Carnaby Street 

Few streets in the world can boast of being on the front cover of Time Magazine, but Carnaby Street is one of those select few that has, making a relatively small "three-block long" street famous across the pond, and indeed the world. It's all due to a man named John Stephen, for he was the first person to open a shop - a fashion boutique, no less - back in 1958. Relatively speaking, this makes the street quite young as a shopping destination - before that first shop it had been nothing more than a row of houses for the previous 300 years. Timing was the key for this attractive shopping street's dramatic rise to fame. That first shop paved the way for the opening of numerous independent clothing boutiques, bringing Mod fashion to the masses and becoming the beating heart of the hip 'n' happenin' Swinging Sixties. As if further help was required stapling Carnaby Streets reputation, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones became outspokenly fond of the area, and Small Faces and the Kinks were few of many hip bands promoting its importance in London's new culture. Even Bart and Lisa Simpson have been there! Today, the street and surrounding area has managed to retain a lot of its atmosphere, remaining a hub for unique clothes shops, although a few labels and brands have managed to inch their way in. There's also a lot of character to be found by wondering through the side streets, and what better building to be standing at the gates than the Dickensian Liberty & Co. And on a sunny day or warm evening, the pubs and restaurants in the surrounding area are of a satisfactory ilk, mixing trendiness and quality to make this area an ongoing favourite with locals, and a must-visit for tourists.