Covent Garden, Shopping district in Westminster, United Kingdom
Description
Covent Garden is a shopping district at the heart of Westminster that extends across several blocks with shops, cafés, and theaters. A covered marketplace forms the center of the area, surrounded by 19th-century buildings with arcaded columns and tall windows.
History
The land served as monastic gardens until the mid-16th century, when it passed to a noble family that developed it for housing. In the 1630s, one of London's first planned squares appeared here with rows of houses arranged around it.
Culture
The cobbled lanes in the area provide space for street artists who perform juggling, acrobatics, and music in front of audiences that gather spontaneously around them. Small theaters in the side streets present plays and shows that visitors can attend after browsing the shops.
Practical
The district sits centrally and most lanes can be explored comfortably on foot because they lie close together. During the day crowds gather, while in the evening theatergoers and restaurant visitors bring life to the streets.
Did you know?
The marketplace retains its original Victorian-era steel framework that can be seen when looking up beneath the glass roof. The balcony level around the square offers a raised viewpoint over the activities below.
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