The City

When most people think of London, they think of Greater London, which is large, and incorporates many different areas, and even towns.  The actual City of London is a much smaller geographical area, located within Greater London itself.  It is still considered the historic and spiritual core of London, with boundaries that have remained fairly constant since medieval times.  It is sometimes referred to as “The Square Mile”, since it is almost exactly one mile square in area.  

In a manner similar to Washington, D.C., the City is technically not one of London’s thirty two boroughs.  During the Middle Ages, the London in its entirety fit within the one square mile, but it expanded over time along the River Thames, to become Greater London.  Today the City is considered to be London’s financial and business center, and is indeed recognized to be as important as New York City in terms of financial prominence.  

Though known primarily as a financial district, the City has diversified in the last twenty years, with hotels and even shopping districts popping up.  Two buildings of note, and well worth seeing, are also in the City:  Bishopsgate Tower, and Heron Tower.