Results for Mayfair
On this page:
 
Dictionary:

Mayfair

  ('fâr') pronunciation

A fashionable district in the West End of London, England. It was named after an annual fair held in the district until 1708.

 

 
 
Wikipedia: Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair (Greater London)
Mayfair
OS grid reference TQ285805
London borough Westminster
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region London
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LONDON
Postcode district W1
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
UK Parliament Cities of London and Westminster
London Assembly West Central
European Parliament London
List of places: UKEnglandLondon

Coordinates: 51°′″N 0°′″W / 51.508755, -0.14743

Mayfair is an area of central London in the City of Westminster.

History

Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place there from 1686 until it was banned in that location in 1764. Until 1686, the May Fair was held in Haymarket, and after 1764, it moved to Fair Field in Bow.

Mayfair is roughly bordered by Hyde Park to the west, Oxford Street to the north, Piccadilly and Green Park to the south and Regent Street to the east. Most of the area was first developed between the mid 17th century and the mid 18th century as a fashionable residential district, by a number of landlords, the most important of them the Grosvenor family. The freehold of a large section of Mayfair also belongs to the Crown Estate.

The district is now mainly commercial, with many offices in converted houses and new buildings, including major corporate headquarters, a concentration of hedge funds, and real estate businesses. Rents are among the highest in London and the world. There remains a substantial quantity of residential property as well as some exclusive shopping and London's largest concentration of luxury hotels and many restaurants. Buildings in Mayfair include the United States embassy in Grosvenor Square, the Royal Academy of Arts, The Handel House Museum, the Grosvenor House Hotel and Claridge's.

Education

For education in Mayfair see the main City of Westminster article.

Mayfair itself is named after the infamous fifteen-day fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today, and which was banned in 1708 due to the fair’s revellers’ relentless boisterousness and disorder. A local architect and developer (Edward Shepherd), was commissioned to develop the site after the banning of the fair, and it was completed in the mid 18th century, with paved alleys, a duck pond, and a two-storey market, topped with a theatre. The theatre was opened in the month of May, and attracted a much higher class of visitor than the noisy, unruly fair beforehand.

Streets and squares

Savile Row
Enlarge
Savile Row
The Royal Arcade in Old Bond Street
Enlarge
The Royal Arcade in Old Bond Street

Transport and locale

Nearest places

The north side of Grosvenor Square in the 18th or early 19th century. The three houses at the far left form a unified group, but the others on this side are individually designed. Most later London squares would be more uniform.
Enlarge
The north side of Grosvenor Square in the 18th or early 19th century. The three houses at the far left form a unified group, but the others on this side are individually designed. Most later London squares would be more uniform.

Nearest tube stations

Nearest railway station

Museums

Notable Local Residents

Famous past residents have included:

Trivia

  • Mayfair is the most expensive property on a British Monopoly set.
  • Queen Elizabeth II was born in Bruton Street and lived in Mayfair during her infant years.
  • English folk singer Nick Drake recorded the song "Mayfair".

See also

External links


 
 

Join the WikiAnswers Q&A community. Post a question or answer questions about "Mayfair" at WikiAnswers.

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mayfair" Read more

Search for answers directly from your browser with the FREE Answers.com Toolbar!  
Click here to download now. 

Get Answers your way! Check out all our free tools and products.

On this page:   E-mail   print Print  Link  

 

Keep Reading

Mentioned In: