Regent Street was laid out in the early 19th century by John Nash for the Prince Regent, hence the name. The broad curving sweep and attractive colonnaded architecture give it the look of a European boulevard though most of the shops are still quintessentially British. Among the best-known of the prestigious retailing names here are Hamley’s the toy shop and the Liberty department store. The historic Cafe Royal which once counted Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley as regulars closed at the end of 2008 and will be developed into a five-star hotel. A recent addition is the flagship Apple computer store, the largest in the UK.
The Apple Store
Oxford Street
Running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch, Oxford Street may be touted as London's main shopping street but in reality it's an overcrowded and often frenzied parade of bargain-basement shops and department stores. On foot, it's a stressful slog from one end to the other, jostling for space with tourists and shoppers. The big-name stores are all clustered along the stretch just passed Bond Street tube station: Selfridges, House of Fraser, John Lewis and Debenhams. But despite all this commercial retail excess it's not quite all shopping; at number 100 is the 100 club, London's oldest jazz club. Music of a different kind could be heard here in the early days of punk when Siouxsie and the Banshees made their debut here, sharing the bill with The Sex Pistols in the UK's first punk festival.
Bond Street
Turning left, away from the crowded chaos of Oxford Street into New Bond Street, you are entering the world of luxury retail. This is Mayfair’s high street where expensive shops sell world famous brands from the fashion world such as Armani, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent at prices to match. There is also Sotheby's the auctioneers and a host of exclusive jewellers and Swiss watchmakers. The stretch beyond Burlington Gardens leading to Piccadilly is known as Old Bond Street and along here are a number of suitably exclusive art galleries.
Running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch, Oxford Street may be touted as London's main shopping street but in reality it's an overcrowded and often frenzied parade of bargain-basement shops and department stores. On foot, it's a stressful slog from one end to the other, jostling for space with tourists and shoppers. The big-name stores are all clustered along the stretch just passed Bond Street tube station: Selfridges, House of Fraser, John Lewis and Debenhams. But despite all this commercial retail excess it's not quite all shopping; at number 100 is the 100 club, London's oldest jazz club. Music of a different kind could be heard here in the early days of punk when Siouxsie and the Banshees made their debut here, sharing the bill with The Sex Pistols in the UK's first punk festival.
Bond Street
Turning left, away from the crowded chaos of Oxford Street into New Bond Street, you are entering the world of luxury retail. This is Mayfair’s high street where expensive shops sell world famous brands from the fashion world such as Armani, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent at prices to match. There is also Sotheby's the auctioneers and a host of exclusive jewellers and Swiss watchmakers. The stretch beyond Burlington Gardens leading to Piccadilly is known as Old Bond Street and along here are a number of suitably exclusive art galleries.
