Cheapside, London

This thoroughfare served as the primary east-west street in 16th-century London when the city had a population of approximately 200,000 inhabitants. The expansive street was home to The City's marketplace, and this is reflected in the names of the streets that radiate from it, such as Poultry, Honey Lane, Milk Street, and Bread Street.

In the 19th century, Cheapside remained a bustling shopping district and played a prominent role in English literature, frequently appearing in Dickens's works. In "Great Expectations", Pip described the nearby street market of Cheapside as "all asmear with filth and fat and blood ... the great black dome of Saint Paul's bulging at me."

Charles Dickens, Jr. penned in his 1879 book "Dickens's Dictionary of London": "Cheapside remains now what it was five centuries ago, the greatest thoroughfare in the City of London. Other localities have had their day, have risen, become fashionable, and have sunk into obscurity and neglect, but Cheapside has maintained its place, and may boast of being the busiest thoroughfare in the world, with the sole exception perhaps of London-bridge."

In the contemporary landscape, Cheapside retains its status as a vibrant retail hub widely known for its diverse array of outlets and offices. The area also features The City's lone major shopping center, One New Change (at the Saint Paul's Cathedral end), with restrooms and a glass elevator leading to a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of Saint Paul's and the London cityscape.