The Burlington Arcade
Late Georgian Luxury
Today I went for a walk in Green Park and walked through the Burlington Arcade. If you think all arcades are the same you definitely have not been to this one. It is approximately 200 metres of late Georgian elegance and stretches between Piccadilly and Burlington Gardens. It is definitely very classy and one end of the arcade stands next to the iconic London brand Fortnum and Mason. This little covered walkway hosts over 50 luxury brands like Cartier, Alexander Mcqueen, Chanel... Every store had its own flag - it is very, very luxurious. Every store had its own distinctive look, watches, clothes etc. There are plenty of fine jewellers and big-name perfumers making this place the last word in luxury.
Apparently whistling, shouting or running in the arcade is banned and enforced by the liveried ‘Beadles’ who stand guard against such infractions. Rumour has it that this was to discourage message between gangs of street urchins and pickpockets who plied their trade around these streets in the early 1820s.
Today’s Mayfair is a hub for London’s luxury retailing and the Burlington Arcade, itself a precursor of high-end shopping for nearly 200 years is right at home here. You can get lots of variety here but it is not cheap. What it is is a window shopper’s heaven and I found that I lost hours in this place just looking through the windows. If you like a luxury, retail experience with plenty of history this arcade has it all. When you eventually get bored there are a plethora of other ‘fancy goods stores’ just down the road. I loved it!
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