

Next generation architecture and the city’s most upscale business district characterize Canary Wharf. An aerial rail link here runs above a world of continual glass and steel offices and edifices. What was the world’s largest port has become one of London’s most modern business areas. Canary Wharf’s corporate tenants include; Barclays, Credit Suisse, HSBC and Citigroup. For the visitor, fine restaurants, bars, pubs, and the waterfront are the main attraction here.

The Chelsea & Knightsbridge offer a Bohemian atmosphere for London visitors. Known for being ultra-expensive residential areas, King’s Road restaurants, specialty shops, and Harrod’s, exhibit well the area’s exclusive profile. Many of the world’s wealthiest people live nearby, and Buckingham Palace ensures everything nearby is aptly expensive and exclusive. Also, Harvey Nichols to Chanel and back, there’s no shortage of luxury shopping, and likewise, culinary excellence is close at hand too.

Over the centuries the East End has attracted immigrants from around the globe. From the Huguenots in the 17th century, to Irish and Jewish settlers, and on to Bangladeshis in the 20th Century. One of London’s least prosperous areas, in the past, the 2012 Olympic Games of London transformed the area forever. The main attractions of this are are of course the one-off shops and boutiques, gallery spaces and ‘London’s curry capital’ of Brick Lane, along with the venues created for London 2012.

Hammersmith is an upscale residential and commercial neighborhood along the Thames. Here, classy homes sit alongside trendy shopping boutiques and restaurants, key corporate offices, and wonderful green spaces. Known best for the annual Cambridge - Oxford boat races, Riverside pubs, Stamford Bridge and Chelsea FC football, this is one of London’s busiest areas. Be sure and visit Fulham Palace Gardens while you are here, and Ravenscourt Park is another perfect place to enjoy the outdoors too.

Hyde Park is one of the eight Royal Parks of London, and one of the largest at the heart of the city, in the immediate vicinity of the beautiful Kensington Gardens. The most famous attraction here is the Speakers' Corner, in the north-east corner of the park. Other sites of interest include the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial and London’s Holocaust Memorial. For the 2012 Summer Olympics, the park will host the triathlon and the 10 km open water swimming events.

Once a medieval parish, Islington is now one of London’s more fashionable neighborhoods. Classy boutiques, antique shops, theaters, and chic bars line the streets here. Connected via Eurostar rail to Paris and Brussels, this is also one of the most convenient areas of town. Catch an Arsenal football match, or enjoy a cultural performance at the Hen and Chickens Theater here. Be sure and Check out the Islington Museum, the Almeida Theatre, and the Little Angel Theatre while visiting here too.

Upscale residential area Kensington is known for its palaces, gardens and major museums. The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and the V&A are a few notable ones here. You’ll also find a great many green spaces and hidden shopping gems too. Also, be sure and visit Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gardens, and especially the Art Deco splendor of High Street during your excursions. Holland Park and Hyde Park are great green spaces to let the kids burn energy too.

Once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, the Kensington Gardens are today a public park, west of Hyde Park. The gardens are famous for their sophisticated landscaping, as well as for landmarks such as Albert Memorial, the Italian Garden fountains, the Serpentine Gallery, Speke’s monument and the Elfin Oak, a children’s favorite attractions.

Affluent and fashionable, Notting Hill is known for its exotic terraces and striking Victorian townhouses. High end shopping and restaurants, and key seasonal events, make the neighborhood ever popular with tourists. The neighborhood’s charm is further demonstrated by such attractions as; Notting Hill Gate and the Porobello Road Market. With chic and classy cafes, coffee houses, and shopping gems round out this fun and colorful area of London a London guide should include this area.

Located on the South bank of the Thames, Southwark is a London neighborhood packed with family touristic attractions. Famous landmarks here include; Tower Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern, and Millenium Bridge, just to name a few. Convenient to central London, visitors will also find great market shopping, reasonably priced dining, and many pubs to take a load off at. The kids will also enjoy the many parks and other outdoor activities too.

St John’s Wood is a green canopied, exclusive residential area of London. Multi-million dollar homes accentuate this lavish landscape, offering visitors and locals a sense of refined elegance. From Lord’s Cricket Ground to Regent’s Park, this beautiful area of the city resonates of high society. The first time visitor simply must take in the canals of Maida Val’s Little Venice, as well as the Lord’s Cricket Ground. Other important sites here are Abbey Road and BBC studios.

The City area of London is a major business hub of the United Kingdom, and the world. Dominant banking and other commercial concerns populate the high rise landscape here. The London Stock Exchange, Lloyd’s of London, and the Bank of England, afford the first time visitor an idea of the impact London has on world markets. Other sightseeing attractions like The Museum of London and the Tower of London, along with superb restaurants and shopping venues, also dominate this key area of town.