London

===Areas===
{{main|List of areas of London|London boroughs}}
Places within London's vast urban area are identified using area names, such as [[Mayfair]], [[Southwark]], [[Wembley]], and [[Whitechapel]]. These are either informal designations, reflect the names of villages that have been absorbed by sprawl, or are superseded administrative units such as parishes or [[Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London|former boroughs]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historytoday.com/ad-harvey/london%E2%80%99s-boroughs|title=London's Boroughs|publisher=History Today|access-date=19 April 2023}}</ref>

[[File:London (44761485915).jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The [[West End theatre]] district in 2016]]
Such names have remained in use through tradition, each referring to a local area with its own distinctive character, but without official boundaries. Since 1965, Greater London has been divided into 32 [[London borough]]s in addition to the ancient City of London.<ref name=london_071>{{Cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/city-government/boroughs.jsp |title=London boroughs&nbsp;— London Life, GLA |publisher=London Government |access-date=3 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213025156/http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/city-government/boroughs.jsp |archive-date=13 December 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The City of London is the main financial district,<ref name=london_073>{{Cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/business-and-jobs/financial-centre.jsp |title=London as a financial centre |publisher=Mayor of London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106051217/http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/business-and-jobs/financial-centre.jsp |archive-date=6 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Canary Wharf]] has recently developed into a new financial and commercial hub in the [[London Docklands|Docklands]] to the east.

The [[West End of London|West End]] is London's main entertainment and shopping district, attracting tourists.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1608619.stm |title=West End still drawing crowds |work=BBC News |access-date=6 June 2008 |date=22 October 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511121403/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1608619.stm |archive-date=11 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[West (London sub region)|West London]] includes expensive residential areas where properties can sell for tens of millions of pounds.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2006/apr/17/tax.g2 |title=Super Rich |date=17 April 2006 |work=The Guardian |access-date=7 June 2008 |location=London |first=James |last=Meek |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501134745/http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/apr/17/tax.g2 |archive-date=1 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> The average price for properties in [[Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea|Kensington and Chelsea]] is over £2&nbsp;million with a similarly high outlay in most of central London.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/planningandconservation/planningpolicy/idoc.ashx?docid=bf56bda1-575c-435b-92ac-9a71625c1746&version=-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010131732/https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/planningandconservation/planningpolicy/idoc.ashx?docid=bf56bda1-575c-435b-92ac-9a71625c1746&version=-1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 October 2016 |title=Information on latest house prices in the Royal Borough |publisher=Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/aug/08/housing-london-jump-19-per-cent-year |title=Average house prices in London jump 19 percent in a year |first=Rupert |last=Jones |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=8 August 2014 |access-date=24 September 2014}}</ref>

The [[East End of London|East End]] is the area closest to the original [[Port of London]], known for its high immigrant population, as well as for being one of the poorest areas in London.<ref name="East End">{{Cite news |url=http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8487518/site/newsweek/ |date=6 July 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829024354/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8487518/site/newsweek/ |archive-date=29 August 2006 |title=Tomorrow's East End |work=Newsweek |author=Flynn, Emily |location=New York |url-status=dead}}</ref> The surrounding [[North East (London sub region)|East London]] area saw much of London's early industrial development; now, [[brownfield land|brownfield]] sites throughout the area are being redeveloped as part of the [[Thames Gateway]] including the [[London Riverside]] and [[Lower Lea Valley]], which was developed into the [[Olympic Park, London|Olympic Park]] for the [[London 2012 Olympic bid|2012 Olympics and Paralympics]].<ref name="East End"/>