Travel & Tourism, West is best: it's all happening in London's West End


by ISLA CAMPBELL - Date: 2008-10-09 - Word Count: 527 Share This!

Whilst there may be thousands of cities dotted around the world, only a select few can claim to be a proper metropolis of global significance. With known settlements spanning almost two thousand years, London has evolved into a well known and popular metropolis; since becoming one of the world's leading business, financial and cultural centres.

Moreover, the UK capital is also top of the tourism class too, receiving more international visitors than any other city in the world in 2006, with an estimated15 million or so visitors arriving in the city each year to discover the wonders the city has to offer.

London has perhaps more than its fair share of iconic buildings and structures; from Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, to Tower Bridge and Westminster Abbey, their silhouette alone is probably enough of a clue as to which city they belong. Furthermore, these photo-friendly iconic images may be what keep the many millions of tourists flocking to London each year, but it would be decidedly unfair to limit the appeal of the city to a handful of historical buildings.

Indeed, London is a bustling and vibrant, modern metropolis that is bursting at the seams with activities and attractions to explore. The West End, for example, is an area of central London that contains many of the city's main attractions including the world famous ‘Theatreland' which, along with New York's Broadway, is where many of the world's top stage actors dream of catching their ‘big break' from. The West End is also home to Leicester Square, a large pedestrianised entertainment hub that is home to several cinemas, including the largest single screen cinema in the UK. A short walking distance away from Leicester Square is Covent Garden, a busy shopping and entertainment district that is also known for its lively street performance acts.

Of course, to truly capture the ‘bright lights, big city' vibe, it's probably worth visiting Piccadilly Circus in the evening, which has often been described as London's version of Times Square in New York. As a major road junction in the West End, Piccadilly Circus is the very embodiment of what a major city is all about; busy roads, busy pavements and the famous neon-lit advertising hoardings that all combine to create a buzz that few other cities in the world can replicate.

And for many people, this is the main appeal of visiting a major city; simply ‘being there' and soaking up the atmosphere is what makes it so special and is why hotels in London are always in great demand.

Indeed, even spending a year in the UK's capital probably wouldn't be enough to sample everything London has to offer. However, the West End is as good an area to begin for those who wish to get a flavour of what life in a major metropolis is like and discover for themselves why London continues to prove to be one of the most visited places for tourists alike.

Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.


Related Tags: london, covent garden, hotels in london, west end, leicester square, piccadilly circus

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