Crystal Palace, Residential area in South London, United Kingdom
Crystal Palace is a residential neighborhood in South London that spreads across five boroughs and sits on a hill 109 meters (358 feet) above sea level. Residential streets lined with Victorian terraced houses alternate with green spaces and small shops grouped along the main roads.
The place emerged after 1854 when the glass building from the Great Exhibition was moved here from Hyde Park and stood until a fire destroyed it in 1936. Afterward, the surrounding streets developed into a permanent residential neighborhood that kept the name of the vanished structure.
The name comes from the glass exhibition building that once stood here, though today's streets and homes show no trace of it. Many residents meet in the small cafés along Anerley Road or shop at the Saturday market held each week.
The hilltop location makes short walks a bit more tiring, but it offers clear views over the city. Buses and trains connect the neighborhood to the center, with a journey to the financial district taking around 20 minutes.
The park holds sculptures of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals from the mid-19th century that are now listed monuments. They were placed on islands in the lake and served as the first life-sized representations of extinct animals for the public.
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