London HotelGuide Staffed by Londoners for visitors to London
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London Hotels: FitzroviaFitzrovia is a relatively small, unloved but charming and important district in London. It is located in the area between Camden in the north and the City of Westminster with the shopping strip Oxford Street close by if you head south to Tottenham Court Road. Goodge Street station is one minutes walk from Charlotte Street with Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Warren Street and Euston Square underground stations all nearby as well. The area was first developed in the 18th century by the Hon. Charles Fitzroy. Charles built the grand Fitzroy Square, where the Fitzrovia Festival is held annually, and named it after his son, Henry Fitzroy. The district had the reputation as the home of literary London and self-employed tradesmen because of the cheap accommodation. The area remained unnamed until the mid 20th century when it was "coined" Fitzrovia by the bohemian locals and struggling artists who frequented the most renowned pub in the area the Fitzroy Tavern. Famous names who have resided in Fitzrovia during the 19th century include the Welsh poet & writer Dylan Thomas, Nina Hamnett, an artist and writer who became known as the Queen of Bohemia and the British author and journalist George Orwell. The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw and famous author Virginia Wolf lived in the same house over different periods at 29 Fitzroy Gardens. Blue plaques record the homes of some of these famous artists. In more recent years, the modern day English rock gods Coldplay came together in Ramsey Hall, a resident hall within the University College London, UCL. Although Fitzrovia does tend to go a little unnoticed by London tourism, it does have its landmarks and attractions. The BT Tower, one of Londonīs tallest buildings, is located in Fitzrovia and Charlotte Street and Great Titchfield Street are home to some fabulous restaurants such as Passione, a delicious Italian restaurant, and the local favourite Efes, serving great Turkish food at affordable prices. The Charlotte Street boutique hotel, located on Charlotte Street, is super chic although expensive. Fitzrovia has a nice village feel to it and although not home to any flagship stores, it does house a number of fashion wholesaling companies, television production and post-production companies and the western end of Fitzrovia is where you will find Broadcasting House, home of BBC Radio. The University College Hospital was the first to administer general anaesthetic during an operation in 1846, amputating a leg in 30 seconds! The hospital is also rumoured to be haunted by two ghosts. One is Lizzie Church, a trainee nurse who accidentally injected a fatal amount of morphine to her lover and now apparently stands by the beds of patients being administered with the same drug. The other is Jeremy Bentham, a jurist and philosopher whose stuffed body displayed in the hospital encourages him to chase hospital staff around the corridors waving his walking stick. See, Fitzrovia isn't so uneventful after-all!
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