Part 2 St James's Street on My Trip to England

St James's Street

Part 2

Just around the corner from The Mall, is St. James's Street. This street was one of the roads I wanted to visit while on my visit to London, England. It seems as though many of the historical romance books I have read over the years included a carriage shopping trip to St James's Street or a visit to a Gentlemen Club one time or another. I was very curious as to what this street looked like now and what it looked like then.  

Interestingly enough I think very little has changed. Well perhaps the roads are paved and the types of stores have switched from merchants that would have sold Hessian Boots and instead today offer more modern styles. There seemed to be a number of private clubs still.  

I loved that London really maintained the charm of the past and seemed to strive to preserve the original buildings. It was a really lovely walk up the road to be immersed in all that history. Once again my mind wondered back to all of those historical romance novels. 

The above picture is the famous "White's Gentlemen Club". White's is mentioned in almost every single historical romance novel based around London. A Duke, Earl, Marquess, Lords and even rakes and rogues always seem to stop by for gambling, placing wagers or just to relax with a cigar and drinks. 
White's was one of the buildings that I had on my list to visit. The only reason we were able to find it was to watch the addresses on the surrounding buildings. White's had no address on the front and all the windows were blocked off so I couldn't peak in. Oh how I was wanting to knock on the door and visit. I am dying to know what it looks like inside. How much have they kept original? What do the carpets look like? Do they have a prominent staircase or an elevator now? The building is in impeccable condition and once again I wondered where all the carriages used to go while the footmen patiently waited for their masters. 

I was surprised St. James's Street was quite wide. It was a great walk up the street and I loved seeing all the boutique shops. I didn't buy anything along the way as the items were very pricey but it was worth the visit. 

Part 1 - Historical Library and Hyde Park