Located right in the heard of London’s West End, the neighbourhood of Covent Garden shares a border with Soho, and is a tourist hotspot that centres around the beautiful Victorian covered market. Few can afford to live here, with apartments going for up to £8m, but those who can afford it are able to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells that exude from the bustling streets below. The countless chain stores, boutiques, cafes, and pubs are always busy, helped by the proximity of Covent Garden and Leicester Square tube stations, which also bring tourists and patrons to the area’s numerous attractions, such as the Royal Opera House, the Theatre Royal, and the London Film and Transport museums. The area’s many creative businesses mean that the daytime population also consists of young professionals, lots of whom remain in the area in the evening to enjoy the numerous nightlife spots on offer.

It is believed that the name Covent Garden derives from a corruption of the word ‘convent’. The area was initially settled by the Saxons in 600 AD, until Viking raids forced the settlements to retreat back behind the protective walls of the City of London. The convent of St Peter moved into the area in the 13th century but the dissolution of the monasteries led to the land being purchased by the Bedford family. An estate designed by Inigo Jones was laid out from 1630 in a disciplined grid around the church of St Paul’s. The very well-to-do moved in, followed by coffee houses, theatres, traders, and taverns, which brought all classes of the public to the area, urging the aristocrats to move further afield. Trade eclipsed the neighbourhood in the 17th century, with flowers, fruit, and veg becoming the preferred goods; the piazza was then built in 1830. It was roofed over in 1870 and remains to this day.

Two of the area’s most popular attractions, the Royal Opera House and the Theatre Royal, are said to be haunted, with the Theatre Royal believed to be one of the world’s most haunted theatres, according to paranormal experts. Legend has it that an 18th century nobleman was stabbed to death in the theatre and his remains were found in the wall in 1848. His ghost, known as the ‘Man in Grey’ wears a cape, a tricorne hat, riding boots, and carries a sword. Apparently, seeing a ghost in the Theatre Royal is said to signal good luck for its actors.

The high levels of tourism in this neighbourhood means that the streets and local transport are congested at all times of the day. People who work nearby regularly complain about how busy the tubes are and how this greatly effects their commute to work.

Because of Covent Garden’s popularity and historical prestige, it can prove rather difficult to get approval for any form of development in the area. The most recent changes have been to the retail areas. With Capco managing many of the shopping buildings, more and more premium brands are moving to the market, attracting increased footfall year upon year.