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Shaftesbury Avenue is one of central London's most famous streets, cutting through Soho and the heart of the West End. It was named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, a social reformer who pushed for better living conditions for the poor in the 19th century. The street itself went up in the 1880s, part of a major redevelopment meant to ease traffic and improve the flow between Piccadilly Circus and Holborn.
What it is best known for is being home to London's theatre district. The Lyric and the Apollo are here, venues that have hosted world-class performances for more than a century. Theatre is the main draw, but you will also find a handful of long-standing bookshops and music stores that keep locals and visitors coming.
Piccadilly Circus and Tottenham Court Road stations are both a short walk off, so it is easy to reach from nearly anywhere in London. No major figures are known to have lived on it, but its cultural pull still brings in artists, actors and creatives from around the world. Plenty here worth stopping for.
