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One of the must see parts of London is Soho, which makes up part of the West End. Soho covers around 1 square mile, bounded by Oxford Street to the north and Shaftesbury Avenue to the south.
Soho has many 'sides' to it, which makes it such an interesting place. It is the heart of London's gay scene, with lots of gay pubs and bars, particularly in the area around Old Compton Street.
It is also London's Red Light district, with sex shops and strip clubs dotted about, and a few sleazy characters guaranteed.
Soho is also filled with trendy bars and restaurants - my current favourite is Arbutus. And if it is great coffee you are after then pop to Flat White café on Berwick Street. There are a couple of great venues to check out some Jazz - Ronnie Scotts & the Pizza Express Jazz Clubs, and some very hip hotels nearby if you want to make a night of it.
Check out London's oldest surviving fruit & veg market on Berwick Street (handy for nearby sex shops as well if that is more your thing!).
If all this has worn you out, pull up a square of grass in the popular Soho Square, which is always guaranteed to be filled with locals and office workers relaxing at lunch time or of an evening in summer. Leave a Comment Directions: Bordered by Oxford Street in the north, Shaftesbury Avenue in the south, Regents Street in the west and Charing Cross Road in the east. Nearest tubes: Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Leicester SquareWebsite: http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/home_feat_local_soho.asp
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 Chinatown London = Good Food by scotlandscotour
China Town and slippery Soho - a mix of old, seedy-sixties-sex-industry 'red neon' and pretentious yuppy restaurants, media and offices.
Leicester Square for cinema and food and Covent Garden for bars and street entertainers.
The West End of London is the place to be at night.
See this West End Map for details. Leave a Comment
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Carnaby Street, theatres, restaurants, pubs and clubs - these are the things that bring tourists to Soho - a maze of narrow streets bounded by Oxford Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road and Regent Street. Once known as London's sleaze and vice centre , nowadays the area is at the forefront of the city's television production, magazine publishing, and the funky side of fashion. Thankfully, it still retains its air of raffish charm and individuality with scores of independent shops, small cafes and restaurants and plenty of pubs. It's here that you'll find central London's only surviving fruit and vegetable market, open daily and still selling the freshest and cheapest produce to be had in the West End. As well as fruit, flowers and vegetables there's fish, bread and cheese to be had along with herbs and spices, fabrics and cheap household goods. Established in 1839 and still going strong, although much reduced in size, it's a taste of bygone London that the stall holders cherish as they joke with their customers in time-honoured London costermonger style.
Along with the market, Berwick Street was once just about kerb-to-kerb fabric shops, most of which have long disappeared in the face of cheap High Street fashions and today the few fabric and trimmings shops that remain are neighbors to music stores and good second-hand record shops - this is the place to come to look for that rare vinyl - a Japanese supermarket, and other small and quirky shops.
It's also where you'll find Flat White, home to what many see as the best coffee in London and one of the few places to serve a true Antipodean-style coffee. Leave a Comment Address: Berwick Street, London W1Directions: Map Nearest tube stop - Tottenham Court Road
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It holds the title of the "Finest toys in the world"
Hamleys is not only a shopping tip it is a London institution not to be missed. They have the most amazing moving toy displays which change frequently and delight both young & old alike. Hamleys truely does hold every toy imaginable under its roof.
There has always been a Hamleys in Regent street since 1881, 11 years before Eros was erected. It survived being bombed 5 times during the blitz. In 1981 it moved to the site where it stands today and is world famous, attracting celebrites from around the globe.
The staff are very helpful and there are live displays on every floor interacting with the children
Open Mon-Sat 9am-8pm
Sun 12pm - 6pm Leave a Comment Address: 188-196 Regent Street, London W1B 5BTDirections: Oxford Circus, Piccadily
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 Soho Square, London by easyoar
This picture shows this quaint old building in the middle of Soho Square. Soho Square is a nice place to sit and relax, and has none of the seedier parts particularly near to it. Leave a Comment Phone: 0207 641 5271Directions: Tottenham Court Road UndergroundWebsite: www.westminster.gov.uk Other Contact: parks@westminster.gov.uk
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 Leather fetish shop in Soho by easyoar
There were Police posters up however when I just visited last, apparently a 'working girl' had been stabbed to death by a 'punter' and they were appealing for witnesses. However from a tourist perspective, if you walk through Soho and have innocent intentions, you are highly unlikely to get into any sort of trouble.
This picture is one of the more 'adventureous' shop fronts in Soho. It seems to be catering for the leather fetishist and if you look carefully at the bottom of the window in the middle, you'll see a gimps head on a box (or at least the paraphenalia for one!). If you don't know what a gimp is, I suggest you watch th movie 'Pulp Fiction' as it is a bit risque to describe here! Leave a Comment
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Located in the heart of Piccadilly Circus, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum offers visitors the ultimate insight into the world of the odd and bizarre. Marvel at over 500 weird and unusual artifacts in over twenty themed galleries spanning four floors. Whether examining genuine shrunken heads, getting a close up view of an actual section of the Berlin Wall, or experimenting with a real life vampire killing kit, the truly amazing Ripley's Believe It or Not! collection proves that fact can indeed be stranger than fiction. For over 40 years, Robert Ripley - the real-life Indiana Jones - travelled the world collecting the unbelievable, the inexplicable, the one-of-a-kind. Now, for the first time in London, this bizarre collection can be viewed in person.
Prices
Adult £17.95 (about 23 Euro)
Senior/Student £15.95 (about 20 Euro)
Child [4 - 15] £13.95 (about 18 Euro) Under 4 FREE Mirror Maze £3.95
Family * £59.96 * 2 Adults + 2 Children (about 75 Euro) Address: 1 Piccadilly Circus, The London PavilionPhone: +44(0)20 3238 0022Directions: The nearest tube station is Piccadilly Circus which has service from both the Piccadilly Line and the Bakerloo Line.Website: www.ripleys.com
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Street with a great shops in London.
Oxford Street is one and a half miles end to end. Most shops open 10am until 6 or 7pm. Some open Sunday 12 to 6pm with late nights on Thursday. Oxford Street is best known for Selfridges and the other big department stores which are all found in the section from Marble Arch to Oxford Circus, along with most of the big-name multinationals. It's more of the same as you continue towards Tottenham Court Road, but generally on a smaller scale. Oxford Street claims to be the busiest street in Europe. Leave a Comment Address: Oxford Street, LondonDirections: near Piccadilly
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Soho is a dodgy area at night, and not for the prudish by day. But there are little corners that are interesting. I was trying to find where my great grandparents used to live, and wandered around Soho because I thought it was in Greek Street. Today Greek Street has a lot of restaurants; but in 1860s was full of small industries and shops.
I discovered the street I needed was now called Manette street after a character in Charles Dickens's "A Tale of Two Cities', whereas it had been Rose Street
We entered through an arched entrance and found a quaint little street with a mixture of old and new buildings.
What I found interesting was that above the arched entry was a pub called the Pillars of Hercules.
That is why I like London. Every so often a surprise awaits you. Drab streets and then a charming mews, or buildings with interesting names.
Update2008: One side of the street is taken up by Foyles bookshop, and there is a small Orthodox chapel, an Artists building, the sign above Goldbeater's house and a sex shop at the end of the street. This time we came across it from Charing Cross Rd side. Leave a Comment Address: Greek Street, Soho
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 Carnaby Street by londonloverLeave a Comment
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