Ritzy St. James’s sits between lush parks and Trafalgar Square at the edge of London’s West End. Developed as a residential neighborhood for British nobility in the 1600s, today it maintains an air of elite sophistication. Visit St. James’s to discover aristocratic and royal residences alongside century-old theaters, gourmet restaurants, high-end retailers and outstanding art exhibitions.
Admire the Tudor-era St. James’s Palace, which is a London residence of the Royal Family. Clarence House is a home of the Prince of Wales and open in August for guided tours. See the lavish rooms of Spencer House, a townhouse built by an ancestor of Princess Diana. Grand Georgian mansions frame leafy St. James’s Square.
Piccadilly street epitomizes the area’s refined retail. Browse for gourmet treats and luxury homeware and enjoy afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason. Find a chocolatier, milliner and other artisans at Princes Arcade and bespoke menswear on Jermyn Street. Piccadilly Market presents arts and crafts in the church courtyard of St. James’s Piccadilly.
The galleries of St. James’s cater to a range of tastes. Peruse works by Scottish Colourists at Portland Gallery and contemporary masterpieces at White Cube Mason’s Yard. The Institute of Contemporary Arts is a combined cinema, gallery and theater.
Book tickets for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre. The Theatre Royal Haymarket puts on plays and musicals for all ages. From British pub food to Italian, Scandinavian and West African flavors, St. James’s Market is an epicurean wonderland.
The lush environment of St. James’s Park is ideal for picnics and enjoying London’s natural side. Spot waterbirds, watch a daily pelican feeding and stroll along crisscrossing pathways. On the park’s north side, The Mall connects Buckingham Palace with Trafalgar Square. This ceremonial avenue is the setting for parades such as The Changing of the Guard.
St. James’s is served by the Green Park and Piccadilly Circus underground stations plus several public bus lines. Travel here in November for the star-studded Regent Street Christmas Lights Switch-On.
