Pictures of Regent Street

Regent Street is one of the best known shopping areas not just in London but in the country as a whole. In fact its far more than a shopping area as it borders the heart of London nightlife, theatreland and tourist heart of London. The section between Piccadilly Circus and South to Pall Mall is Called Lower Regent Street. North of Piccadilly Circus up to Langham Place is the main Regent Street with the vast majority of shops and amenities.
Today the Street is home some 142 different shops, hotels, restaurants, boutiques and stores. One of the more recent arrivals is the Apple Mac store in keeping with the renovation and facelift the Street has seen in the 21st century. Some names have been around for many years and become associated with the Street such as Liberty (since 1875), Burberrys, Dickins & Jones and of course Hamleys toy store (one of the largest toy stores in the world). Other stores and restaurants are new kids on the blocks and represent the changing nature of the High Street such as the ubiquitous McDonalds (actually two of them), the Body Shop, Café Nero, French Connection, Gap Kids and many many more.

In the early part of the nineteenth century the area around Regents Park was rural in nature and detached from central London. At this time Regents Park was actually called 'Marylebone Park' and was a Royal owned Crowne Estate with some new residential properties. The background to how the development of the area came about was a long drawn out affair that started back in 1793 with a prize of £1,000 being put up by John Fordyce, the Surveyor of General Land Revenues for the best plan for the development of Marylebone park. Only two planes were drawn up and these were both by John White in 1809. In 1810 the then Surveyor of General Land Revenues, Lord Glenbervie, instructed John Nash and also Leverton & Chawner (Land Revenue surveyors), to come up with plans not just to develop Marylebone park but also construct a street to connect with Charing Cross. It was John nashes' plan that was chosen and proposed to the treasury who sanctioned the scheme in 1811. Finally the whole project was discussed with the Prince Regent (was to become King George IV from 1820 till 1830). The final plan was to develop the area between Marylebone Park and the home of the Prince Regent at Carlton House. This would give the new properties in the North and Marylebone Park links to the viable parts of the capital at Charring Cross and Westminster. Today Carlton House no longer exists but it was roughly sited at the point where Pall Mall and Waterloo Place meet. By 1825 Regent Street (named after Prince Regent who funded the construction) was completed and formed a ceremonial route that connected Regents Park (the Prince had planned to build a place here but it never came to fruition) to the princess's home at Carlton House. The actual area of construction was much more than just Regent Street, it also took in the surrounding areas and roads North of Marylebone Road such as Albany Street. The Street was pronounced a great success on completion and was famed for its use of sweeping curves. Most notably just opposite Regents park in park Crescent and at the bottom of Regent Street as it winds in a semi circle down to Piccadilly Circus. Some say it was the first purpose built shopping street in the world. Part of the original Street were Quadrant Colonnades, a covered walkway, which was demolished in 1848 as they became a favourite place for working girls to ply their trade hidden from direct light and proved unpopular with shop keepers who said it blocked their light.
Today the only building that still survives from Nashes' construction is All Souls Church at the very top of Regent Street and opposite the BBC building on Langham Place. The Street was completely rebuilt between 1904 and 1925 after it was agreed it needed large scale modernisation. Today the Regent Street Estate is the largest publicly owned real estate holding in the United Kingdom. One of the oldest existing establishments is the The Café Royal which was opened in 1865.

Synonymous with Regent Street are its famous Christmas Lights which go up in December each year. However it was only after newspaper criticism about the dreary look London had during the Xmas period that Regents Street started the lights tradition with the first display in 1954. However there was no display during 1972-1977 because of a lack of funding. The displayed is paid for by the Streets retailers and other sponsors. Costs can be as much as £500,000 to fund the display. Every year the turning on of the lights has become a huge event and the switch is always throne by a celebrity or someone in the current media spotlight.

Another annual event is Street festival held around September when Street is closed off to traffic and becomes the venue for a themed street event.

see>>All London Photos
>>>also see Regent Street Christmas Lights
>>>Hotels Near Regent Street

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all souls church
All Souls Church on Langham Place
regent street view 1
view South from All Souls Church
regent street view 2
Outside the Saint Georges Hotel looking at the west side of Regent Street.
view 3
near Mortimer Street
view 4
near Little Portland Street
university of westminster
East side - University of Westminster
looking south from the book warehouse
burger king
Burger King
all bar one
All Bar One
Cafe Nero and the Paul patisserie
Cafe Nero and the Paul patisserie
garfunkels and levis strauss
Garfunkels and Levis Strauss
Topshop and Niketown
Topshop and Niketown
view 6
looking south at Oxford Circus
shellys
Shellys shoe store
placards oxford circus
placards being shown on Oxford Circus.
view 7
past Oxford Circus and looking South
Mamas and Papas and Monsoon Accessorize.
Mamas and Papas and Monsoon Accessorize.
west side
French Connection and Princes Street
market stool
Market stool on Regent Street
market stand
Market stool by Dickens and Jones
apple
Apple store
view 8
another south view
Lacoste and Karen Millen
Lacoste and Karen Millen
gap kids
Gap Kids
view 9
south view from Fouberts Place
pedicab rickshaw
London Pedicab (Rickshaw)
fouberts place to beak street
Fouberts Place to Beak Street
pixie
Pixie
view 10
looking south from Hanover Street
hamleys
Hamleys
hamleys entrance
Entrance to Hamleys
looking south by Conduit Street
looking south from close to Conduit Street
next, mappin and webb, wedgewood
Next, Mappin and Webb, Wedgewood
Regents, The Change Group, Petit Bateau
West side, Regents, The Change Group, Petit Bateau
burberrys
Burberrys
west side between Duchamp and Vigo Street
west side between Duchamp and Vigo Street
HSBC Bank to Burberrys
West side HSBC Bank to Burberrys
view 12
West side by New Burlington Mews looking South.
view 14
East side looking south by Beak Street
pedicab in bus lane
London Pedicab in bus lane
Talbots and Habitat
Talbots and Habitat
austin reed
Austin Reed, Clarkes and the London Textile Company
Aquascutum
Aquascutum
moss bros
Moss bros
regent street curves towards piccadilly circus
regent street curves towards Piccadilly circus
Starbucks Coffee and McDonalds
Starbucks Coffee and the second of the two McDonalds
cheers bar
Cheers Bar
view 15
Close to Glasshouse Street Vigo Street
cafe royal
Cafe Royal
virgin megastore
Virgin Megastore
Regent Street southern end
Regent Street southern end
covered pedicab
covered Pedicab
colourful placards
colourful placards
christmas shop window
Christmas shop window
cafe nero street front
cafe nero street front


London Pictures, Regent Street
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