This neighbourhood sits on the cusp of Holborn and Covent Garden. Even though it’s in the middle of busy central London, the old side streets offer multiple eateries and venues to escape to. Whether you’re celebrating a special evening out with a meal at Balthazar’s, and a show at Royal Drury Theatre, or you’re a local worker taking a lunch break in Drury Lane Gardens, there’s something for everyone here. While the area is occupied more by tourists and commercial venues than by local residents, the locale has still managed to hold onto its old Victorian architectural character. Additionally, with the area’s proximity to multiple bus routes and tube stations, it’s easy for both visitors and locals to stop by.

Once a settlement near a small stream, known as a hole bourne, the area had developed into a suburb by the medieval times. By the 1600s, extravagant houses and shops began to pop up throughout the neighbourhood. It was around this time that the famous Theatre Royal, Drury Lane was built with the help of a royal charter from King Charles II. The theatre had to be rebuilt entirely though after it burned down in a fire in 1672. Having been home to multiple world-famous musicals, it was also the site of the first public performance of the National Anthem. Shortly after the theatre’s construction, the Freemason’s Hall was built nearby to be used for concerts, balls and other societal gatherings. Today, it’s often used for the filming of television shows and movies.

In this neighbourhood sits the house where famed bookseller, Dr. Samuel Johnson, met James Boswell. Dr. Johnson, most well-known for compiling A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755, went on to become close friends with James, who eventually wrote his biography.

The neighbourhood is also home to Drury Lane, on which the famous Muffin Man lived from the eponymous nursery rhyme.

Because of the neighbourhood’s high concentration of tourists, it unfortunately means its crime rate is also higher than London’s average. The majority of the crimes reported in the last year have been non-violent though, and were categorised as miscellaneous theft. Even so, tourists, who pass through the area late at night while leaving plays, report feeling entirely safe.

The neighbourhood is already a dense and developed area that draws many different populations on a daily basis. However, because many of its buildings are listed and quite old, they are in need of refurbishment. In 2017, Westminster City Council received approval to initiate the multi-million-pound renovation of Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. A grade-I listed building, the renovation project which began in 2019 and was finally completed in 2021. With it came a more modern public area, as well as a new restaurant.