The City of London is the oldest district of London and is bordered by Charterhouse Street and London Wall to the north and the River Thames to the south. The eastern and western boundaries are Gracechurch Street and Chancery Lane respectively.
The City of London is the area that was historically the walled city built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago. Over time the 18 foot wall that surrounded the original square mile of the City of London was destroyed or eroded and the city began to expand along the Thames.
Homes were constructed out of wood and very close together around small alley ways and streets. It was during the Great Fire of London in 1666 that the tightly packed buildings were consumed; a total of 13,200 houses were burned. Much of London had to be restored after this; however Londoners grew impatient with the length of time it took to decide on a plan for the city and started to rebuild homes and businesses among the burnt ashes of buildings.
This led to much of the City adopting the same medieval layout of small, cobbled streets and tightly packed buildings, albeit with brick walls and tiled roofs.
During the 16th century London was increasingly being recognised as a major centre for banking, trade and commerce, which continues to this day. As more and more businesses moved to London and the advent of the railways allowed people to move to the suburbs, the population of the City of London declined. However, over the last 30 years, the residential population of the ‘Square Mile’ has increased by 91%.
The City of London is still one of the world’s foremost business and financial centres and the residential population reflects this.
The City is also becoming a popular shopping venue: the opening of One New Change, next to St Paul’s Cathedral offers retail brands including Hugo Boss, L.K. Bennett and Hobbs as well as restaurants from Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay.
The Royal Exchange is a magnificent Victorian building which is now home to numerous restaurants and boutique stores including De Beers, Boodles, Paul Smith and Smythson. Other restaurants in the City of London include Galvin La Chapelle and Rhodes 24.
With the number of new build and converted properties coming onto the market over the next few years, the area is likely to see a further influx of residents.
The City is well served by underground stations, including: Bank, Blackfriars, Chancery Lane, Mansion House, Monument, and St Paul’s. Mainline railway stations offer access north via Moorgate, north east via Liverpool Street, south east via Blackfriars, South via Cannon Street, and north west via City Thameslink.
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