St James's Park
St. James's lies to the west of central London. The area comprises some 36 hectares of land which hold approximately 150 historic buildings. To the south lies Pall Mall and St James's Park, to the west Green Park, to the east Regent Street and the Haymarket while to the North lies Piccadilly.
St James's might easily be called London's gentleman's precinct. Ever since the 19th century "gentlemen" have come here to gamble, socialise, eat and drink exclusively amongst their peers. To obtain appropriate attire for such occasions, they may have something tailor-made at one of the shops along Jermyn Street which is famous for its shops providing quality clothing for men. The street owes its name to Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans who was responsible for redeveloping the area with an eye toward aristocratic residents in the 1660s.
Nowadays, although the area is more commercial than residential, there's still some interesting architecture and sites to be seen for the tourist. On King Street lies the famous auctioneer's, Christie's as well as other exclusive antique dealers. In St James, you'll also find Spencer House which was built and used as a private residence of the Spencer family intermittently for almost 200 years. The architectural design began with John Vardy who was responsible for the facades still visible today. If you get a chance to go inside, you'll be able to appreciate one of the first examples of Neoclassical design in England. The interior is the work of architect James Stuart who would later become known for his 'Athenian' style. For more architecture, check out Pall Mall
