Sometimes, you can get to know the city just by walking down one of its streets. Thus, the history of most London streets reveals events that influenced the development of different spheres of city life. Carnaby Street is one of them. It is one of the most popular streets in the capital of Great Britain and is often on the must-see tourist lists. What does its history reveal? What events are associated with this place? Why does the street remain popular in modern London? Learn more at london-future.
Cholera epidemic and other facts from the history of the street
The street became quite famous because of the terrible events of 1854. At that time, a cholera epidemic broke out in some parts of London, including Carnaby Street. The disease took many lives. Fortunately, people managed to establish the cause of the epidemic and quickly overcome its consequences. This is one of those horrible historical events, which are so unpleasant for modern people to recall. Tourists would prefer not to think about the epidemic during a beautiful walk down the street. However, it’s an integral (though not very attractive) part of the history of this place. In addition, the name of the street isn’t associated with anything bad. On the contrary, it is banal and comes from Karnaby House, which was built back in 1683. We know very little about the development of the street before the 1930s. A little later, various organisations began to emerge here. One of them was The Florence Mills Social Club, which was founded in 1934. It became a gathering place for Pan-Africanism supporters.
The centre of fashion trends and modern state
It should be noted that Carnaby Street looked quite neglected in the first half of the 20th century. There were isolated workshops and piles of garbage. However, in the 1950s, the street began to turn into the heart of the fashion industry. The impetus was the opening of His Clothes boutique in 1957. Its founder, John Stephen, introduced new trends in men’s fashion. The prosperity of the street is often associated with his name. Soon, Carnaby Street was filled with a variety of shops with mannequins in display windows. Their colourful clothes lured passers-by inside. Interestingly, for a long time, people could buy only men’s clothes on this street. The first women’s clothing boutique was opened here in 1966. In general, the place was raging with life in the 1960s. Here, you could meet representatives of various subcultures who were in search of original items to create or complement their images. Later, cafes and restaurants began to appear on Carnaby Street too. Today, they make shopping even more pleasant. You can come here to enjoy tasty food and spend time with family or friends.
The modern street hasn’t lost its popularity and continues to attract both tourists and residents. You can also come across the Newburgh Quarter in the middle of the street. This is an interesting shopping quarter with a lively atmosphere. Many well-known brands are represented here. There, you can discover the other side of this street and complement your wardrobe with unique clothes and accessories. If shopping doesn’t attract you, you can enjoy local music. Live music was played here as early as the 1960s. Nowadays, everyone has the opportunity to enjoy jazz compositions at Nightjar Carnaby. In addition, there are many interesting locations nearby that also deserve attention.
