The City of London
While many people are familiar with London as a large metropolitan area (known as Greater London), many visitors do not realize the actual City of London is only one square mile in size. Greater London was formed from the merger of The City of London and neigboring Westminster, and what many people call "London" actually includes many surrounding boroughs such as Camden, Hackney and Islington.
The City of London has had its own independent local government since 866, and has one of the most unique local government systems today. The City of London Corporation, headed by the Lord Mayor of London, administers the city. Other cities in the UK abolished the "business vote" in 1969, but the City of London still allows businesses to nominate their own voters in local elections.
"The Square Mile" as The City of London is sometimes called, is a small central area with some of the most outstanding and historic architecture in all of Greater London. Today, the City of London is home to many major financial institutions, as well as many legal and professional offices. Recently the City of London has begun to encourage non-office business development, and now has several hotels and even a department store.
Count on visiting the City of London during the day, because the Square Mile is not known for its night life. The City of London has fewer than 9,000 full-time residents, while over 300,000 Greater Londoners commute to the City for work each day. If you visit the City on a weekend, it may seem almost like a ghost-town compared to the rest of Greater London. Many pubs and cafes are closed on weekends. If you want a quiet place to stay while you are visiting the London area, staying in a hotel in The City would be perfect.
For the sightseer, the City is well worth a visit. While you're in The Square Mile, make sure to look around for the City of London Police. Westminster may have the famous Queen's Guard, but London's "bobbies" are almost equally famous, and can often be seen patrolling The City on horseback. The City of London Police is the smallest police force in England, both in numbers and geography. If you catch a police officer on the weekend, when the City is quiet, he may even stop for a photograph, if you ask nicely!
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