London's Times Square, Picadilly Circus, is buzzing with life at all hours.
Piccadilly Circus is a huge junction that connects Regent Street with the shopping street of Piccadilly, which was named after an upstart tailor, Robert Baker, who made a fortune in the 17th century. His contemporaries nicknamed his residence Pickadilly to remind him of his humble origins, a 'pickadil' being a contemporary term for a hem or high collar.
Piccadilly Circus is known for its huge neon display signs and the winged statue of Eros in the middle of a fountain, a memorial to the Victorian reformer Lord Shaftesbury. The semi-naked statue was somewhat controversial at the time of its unveiling as it was seen as inappropriate for the deeply respectable Earl.
Perhaps London's closest approximation to a Parisian boulevard, Piccadilly is a huge tourist attraction and is near London's Theatreland and many fashionable West end nightspots.
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus, London W1J 9HP