Essential Guide To London Neighbourhoods

As the capital of the United Kingdom, London is a large and bustling city with an incredible number of things to see and do. Visitors and residents alike can experience a modern, developed city with a long royal history.

It may not have the polished pizzaz of Dubai or the no-nonsense of New York; the Willy-Wonka wonder of L.A. or the sensory explosions of Mumbai. But there is one thing it has more than any other city on Earth: mystery.

It is a big place, made small by the largest underground train network in the world. It is a city where soaring feats of architecture hug tiny mediaeval churches, where normal people live in houses older than most U.S. states, and where herds of deer run free across vast open parks. It is a spaghetti bowl of cultures, a steaming stew of modern life. In London, every alley, nook, and cranny have a story to tell. And so does each inhabitant.

Whilst Greater London is officially divided into 32 boroughs, some of which even locals haven’t heard of, Londoners really define areas of the city by neighbourhood.

The following infographic describes some of the main London neighbourhoods in just a few quick words so that you can learn a little bit about each one.