About the Area for SilverDoor Serviced Apartments in London - Swiss Cottage

London is the capital of England and of the United Kingdom. On 6th February 1952, Elizabeth Windsor became Queen Elizabeth II upon the death of her father King George VI and Buckingham Palace in Westminster remains her principal home. London is also home to approximately 7.5 million people and until the early 20’s was the most populous city in the world.

London was established as a civilian town by the Romans about seven years after the invasion of AD43, however there is evidence of prehistoric settlement in London dating from at least a thousand years before that. The name Londinium is thought to be pre-Celtic in origin and although there has been no academic consensus, it probably means "the flowing river".

During London’s 2,000 years of recorded history, it has experienced plague, devastating fire, civil war and two world wars; yet, it has still grown to become one of the most important business, financial and cultural capitals in the world.

The city is a major tourist destination, with four world heritage sites and numerous iconic landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye amongst its many attractions, along with famous institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery.

London is made up of 32 boroughs, plus the City of London borough, and about 22 per cent of London's population were born outside of the UK, which is what makes it such an ethnically-mixed and culturally-diverse city.

Travel around London on public transport is easy and frequent. The London Underground (more commonly known as “The Tube”) serves 275 stations and there are hundreds of bus routes serving the city and suburban areas. London has five main train stations:-Waterloo, Victoria, St. Pancras, Paddington and Euston, with trains running to all of Britain’s major cities. Waterloo station is also the terminus for the Eurostar train to Paris.

With a large port and five international airports, London is a major international transport hub. Its main airport at Heathrow carries more international passengers than any other airport in the world.

Swiss Cottage got its name from a pub! Ye Olde Swiss Cottage still exists and is surrounded by beautiful parks; all within walking distance are: Primrose Hill, with its stunning views of London, Regent’s Park, with its famous zoo, and the expansive Hampstead Heath that features bathing ponds and is centred upon Parliament Hill. Swiss Cottage is a low key but very cosmopolitan community on the busy Finchley Road.

Local amenities include an Odeon Cinema, Swiss Cottage Central Library, The Hampstead Theatre and assorted shops the length of the Finchley Road. The large Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre reopened in early 2006; after complete redevelopment; and now houses 2 swimming pools, a gym and a climbing wall.

Notable restaurants include Globe (European) and Benihana (Oriental griddle). Swiss Cottage is also the location of the Central School of Speech and Drama, performing in the Embassy Theatre.

Tube stations are Swiss Cottage (Jubilee Line)

Finchley Road (Jubilee Line and Metropolitan Line)

Both of these feed in to the national rail system.