Entertainment and hotel deals in London
The entertainment districts of London: Earls Court, Islington, West End, Soho
Have fun in London is very simple. There are several areas devoted to this practice, with discos, pubs, clubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres opened from dusk till dawn. London is a temptress, multiethnic and multicultural city, and it’s really a shame to return to the hotel early in the evening…
Each district of London is well known for something: the City lives in the day for affairs (although it is becoming a good area for evening entertainment too); St. James is the neighborhood of nobles and upper classes; Holborn is the other district of the offices; Knightsbridge is the luxury neighborhood; Marylebone is the quieter; Stratford is the popular one; Camden is famous for its markets; Westminster for the heads of the institutions; Kensington and Chelsea, instead, are areas of museums and embassies. And for the evening and night fun?
We point out four districts: Earls Court, Islington, West End and Soho.
Earls Court
To the west of central London, Earls Court is both a residential and fun area, with a multitude of bars, pubs and restaurants, where the Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre has its own head. This is a great center for exhibitions and concerts and it can accommodate up to 20 000 people.
Earls Court becomes a real district in mid-nineteenth century, when buildings, schools, stairs and services are constructed. After World War II arrived immigrants from Commonwealth countries and Europe, especially Poland. In the second half of the twentieth century Earls Court began to become a place of entertainment with the opening, in addition to the Exhibition Centre, of alternative local dedicated to a gay clientele. Here, there are famous pubs such as Coleherne, Lord Ranelagh, Bromptons Nightclub, The Pembroke, The Kings Head, The Blackbird, Troubadour, Coco Milk, O’Neill’s, Earl’s Court Tavern, etc. etc..
Islington
In the North-central area of London, Islington is one of the most characteristic districts of London. Here, bars, old pubs and restaurants are unlimited: suffice to say that here there is Angel, a neighborhood in the district, which in recent years are taking a leading role in the London nightlife. Islington is an old quarter, all long residency of the town middle class.
One unique feature: it has been for centuries an important water reserve for the entire city. The Regent’s Canal, on which banks there are several pubs, restaurants and all types of clubs, is the tangible record of that particular social function. The main streets are Upper Street and Regent’s Canal, and elsewhere in the area there are cultural clubs, theatres, music centers and art galleries.
West End
West End, west area of the Old Town of London, is now from a couple of centuries the heart of the city, pulsing with cultural and social life. Administratively it is part of Westminster, but for Londoners it is a separate area, even from that where the Parliament, Big Ben and the palaces of the monarchy have its own head. Saying West End in London is like to say fun, entertainment, culture, theatres, cinema, pubs and restaurants.
But also art galleries, museums, embassies, government and institutions buildings, and above all shops and department stores. So there is everything in West End, it is a city in the heart of the city of the Big London. Even because in the West End there are all the great squares and streets features of the city, the most visited and photographed by tourists: Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, Covent Garden, Regent Street, Oxford Street, etc. etc.. Here, cultural and fashion trends born and die; here, there are the best electronics stores of the city; here, all languages of the world are spoken, even in cinemas and theaters. Eating and staying in the West End is very simple: every street has its restaurants, pubs, clubs and hotels of all categories (from 1 or 2 stars, up to super luxury), B&B.
Soho
Soho is a neighborhood “in the district and in the district”, in fact, it is part of the West End, which in turn is part of Westminster. The limits of Soho are well defined: it is between Regent Street, Oxford Street, Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross.
In Soho to get lost is a pleasure for eyes, ears, palate and … yes, for lovers of the genre, including sex. The area has always been considered the red light district of the city, but this is only a part, the less noble if we want, of its endless features. Here, the pleasure is really secured from morning to…. morning. In Soho there are no timetables, there is no stop to the fun and music. There are clubs that open after midnight and go on until dawn, there are restaurants opened until four in the morning, there are pubs where the music never stops, just never. Here, there is Chinatown which means colors and fragrances; here, there are the best places for the gay community; here, there are the best shops where to buy old vinyl records; here, there are cinemas, discos, old pubs, but also new bars where to enjoy a cocktail costs really a lot! Because Soho is always fashionable, trendy and glamorous.
Photo of the Big Ben by whatscapes
Photo of the Earls Court Tavern by Ewan-M
Photo of the Odeon in West End by ell-r-brown
Photo of the Regent Canal by ktylerconk
Photo Regent Street by bepak8
About the Author
Andrea Guerriero Hi, I'm Andrea, a travel blogger, web programmer, seo apprentice and amateur photographer based in Milan. I love reading, I love music. I love to travel but only if I leave on a mission! I've been traveling through most of Europe and I love writing about it. I love photography, especially as a way to document experiences, places, events. My Nikon D300 camera is always with me, and it helps me in sharing my life with the rest of the world. Getting in touch with new people, different life styles and foreign traditions, and write about it, is all I can ask for.
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