London’s LGBT+ heartland, Old Compton Street sits right in the centre of the always lively Soho. While few people live full time in the neighbourhood, it would be hard to find a Londoner who doesn’t visit every once in a while. No matter the night of the week, this neighbourhood offers great eateries and entertainment. If looking for a musical night, the famous Ronnie Scott’s, or clubs like G-A-Y and Comptons are the places to be. If you have time to kill before the show, it’s worth standing in the queue at nearby Hoppers - whose Sri Lankan food is surely worth the wait, or going for a pint at the Admiral Duncan. If waiting around isn’t your thing though, there are great meals to be had at nearby Koya, Sabor, and Ducksoup. For those on a budget, the Chinese style crepes at Pleasant Lady Jian Bing Trading Stall are a must and can be eaten in a rush while standing on the pavement. As for those that spend their days in the area, like the non-profit employees at The House of St Barnabas, they can often be found grabbing lunch at Cay Tre or diving into a delicious pasta dish at Lina Stores. After a trip to Soho, it’ll be easy to understand why Londoners keep venturing back for more.

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, is an important anchor within the community. It dates back to 1947, when twenty year old Ronnie Scott was working as a part of the crew of a ship that would bring him to New York regularly. While on these trips, he would spend all of his time off soaking up the great jazz music throughout the city. Unfortunately, at the time, due to the Musicians’ Union restrictions, he couldn’t access American jazz within London. As a great saxophonist himself, he knew he needed to open up a similar jazz club back in London. In 1959, he was finally able to open a small basement jazz club for local London musicians. At the time, most of its regulars were taxi drivers and locals. Fast forward 50 years, and the club is now a famous jazz venue that draws in performers from all over the world!

John Logie Baird, a famous inventor, once lived in the area. He was most well known for giving the world’s first demonstration of the television back in 1926.

Unfortunately, with the great amount of tourism in the neighbourhood, the area’s crime rate is significantly higher than in other parts of London. Even so, most of these are non-violent incidents. Most Londoners feel quite safe in the area even after dark.

This neighbourhood is home to the New West End Company. Over the past few years, it has been partnering with Westminster City Council, the Mayor of London, and Transport for London, in order to initiate new public realm projects throughout the neighbourhood. They are continuing to work on transforming the area’s public spaces, and have already successfully opened new gardens in the neighbourhood. Most recently, they held a role in the completion and opening of the Soho Photography Quarter in June 2022, which presents free open-air exhibitions and projections highlighting the very best of contemporary photography across Ramilies Street, Ramilies Place and Hill Place. In partnership with Westminster City Council as well, the Quarter was the initiative of The Photographers’ Gallery (TPG), which intends to create through the quarter bi-annual site-specific presentations of photography, digital and moving image works.