Soho

城市概覽

Orientation This is generally considered to be the area enclosed by Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue and Cambridge Circus to the south, Charing Cross Road to the east, Oxford Street to the north, and Regent Street to the west. Oxford Street is the main shopping street in London but much of it is in the Mayfair-Marylebone district. The area immediately surrounding 1 Old Compton Street in the southern part of Soho is widely recognised as London's foremost gay village and is a very stylish part of London indeed. For a period in the mid to late twentieth century, parts of Soho had a negative reputation as a red light district, but subsequent urban redevelopment, rising rents, and not unsurprisingly targeted action by the Westminster City Council, and Metropolitan Police, have all acted to dim and extinguish many of the red-lights. The area is not quite as seedy as its former reputation portrays it, although it is still advised to be aware of it. Chinatown is sometimes considered to be part of Soho, but it is south of Shaftesbury Avenue and, having a culture distinctly different from the rest of the West End, adjoins – but is not really part of – Soho.

History Soho has a long and colourful history. The first record of the name comes from the 17th century when the area was pasture after being used as a hunting park for the Royal Court of Henry VIII some 100 years earlier. Although disputed, it is widely believed that the name Soho originated as a hunting cry. Despite this royal attention and very grand development taking place in adjoining districts, Soho did not become fashionable until the 1980s and was mostly known as an area settled by new immigrants. By the mid-19th century, it had become the home of prostitutes and low-brow music halls. Things looked up in the early 1900s when it gained something of a Bohemian reputation with writers, artists and actors moving in but the sex industry continued to dominate the district until the 1980s. This lucrative busin

如何抵達

By Tube A Tube station serves each of the four approximate corners of Soho, all in Zone 1:

Tottenham Court Rd to the north-east (Central, Northern and Elizabeth lines) Oxford Circus to the north-west (Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines) Leicester Square to the south-east (Northern and Piccadilly lines) Piccadilly Circus to the south-west (Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines)

By train 1 Charing Cross in nearby Covent Garden is the most convenient mainline station, is a 10-15 min walk to the southeast.

By car Driving to Soho is not recommended, owing to traffic congestion and stringent parking restrictions, and the £8 congestion charge. There is, however, a Masterpark parking station on Poland St, and another car park on Brewer Street.

By rickshaw More entertainment than transportation really, rickshaws run in Soho and the surrounding areas. They are much more expensive than a black cab, and may seem a lot less safe, but they are a lot of fun and can often be the fastest way to get around these tightly packed streets.

By bicycle London's cycle hire scheme (known locally as "Boris bikes") has a number of outlets around Soho including on Old Compton Street, Wardour Street, Soho Square and Golden Square.

必看景點

Old Compton Street is Soho's unofficial high street and is full of bars, cafes, clubs and shops. It is a great place to grab a coffee and watch Soho go by.

2 Soho Square, Soho Sq W1. A centuries-old small park that becomes packed on warm sunny days. 3 Photographers' Gallery, 16 - 18 Ramillies St (tube: Leicester Sq NOR PIC ), ☏ +44 20 7087-9300. M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Th F lates 10AM-8PM, Su 11AM-6PM. The exhibitions are wide and varied, from documentary photographers to fine artists, some long gone, and some on their way up. With the crowds and chaos of Leicester Square on one side and Covent Garden on the other, this is a welcome retreat. £8 adults, £5 concession, 18 and under free. Fridays free from 5pm. (updated Apr 2024)

體驗活動

Explore Wander the streets. Soho is best discovered by wandering its streets. Take the less-trodden paths and you will be amazed by the rabbit warren of streets and the seemingly endless number of cafes, bars, shops and more. Some highlights are the gay village on Old Compton St, Soho Square and a tea and cakes in one of Soho's great patisseries.

Watch

1 Dominion Theatre, 268-269 Tottenham Court Rd, W1T 7AQ. Home of Queen musical We Will Rock You. 2 London Palladium, Argyll St, W1F 7TF. Famous old London music hall whose boards have been trodden by many legendary names. These days it shows mostly blockbuster musical productions for the masses. 3 Prince Edward Theatre, 28 Old Compton St, W1D 4HS, ☏ +44 20 7440-3020. 4 Soho Theatre, 21 Dean St, W1D 3NE. (updated Jul 2024) 5 Apollo Theatre, 39-45 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 7EZ, ☏ +44 20 7492-9930. 6 Gielgud Theatre, 39-45 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 6AR, ☏ +44 844 482 5130. 7 The Lyric Theatre, 29 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 7ES, ☏ +44 330 333 4812. 8 The Palace Theatre, 109-113 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 5AY, ☏ +44 844 412 4656. Performances of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 9 Sondheim Theatre, 51 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 6BA, ☏ +44 870 950 0930.

購物

Soho has a diverse range of shops, tending towards the arty, boutique and independent style of outlet. After a period in the 1970s and 1980s when Carnaby Street became little more than a tourist trap and a pale imitation of its innovative, trend-setting heyday in the 1960s, it is now once again a major centre of new design. There are some especially interesting independent fashion stores in the small streets and courtyards off Carnaby Street, so it is well worth exploring the area carefully. Berwick Street is notable for a collection of independent record shops specialising in different genres of dance music.

Clothing and accessories 1 Ben Sherman, 50 Carnaby St, W1F 9QA, ☏ +44 20 7437-2031, [email protected]. The flagship retail outlet of this iconic British fashion brand. Men's and women's clothing, accessories and shoes. 2 The Great Frog, 10 Ganton St, W1F 7QR (tube: Oxford Circus BAK CEN VIC ), ☏ +44 20 7439-9357, [email protected]. Rock and heavy metal jewellery specialist. Been in business here for more than 40 years. The iconic skull ring worn by so many famous rockers was originally designed and produced by Great Frog.

Music and record shops 3 Reckless Records, 30 Berwick St, W1F 8RH (tube: Oxford Circus BAK CEN VIC ), ☏ +44 20 7437-4271, [email protected]. Second-hand record (vinyl) store. 4 Sounds of the Universe, 7 Broadwick St, W1F 0DA, ☏ +44 20 7734-3430, [email protected]. (updated Aug 2024)

Gay-related Unsurprisingly, Soho has a number of gay-related outlets, some of the best known are:

5 Prowler, 5-7 Brewer St, W1F 0RF. 6 Clonezone, 35 Old Compton St, W1D 5JX, ☏ +44 20 7734-3438. M Tu 11AM–8PM, W–F 11AM–9PM, Sa noon–10PM, Su noon–6PM. The world's largest gay retail company. Merchandise includes underwear and adult toys. (upd