CHELSEA
Local area overview
Whether you are a visitor to London or a lifelong resident, Chelsea has something to offer, with grand buildings, a fascinating history and some of the best shops, sights and restaurants in the capital.
It is an area bounded to the south by the River Thames and to the east by Sloane Square, before the area morphs into Belgravia. To the north and west lie Knightsbridge and South Kensington.
Chelsea has always been a fashionable area and came to prominence during the popular culture explosion of the 1960s. Today it is still a thriving shopping area but equally buzzes with history and culture. It is noted for its style and friendliness and has much to offer.
If it is culture you are looking for, Sloane Square is home to Cadogan Hall which offers a vibrant selection of contemporary, jazz, folk and world music events, The Royal Court Theatre and The Duke of Yorks Development, a few minutes to the west of Sloane Square, and just off The Kings Road, houses the Saatchi Gallery. In fact, Chelsea has long been the haunt of artists, painters and poets and once had a reputation as London’s bohemian quarter. This is juxtaposed with its parallel reputation as “a village of palaces” and home to the wealthy.
If you are interested in all that London sporting life has to offer, then Chelsea has its own premier league football team, with its ground at Stamford Bridge or if you prefer to participate, the area has many excellent public leisure facilities and private members’ gyms.