Cheapside, London

In the heart of London, Cheapside is where London’s medieval market culture meets 21st-century urban energy. This street has been a commercial powerhouse since before any of our great-great-great-great-grandparents were born. The name "Cheapside" comes from the Old English word “ceap,” meaning "market," which is fitting, because from the 12th to the 16th century, this place was indeed the city's main commercial area. It bustled with vendors selling essentials like bread, milk, poultry, and honey, which is still reflected in the names of the surrounding streets—Bread Street, Milk Street, Poultry, and the now-adorably vanished Honey Lane.

Originally the artery of a city accommodating a modest 200,000 citizens, Cheapside remained loud, proud, and crowded well into the 19th century, so much so that even Charles Dickens couldn’t resist throwing it into his novels. In Great Expectations, Pip calls it “all asmear with filth and fat and blood,” which sounds gross, but very on brand for Victorian London. And yes, that giant dome brooding over it all—St. Paul’s Cathedral gave every grimy detail some architectural gravitas.

Dickens’s son, Charles Dickens, Jr., called Cheapside “the busiest and most vital thoroughfare in London,” only rivaled by London Bridge. Clearly, this street was not one to be outdone.

Nowadays, Cheapside hasn’t missed a beat. It's still buzzing, just with fewer poultry vendors and more cappuccino options. You’ve got historic gems like Guildhall, Bow Church, and Postman’s Park sitting comfortably beside the sleek, modern vibes of One New Change—a shopping center with restaurants, retail, and a rooftop terrace that serves you full-on cinematic views of St. Paul’s and the London skyline.

In short, Cheapside is the place where you can shop, stroll, and soak in layers of city history—all within a few minutes’ walk from one of the capital’s most iconic cathedrals. With its unique mix of grit and grandeur, Cheapside continues to tell the story of London’s past while thriving firmly in its present.