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In the sixties it was "Swinging London" Some thirty years later it was "Cool Britannia" And since then…. Well, London is still the place to be! Its vibrant culture just keeps expanding and developing, and you can feel the buzz as soon as you arrive. And there's more to come. Thanks to London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympics, the city will change and reinvent itself at a pace not witnessed since the days of Queen Victoria.
London is changing and it's changing fast. Look across the skyline and you will see not only the familiar landmarks - Big Ben, St Paul's and Buckingham Palace - but also extraordinary new buildings such as the Swiss Re Tower, known as the "Gherkin" because of its shape, and the new County Hall, like the head of an alien in a space helmet, quietly gazing over the river Thames. Take a ride on the London Eye, the world's largest observation wheel offering a spectacular view over the city.
Take in over 55 of London's most famous landmarks. But these changes are also visible in almost all of London's neighborhoods. It used to be easy to divide the city into the wealthy west stretching from Belgravia to Chelsea, and the working-class and immigrant populations in the east. To some extent that is still true today, but Clerkenwell, Islington and other eastern neighbourhoods have gentrified, attracting a more affluent population.
At the heart of London is Soho and its mix of narrow streets and alleys, trendy shops, elegant bars, and theatres. Notting Hill, well-known from the movie of the same name, attracts ever increasing numbers of visitors. Despite this, it has managed to retain its character of an eccentric village where some people still get the Sunday papers in there pyjamas.
And there's more to come. Over the next two decades, London will see new development on a scale not witnessed since the days of Queen Victoria and will build up even more momentum for regeneration, thanks to London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympics.
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