London by Request

Apparently you should always start at the beginning. Well since I wasn't around in 36 bc when the Romans founded London, I guess I'll just have to start my own beginning. So let's start with a quick orientation.

London. Capital of England and the UK, population of around 12 million people, and the biggest city in Europe. Split into two halves by the River Thames, four quarters by most people, 32 boroughs by local officials, and countless different areas by locals. These are more easily narrowed down to five general regions:

Central London
Postcard London. Home to Westminster, the Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and numerous museums, tourist attractions, pubs and clubs, and the financial centre. Most people come to London, do the centre and go home.


North London
A mixture of everything and everyone from the alternative mecca of Camden Town to the rich and famous areas of Highgate, Hampstead and Primrose Hill. Very down-to-earth with lots of averagely nice areas as well as a few dodgy ones.


East London
Home of the Cockney. Full of EastEnders, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis and one of the most culturally diverse areas in the UK. Great markets, great old-fashioned pubs, and the best currys in Britain. One of the poorest parts of London, but also home to the Docklands financial hub and multimillionaire bankers. Where council estates sit next to luxury apartments, and future home of the 2012 olympic games.


South London
A mix of leafy laid-back affluent areas, and some of the roughest parts of London. On one hand it contains lovely Greenwich, Battersea, Clapham, and the home of tennis, Wimbledon. On the other Peckham, Brixton, Lambeth and many of London's most notorious gun crime and gang areas.


West London
Residential, leafy and fairly expensive. Home to Chelsea, Fulham, Notting Hill and Wembley Stadium. Also the backpackers hub of Shepherd's Bush, and Heathrow Airport way out west. Home to many of London's richest residents towards the centre and along the river, but like the rest of London, turns into sprawling suburbs further out.


For those who come to London though, the only sense of direction you need to know is based on the tube map.

Although each region has a mix of good and not-so-good areas, which part of London you live in often defines you and your outlook on the rest of the city. Those from north of the river often feel little connection to those south of the river, and North, South, East and West all have their distinct characteristics (and in some cases even a slightly different accent).

For more interesting stuff on London areas check out these cool websites:
Stuck in London
I know London