Mayfair

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Mayfair is an area of central London in the City of Westminster.

History

Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today (from 1686 until it was banned in that location in 1764). Until 1686, the May Fair was held in Haymarket, and after 1764, it moved to Fair Field in Bow.

Mayfair is roughly bordered by Hyde Park to the west, Oxford Street to the north, Piccadilly and Green Park to the south and Regent Street to the east. Most of the area was first developed between the mid 17th century and the mid 18th century as a fashionable residential district, by a number of landlords, the most important of them the Grosvenor family. The freehold of a large section of Mayfair also belongs to the Crown Estate.

The district is now mainly commercial, with many offices in converted houses and new buildings, including major corporate headquarters, a concentration of hedge funds, and real estate businesses. Rents are among the highest in London and the world. There remains a substantial quantity of residential property as well as some exclusive shopping and London's largest concentration of luxury hotels and many restaurants. Buildings in Mayfair include the United States embassy in Grosvenor Square, the Royal Academy of Arts, The Handel House Museum, the Grosvenor House Hotel and Claridge's.

The renown and prestige of Mayfair has grown in the popular mind due to its designation as the most expensive property on a British Monopoly set.

Education

For education in see the main City of Westminster article.

Streets and squares

Berkeley Square
Bond Street
Brook Street
Brown Hart Gardens
Dover Street
Curzon Street
Grosvenor Square
Hanover Square
Hill Street, London
Hyde Park Corner - road junction at the south east corner
Marble Arch - road junction/plaza at the north west corner
Oxford Street - northern boundary
Park Lane - western boundary
Piccadilly - southern boundary
Piccadilly Circus - road junction/plaza at the south east corner of Mayfair
Regent Street - eastern boundary
Savile Row
Shepherd Market http://www.shepherdmarket.co.uk

Transport and locale

Location in Context

Neighbouring areas of London.

Nearest tube stations

Also Down Street tube station - no longer in use

Nearest railway station

Victoria station

Museums

Notable Residents

Famous past residents have included:

Queen Elizabeth II, who was born in Bruton Street and lived in Mayfair during her infant years.
John Adams, 2nd American president (1735–1826)
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, surgeon and mayor (1836–1917)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, poet (1806–1861)
Robert Clive, soldier & administrator (1725–1774)
A.J. Cronin, novelist (1896-1981)
Benjamin Disraeli, prime minister (1804–1881)
Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th American president (1890–1969)
Charles James Fox, British statesman (1749–1806)
George Frideric Handel, composer (1695–1759)
Jimi Hendrix, guitarist & songwriter (1942–1970)
William Somerset Maugham, novelist (1874–1965)
Sir Robert Peel, prime minister (1788–1850)
Sir Henry Pelham, prime minister (1695–1754)
Richard Brinsley Sheridan, dramatist (1751–1816)

External links

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Last updated on Monday February 25, 2008 at 16:04:19 PST (GMT -0800)
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