East London CBD / City of London Financial District
- 22 Bishopsgate, St Mary Axe, Heron Tower, Lloyds Bldg, Tower 42, Leadenhall Bldg, Leadenhall Market, The Scalpel, The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, All Hallows by the Tower, Aldgate Square
The East part of City of London has the most important central business district (CBD) in the city with some of the tallest skyscrapers in the city. Since being a typical European lowrise city in the past with just a few skyscrapers in the entire city, with the 47-storey Tower 42 from 1980 dominating the skyline of historical Londonfor decades, had changed a bit during the visit in 2006 with the iconic egg shaped St Mary Axe. But in 2022 there was a whole new CBD (financial district) in the East part of central London, where 22 Bishopsgate since it's completion in 2020 is the tallest (278m) building on the East side of the Thames, with many skyscrapers built close to each other (perhaps too close!), like the sloping Leadenhall Bldg (225m, 2014) - designed by Richard Rogers, dubbed the "Cheesegrater", The Scalpel (due to its sharp shape) by Kohn Pedersen Fox that also designed Heron Tower (230m, 2011) with its spire, and since 2013 The Shard is UK:s tallest building and taller then the Eiffel Tower (310m), standing in a pyramide glass hape on the opposite side of the river Thames. Lloyd's Building is a futuristic hi-tech building designed by Richard Rogers, built 1978-1986. Inside there is a huge impressive atrium with escalators, but it is not open to public. Besides skyscrapers and other modern buildings, there are churches and other historical buildings in the area. Leadenhall Market is a beautiful glass covered arcade market on Gracechurch St. It is one of the oldest markets in London, dating from the 14th century, and at night it is a vibrant place with pubs.
In 2022 I visited the Tower of London for the first time, that is a both a historical fortress, a museum and a defense tower, about 1000 years old. Here you find the Crown Jewles. It is situated in East London, overlooking the Thames. Next to the Tower is the Tower Bridge (completed 1896), that is the most iconic bridge in London with its two 65m tall towers that has an uupper panorama bridge.
All Hallows by the Tower is London's oldest church, dating from 675 AD, standing next to the Tower of London.
The first four nights in 2022 I stayed at the Wombat's The City, a simple but large hostel on Dock Street, in "Little India", just East of the Tower of London.

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