Shaftsbury Avenue bisects the West End and is home to many of its most famous theatres. On its North side is Soho; hive of creativity, bohemian locale, gay capital or centre of sleaze depending on your point of view. With a rich and varied history, it’s home to 5,000 people and has a distinctive sense of community. Here you’ll find folks from all walks of life, from creative and media types to prostitutes, tailors, artists, junkies, market traders and housing association residents. The area has a rich and varied history, and is peppered with interesting venues.

On the South side of Shaftsbury Avenue is China Town. Gerrard Street and parallel Lisle Street are home to Chinese stores, restaurants, medicine shops and grocers. A market of exotic foods is held on Sunday, which is a family outing day for the city’s Chinese. In late January or early February, this area is the centre of Chinese New Year celebrations with giant papier-mâché dragons and lions dancing through the streets.

Why should I go there?

While it has few tradi

tional sights, lively and heterodox Soho is a London attraction in its own right. There are just too many highlights to mention. The area’s core is Old Compton Street and the surrounding alleyways, with its gay and straight bars, low-rent strip joints, off-licenses, continental delis, coffee shops, restaurants of every nationality and wacky shops catering for the pink pound. Dean Street, Greek Street, Wardour Street, Carnaby Street, Berwick Street and Soho Square are just some of the places you might want to visit for their vibrant atmosphere, restaurants, pubs and quirky shops. Soho has a long history as home to the city’s sex industry, and a wander through the red light district can be a real eye opener.

Nearby Chinatown is a good place to get a meal; generally the more dirty and dodgy looking, the more authentic the food. The stone lions, ersatz gates and pagoda-topped phone booths may look a tad gaudy but add an oriental flavour to an otherwise quite British area.

Where is the area?

Soho and China Town are near several tube stations: Leicester Square and Covent Garden to the South, Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street to the North.