Whenever I go to Piccadilly or Soho I systematically make a quick detour by Carnaby Street. I feel mesmerised by this pedestrian shopping Street.
The trendiness of the people there, associated with a false coolness attitude, make this place quite unique in London.  The street was apparently named after the Karnaby House, which was built in 1683 to the east. I have found a blog quite detailed on the subject and presenting an old video on Carnaby Street’s history. Have a look, it’s really interesting!

Vivid colours

I was struck this time by the way Carnaby Street is such a colourful street. Every building has a singular colour, making it so singular as well as it gives the place a joyful atmosphere.

The shops are of course encouraging this search for colours and even flowers have been put everywhere…

Fashion and Lifestyle

Carnaby Street is very close to Oxford and Regent’s streets, but it offers a quieter place where to enjoy many branded shops.
The 1960s saw Carnaby Street gain space in the fashion area and become an iconic street, whose success can be attributed to the clothing entrepreneur John Stephen. The “King of Carnaby Street” developed clothes that suited the young generation’s icons such as  the Who or the Rolling Stones. Carnaby Street was the symbol of the “swinging London” …
In 1973 the street was pedestrianized in an order to improve the street’s attractiveness, as the interest for the street’s shops had decreased progressively.
The street has gain its popularity back in the late 1990s and is now a great place to go for all fashionistas. The street has even inspired music groups including The Jam, who wrote a song called “Carnaby Street”…

A hidden place to eat on Carnaby Street

The Kingly Court offers a place out of the crowds with many restaurants.I appreciated to linger there last time at lunchtime, mainly to protect myself against the unexpected scattered showers, but also to take time to discover the place…
I had a lunch in a Japanese restaurant called Oka. This must be the first Asian restaurant I have ever been to, where the staff are and speak Spanish! The sushis I ate were good and quite innovative in the flavours, but the service was poor and the music too loud… Quite disappointing as I expected to find a quiet place there!
The Carnaby Street Eat food festival will take place this summer on Saturday 23 July 12pm-5pm. Feel free to look at the website to know more about the concept and offers. Many places are to be tested!

Shakespeare’s Head upon us

This year marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and Carnaby Street honors the poet in his own way …Look up, you’re being spied upon! The famous pub “Shakespeare’s head” stands at the end of the road.
“Even through the hollow eyes of death, I spy life peering”…(Richard II).
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and found inspiration here. If you are planning to shopping or eating on Carnaby Street, please share your experience and opinion here!