London is divided up into 32 different boroughs. Each Borough is called The London Borough of.. Each of the boroughs have their own council, and whilst the councils do not run health, police or transport services they do have the responsibility of providing its residents with their everyday needs such as education, housing, local planning, social services and refuse (garbage) collection.

The main central boroughs of London are Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Camden and The City of London. Within each borough there are different areas. This page provides a summary of some of these areas and what you might find there.

Bloomsbury (Zone 1)
Bloomsbury is known as the literary area of London, and is home to London's most famous museum; The British Museum.   However, Bloomsbury has not always been associated with literature. In the 1000s Bloomsbury was a breeding ground for pigs! The name comes from Blemondisberi, which relates to William Blemond who owned the area in the early 1300s. It was only developed from rural farmland when the Earl of Southampton built Bloomsbury Square around his residence. You will notice that there are names such as Southampton, Bedford and Russell all around the area. This is because the Southamptons married into the Russell and Bedford area and they all joined together to create what we see today, one of the first ever planned suburbs of London. Many well-known figures in literature lived in the area including Yeats, Dickens and Trollope. It was also home to the Bloomsbury set. Today Bloomsbury is the heart of the academic area of London, housing many of the colleges of the University of London.

Covent Garden (Zone 1)
Covent Garden was originally the Convent Garden, of St Peter at Westminster and was transformed by the forth Earl of Bedford. It used to be a residential area until it was given a Royal Charter for a flower, fruit and herb market in 1656, and remained as a market until 1974 when the market was moved to Vauxhall. Today it is a lively area of London, famed for its street entertainers.

The City (Zone 1)
The City of London is the oldest area of London, and the economic centre of the UK. During the week it is a hive of activity, full of suited city workers going about their daily business whilst tapping away into their Blackberries but at the weekend there is a sharp contrast, and the area is often deserted. The area dates back over 2000 years as an outpost of the Roman Empire, and was originally called Londonium. The Great Fire destroyed much of the City in 1666 but it was rebuilt and evolved into what is today the most powerful area of the country. Interestingly although there is a distinct lack of accommodation in the city (less than 10,000 people actually live in the area) there are more than 40 churches and places of worship.

Holborn (Zone 1)
Holborn was originally used by the Saxons as their base. It is known today as the legal area of London, and is home to The Inns of Court where English common law was first developed. There are 4 Inns of Court, and all barristers have to be aligned to one of them.

Marylebone (Zone 1)
Marylebone is one of London's most fashionable residential areas. A High Street runs down the middle of the area that is now home to many expensive grocers and clothing stores. Regents Park also comes under Marylebone. The park was originally a Royal Hunting ground.

Mayfair (Zone 1)
Many of you will recognise Mayfair as the most expensive property on the Monopoly Board. The area used to belong to the Grovsner and Berkeley family, and there are squares in the area that still bear their name. In fact, the US Embassy is located on Grovsner Square. Prices of property in the area are sky-high. Former residents include Nelson, The Duke of Wellington and Handel.

Soho (Zone 1)
Soho has the reputation of being the seedier area of London, which is certainly not the case. It was only after the Great Fire that Soho became residential, and this was when the first wave of immigrants arrived. The area got its name from when it was the hunting ground of the gentry. They cried of "So-Ho" when they found their prey. When the immigrants moved in the gentry moved out, and John Nash designed Regents Street in 1813 to order to provide "a complete separation between the streets occupied by the Nobility and Gentry and the narrower streets and meaner houses occupied by mechanics and the trading part of the community" In the early part of the 20 th Century the area became somewhat seedier, and frequented by many showgirls, prostitutes and the like. The council cracked down on this in the early 80s and the area improved. Today Soho is known as the theatre district of London, and also contains some of the well-known areas such as China Town and Leicester Square.

The South Bank (Zone 1)
South Bank is the entertainment and arts area of London. It was developed for this purpose many years go, and was the home to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The area has developed since the Festival of Britain in 1951 and more and more arts and entertainment venues have shot up over the past decades. The most recent structure along South Bank is the London Eye. In 1992 a competition was launched to find an eye-catching structure to celebrate the millennium. Noone can remember who actually won, but the design by Marks Barfield architects came second, and the London Eye was born. Today it is London's most popular tourist attraction. Along the South Bank there are many walks and things to see. The Southbank Marketing Group offers free leaflets on walks in the area. Their number is 020 7202 6900. Further along South Bank you will find one of London's hidden gems. Borough Market.

Westminster (Zone 1)
Westminster is the Political area of London, and probably the area that most tourists will put first on their "to do" list. You will find famous sights such as Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben here, along with Trafalgar Square. This area has been the main heart of both the Monarchy and the Church for over 1000 years and Parliament has been meeting in the area since the 14 th Century. You may notice that many of the Anglo American properties are located in Westminster. Sorry to disappoint you, but the area of Westminster is not the same as the Borough of Westminster, although both are the most central areas of London.

South Kensington (Zone 1)
South Ken, as it is known as, is one of the most intellectual areas of London, home to one of London's major universities, and also to many museums. It is also one of the most affluent areas of London, coming under the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and is home to some of the most expensive properties in the whole of London. Some of the older terraced houses are now owned by embassies, and you will find many cultural institutions based in the area, including the Royal College of Music and the Royal Geographical Society.

Maida Vale and Kilburn (Zone 2)
Maida Vale is the area that extends from the Edgeware Road. It is a particularly affluent area, and very pretty, mainly because of its proximity to Regents Canal. The area is also known as Little Venice because of all the boats that are found here. Going through the Paddington Recreational ground, where Roger Bannister did his training for the one-minute mile you will reach Kilburn, a residential area of London known for its Irish associations. An excellent area to be in on St Patrick's Day!

Camden (Zone 1)
Camden, like Westminster is both a Borough and an area. Traditionally associated with the low-life of London in the past 30 years Camden has grown substantially in prosperity. Writers and poets moved into the area in the 60s, and it established itself as the bohemian centre of London. Perhaps the most famous part of Camden is its market, which is well worth a visit. The best days are Saturday and Sunday.

Marble Arch (Zone 1)
Marble Arch and Edgeware Road is one of the areas of London that is easily accessible both day and night. The Edgeware Road is a hive of activity, with restaurants and shops that are open morning through night. The area is a combination of both residential and retail premises, and is home to some of the best kebab shops in London. The area also borders Hyde Park, one of the largest green areas of central London.

St John's Wood (Zone 2)
St John's Wood is home to the famous Abbey Road studios. It was a completely rural area until the 19 th Century and the only developments that were found were villas! Originally it was a reasonably priced area of the capital, but with the influx of showbiz couples, including Jude Law and Sadie Frost, and Sir Paul McCartney prices went through the roof, and it is now considered one of the most expensive neighbourhoods to live in.

Bayswater and Paddington (Zone 1)
Bordering Hyde Park this area was named after Padda, an ancient Anglo-Saxon Chieftain. When Paddington Station was built in the 1800s the area changed substantially, and now is home to what is the biggest urban regeneration project in Europe.   It is also home to some of the most interesting Middle-Eastern restaurants.

Earls Court (Between Zones 1 & 2)
This area originally was the home to the courthouse of the Earls of Warwick and Holland, hence the name. Today the area is host to one of the largest exhibition centres in London, Earls Court. It is also home to the Queens's Club, where the Stella Artois tennis tournament is held.

Notting Hill (Zones 1 & 2)
Notting Hill was originally farmland, but now is exceedingly expensive. Prices were not helped by the famous film Notting Hill, with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. When you come out of the tube station it looks somewhat disappointing, but don't despair, go round the corner and you will find market and stores galore. The area is also home to the famous Notting Hill Carnival over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Islington and Angel (Zones 1 & 2)
It was Henry VIII who made Islington famous, but by the early 1800s the area was well known for its theatres and music halls.   When the Regents Canal began to become more widely used the area went downhill rapidly, and became one of the poorest areas of the capital. However, like Camden, the area has become very fashionable, and is home to the middle-class citizens of London.

Docklands (Zone 2)
The Docklands area is probably the most up-and-coming area of London. The docks that are located in this area had a major role in the development of the British Empire, and it was the hardest hit area when the Port of London docks collapsed. Now the area is considered the 2 nd most important financial area of London, and many of the major banks have set up their headquarters there, including HSBC, Barclays, Credit Suisse and Citibank.