Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the longer northern section New Bond Street—a distinction not generally made in everyday usage.
The street was built on fields surrounding Clarendon House on Piccadilly, which were developed by Sir Thomas Bond. It was built up in the 1720s, and by the end of the 18th century was a popular place for the upper-class residents of Mayfair to socialise. Prestigious or expensive shops were established along the street, but it declined as a centre of social activity in the 19th century, although it held its reputation as a fashionable place for retail, and is home to the auction houses Sotheby’s and Bonhams (formerly Phillips) and the department store Fenwick and jeweller Tiffany’s. It is one of the most expensive and sought after strips of real estate in Europe.
Bond Street is the only street that links Oxford Street and Piccadilly. Old Bond Street is at the southern end between Piccadilly and Burlington Gardens. The northern section, New Bond Street, extends to Oxford Street. The entire street is around 0.5 miles (0.8 km) long. Many shop frontages are less than 20 feet (6 m) wide.
The nearest tube stations are Green Park on Piccadilly, and Bond Street station on Oxford Street. Bond Street station does not directly connect to either New or Old Bond Street. No buses use the street, although the C2 service crosses New Bond Street. Part of New Bond Street is numbered B406 but the remainder and all of Old Bond Street is unclassified. New Bond Street is pedestrianised between Grafton Street and Clifford Street to prevent through traffic and to stop the road being used as a rat run.
According to Westminster City Council, Bond Street has the highest density of haute couture stores anywhere in the world, attracting “the rich, the famous, and the simply curious”. The entire length of Bond Street has been part of the Mayfair Conservation Area controlled by Westminster City Council since 1969. Building alterations and constructions are tightly controlled to ensure the street’s appearance and upkeep are unaltered. Many buildings are listed. The council regulates the style and materials used on shop front advertising.
At one time, Bond Street was best known for top-end art dealers and antique shops that were clustered around the London office of Sotheby’s auction house, which has been at Nos. 34–35 Bond Street since 1917, and the Fine Art Society, founded in 1876. The sculpture over the entrance to Sotheby’s is from Ancient Egypt and is believed to date from around 1600 BC. It is the oldest outdoor sculpture in London.
Some dealers and antique shops remain, but others are fashion boutiques or branches of global designer brands. The street still has a reputation as a fashionable place for shopping, including the flagship stores of Ralph Lauren and Cartier. Fenwick have had a department store on Bond Street since 1891. The Phillips building at No. 101 is still used for auctions; the company was bought in 2001 by Bonhams, who spent £30 million expanding and refurbishing the premises. In 2015, Valentino announced plans to build a new flagship store on Old Bond Street.
The street features Allies, a statue of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, who are portrayed sitting in conversation on a park bench, sculpted by Lawrence Holofcener. The statue, popular with tourists, was erected by the Bond Street Association to commemorate 50 years since the end of World War II, and was unveiled in May 1995 by Princess Margaret. In 2013, maquettes of the sculpture (which are replicas, as Holofcener did not make any as part of the original artwork or design) were sold at Bonhams. Henry Moore has four sculptures engraved into the building work of no.153 (a Loro Piana branch), which he subsequently attempted to buy back when he felt no one noticed them.
The construction of Crossrail, part of which runs between Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road stations, involved demolition of property in nearby Hanover Square, some of which backs onto New Bond Street. This affected Nos. 64–72, which required refurbishment.
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