Kensington, Chelsea, and Knightsbridge

Kensington and Chelsea

Chelsea was settled before the Domesday Book and was already fashionable when two of Henry VIII's wives lived there. On the North side of the Thames, over from trendier but less well-heeled Battersea, are the impressive lawns of Wren's Royal Hospital. Walking along the Embankment, notice the Albert Bridge, a candy-color Victorian confection of a suspension bridge. The bridge, shimmering with thousands of lights, its reflection sparkling on the river, is one of London's great romantic views. Cheyne Walk, a lovely street dating back to the 18th century, has Chelsea Physic Garden and Carlyle's House, with all their arty and historic associations. The blue plaques commemorating important residents along here are amazing.

Nearby is a famous London shopping street, the King's Road (Charles II's private way from St. James's to Fulham). Leave time in your retail therapy schedule to stop at the relocated Saatchi Gallery, or explore the tiny Georgian lanes of pastel-color houses that veer off the King's Road to the north—especially Jubilee Place and Burnsall Street, leading to the hidden "village square" of Chelsea Green. On Saturday there's an excellent farmers' market up from the Saatchi Gallery selling artisanal cheese and chocolates, local oysters, and organic meats, plus stalls serving international food.

Kensington laid its first royal stake when King William III, fed up with the vapors of the Thames, bought a country place there in 1689 and converted it into Kensington Palace. Its Orangery is diagonally across the park, with the opulent Kensington Palace Gardens running behind it. Londoners call this street Billionaires' Row. Notice that there is no electric street lighting down here; it is still lighted exclusively by old Victorian gas lamps. Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, added the jewel in the borough's crown when he turned the profits of the Great Exhibition of 1851 into South Kensington's metropolis of museums: Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), the Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum. His namesakes in the area include Royal Albert Hall, with its bas-reliefs that make it resemble a giant, redbrick Wedgwood pot, and the lavish Albert Memorial.

Turn into Derry Street or Young Street and enter Kensington Square, one of the most complete 17th-century residential squares in London. Holland Park is about ¾ mi farther west; both Leighton House and 18 Stafford Terrace are nearby as well.

Knightsbridge

There's no getting away from it. This is shop-'til-you-drop territory of the highest order. With two world-famous department stores, Harrods and Harvey Nichols, a few hundred yards apart, and every bit of space between and around taken up with designer boutiques, chain stores, and jewelers, it's hard to imagine why anyone who doesn't like shopping would even think of coming here. If the department stores seem overwhelming, Beauchamp Place (pronounced "Beecham") is a good tonic. It's lined with equally chic and expensive boutiques, but they tend to be smaller, more personal, and less hectic. Nearby Sloane Street is lined with top-end designer boutiques such as Prada, Dior, and Tods.

Another place to find peace and quiet is a divinely peaceful stroll in fashionable Belgravia, one of the most gorgeous set-pieces of urban 19th-century planning. Street after street is lined with grand white terraces of aristocratic town houses, still part of the Grosvenor estate, and owned by the Dukes of Westminster. Many are leased to embassies, but a remarkable number around Lowndes Square, Belgrave Square, and Eaton Square remain homes of the discreet, private wealthy and outright super-rich. Often, the only people on the streets are professional dog walkers and chauffeurs. Some people call the area near Elizabeth Street Belgravia, others Pimlico-Victoria. Either way, now that you've had a break, it's time to shop again, and this street is the place to be.