St James's
St James's is London's most exclusive address, even more so than Mayfair, and is located within the boundaries of Piccadilly, The Haymarket (once the city's best known prostitution district), the Mall (the ceremonial route used by the royal family) and Green Park.
St James's became fashionable in the 1600´s after St James's Palace was built on the site of St James's Leper Hospital, and the area, centered around St James's Square, continued to develop into an exclusive, aristocratic and super expensive residential and business address; as it remains today.
This posh district houses some of the most beautiful palaces, parks and architecture in the world. St James's Palace (not open to the public) is used by various minor royals and is one of the three royal buildings where the Household Cavalry can be seen. St James's Park is absolutely stunning with its spectacular grounds, exotic birds including pelicans and Australian Black Swans and the lake in the middle affords incredible views of Buckingham Palace, especially at night when the palace is lit up.
Within the grounds of St James's Palace are a number of royal ´houses´. Clarence House, adjacent to the palace, was the home of the Queen Mother and now the residence of Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles and Princes William and Harry. Some sections of Clarence House are opened to the public during summer for those that book in advance. Spencer House was built by ancestors of the late Princess Diana and, depending on the amount of corporate entertaining and high society events booked in at the time, it is sometimes open to the public. Lancaster House (closed to the public) was home to the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979, an agreement that granted Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, independence from the United Kingdom. And Marlborough House was donated by Queen Elizabeth II to the Commonwealth Secretariat, as it is used today.
Bond Street and Green Park underground stations will take you to St James's and all its delights, including many a splendid shopping experience. Jermyn Street is an elegant street best known for fashionable and beautifully made men's clothing. St James's Street is where you will find the charming upper class cobbler John Lobb and the famous cigar retailer JJ Fox. The London Library is located on St James's Square and Piccadilly is home to Fortnum and Mason department store. Famous for its fine foods, it has been a royal favourite since day dot.
Most of those who live, work or play in St James's might say it is a "man's world", and given the number high society gentlemen's clubs in the area, it is probably not far from the truth. Often referred to as ´Clubland´, the attendees of the numerous clubs include royalty, military officers, motoring fanatics and various other groups. These sometimes conceited and aloof clubs were coffee houses in the 17th century, but have always been meeting places for the influential gentry, and the occasional woman, of aristocratic society. The Carlton Club is the traditional hang out for the Conservative Party and was famously bombed in 1990 by the IRA. Oh to be a fly on the wall in one of the clubs; the secrets to be shared!
One of the nicest things about St James's (and there are a lot) is that the streets and architecture has remained virtually unchanged. Walking along the alleyways and streets is a step back in time to a society and class unknown to most.
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