Covent Garden
The Covent Garden area has had a long and chequered history, having been a stomping ground for the aristocracy in the seventeenth century, a red light district in the eighteenth, a fruit and vegetable market in the nineteenth, and in slow decline for much of that time. Facing demolition in the 1970's, the Piazza and surrounding streets have gone through a remarkable rejuvenation, and are now one of the liveliest enclaves in London.
Covent Garden comes into its own during summer - with an amazing array of buskers, street performers, and festivals all keeping the crowds entertained. The Piazza itself hums with arts and crafts stalls, cafes, pubs, and boutique stores. Locals and tourists converge here every day of the week, but there are plenty of interesting side streets or shops from which to escape the crowds.
Nearby Neal Street also siphons off a fair proportion of the Covent Garden crowd, with its mix of street fashion and specialist stores.
Highlights of a visit to the Covent Garden area:
- The shops, open-air cafes, stalls, and markets of the Piazza
- The buskers, (which regularly include acrobats, string quartets, and opera singers)
- St. Paul's (the "Actor's Church")
- The London Transport Museum (especially the excellent shop)
- The Theatre Museum
- The Royal Opera House (recently and expensively refurbished at a cost of £200 million)
- The shops and pubs of nearby Neal Street and the Seven Dials crossroad
More Information
Check out the following websites:
Covent Garden Life
In & Around Covent Garden
The Covent Garden Information Line is 020 7379 6909.
Getting There
Covent Garden or Leicester Square Tubes. From the latter, follow Long Acre east for 200 metres.
Opening Times
The Covent Garden area is buzzing day and night, although stores generally keep standard retail hours.
Nearby Attractions
A short walk from Covent Garden are Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery and the British Museum.
Fancy a bit of opera? Call the Royal Opera House on 020 7304 4000 or the English National Opera at 020 7632 8300.
Covent Garden is also home to theatreland - visit our guide to London Theatre.
Looking for good food? Check out the Covent Garden or Leicester Square branches of Wagamama Restaurants.
Thirsty? Find a Historic Pub with our guide.
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