King's Road, Commercial street in Chelsea and Fulham, England
King's Road is a commercial street in Chelsea and Fulham that runs roughly two miles (three kilometers) from Sloane Square to Fulham High Street and Putney Bridge. Independent boutiques line the route alongside well-known stores like the Peter Jones department store and the first Starbucks in the United Kingdom.
The route started as a private path for King Charles II to travel to Kew and remained restricted to royal use until 1830. After opening to the public, the street gradually developed into a busy commercial area in western London.
In the 1960s, this road became the center of the fashion scene when Mary Quant opened her BAZAAR boutique at number 138a in 1955. Today, many independent shops and major stores like Peter Jones carry on this creative tradition.
The street is easy to walk along, though covering the full length takes several hours on foot. Several Underground stations along the route make it simple to reach different sections of the road.
The Glaciarium, which opened nearby in 1876, was the first artificial ice rink in the world. This technical innovation attracted many curious visitors at the time and made the area an early center for recreation.
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