Back to Soho

Soho Area

Soho

If you are thinking of moving to the Soho area or visiting Soho then we hope you find our view and review of the Soho area interesting.

We are chartered surveyors, so our view of Soho may be a bit property biased, but would you expect us to be anything else but property biased! We carry out surveys all over London , including building surveys, structural surveys, engineers reports, of course we are happy to carry them out in Soho . We have tried to put other interesting non-property facts about Soho and the Soho area, many of which we don't think you will find anywhere else on the Internet.

Advert for independent chartered surveyors

We have independent chartered surveyors who carry out building surveys, structural surveys and defects reports in Soho and are very experienced and will give you peace of mind for your new home or commercial property. We also deal with Schedules of Dilapidation and Schedules of Conditions and act for you whether you are the Landlord or Tenant. If you want property advice then please contact us on free phone 0800 298 5424.

Soho, a bit of fun

If you can read these articles in the sprit they were written; that they were written for people that don't know the area. We would be more than happy to add any comments from the Soho area and also comments from Soho locals who feel that we've missed out any important facts, or indeed if any of the facts we have put down are not accurate.

Where in London is Soho?

Soho is situated in the West End of London in the Borough of City of Westminster. It is a few miles from the centre of the City and is near to Kensington and Chelsea, Islington and Southwark, which are neighbouring Boroughs.

We carry out surveys, structural surveys and building surveys on all sorts of buildings all over London and we have carried out lots in the Soho area.

A bit further afield

Soho is surrounded by areas such as Oxford Street , Regent Street , Leicester Square , Piccadilly Circus , Shaftesbury Avenue , and is approximately one square mile in size. Charing Cross Road is situated to the east of Soho .

Further to the west is Mayfair, to the north Camden and to the east St  Giles and Covent Garden and to the south St James.

Thanks to Google Maps for help with this information.

Ways to travel in the Soho area

By Road

The M4 runs along into the West End of London and connects onto the A4 Great Western Road , which leads directly to the West End and into Soho.

The A40, known as Western Avenue , which becomes Westway as it progresses into the centre/West End of London.

The M4 and M25 are not very far away.

This area is also covered by the excellent Google Street View, where you can literally walk along the road.

By Rail

The nearest tube line varies, but the stations are Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus, Baker Street , Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus.

Interesting facts we know about the Soho area

Interesting fact about Soho number one

Soho was formerly farmland in the 16 th Century.

Interesting fact about Soho number two

Although Soho is an area for entertainment, it is also home to religious and spiritual groups and there is a variety of churches and even some temples nearby.

Interesting fact about Soho number three

There is a large sex industry in Soho and there has been over the past couple of hundred years, therefore there is a variety of related shops situated in the area. Formerly brothels existed in the area and business of that nature.

Although it has the look of entertainment and a great place for tourists to travel in to and find things to do there was once a time when a lot of respectable families used to live in Soho and they have now moved out for obvious reasons.

Interesting fact about Soho number four

There is a variety of clubs, restaurants in the area, together with publishing media companies, for example music companies, record shops and there is therefore a varied mix of things to do in the Soho area. The music scene was quite big after World War II and many clubs and theatres developed.

Interesting fact about Soho number five

There is a variety of communication networks that flow into the area. Below ground level are fibre optics, for example, and this kind of communication serves media companies in the area and there are a variety of studios based around the Soho area which make use of this.

Interesting fact about Soho number six

Many different cultures have developed around the Soho area.

Interesting fact about Soho number seven

China Town , although many people do not think it is, is part of Soho.

Further from Soho are areas such as The Strand, Southwark, South Bank (which there is a great deal of tourism), London Business School , Park Plaza , Madame Tussauds, London Hilton on Park Lane , The Ritz of London, British Museum and Bloomsbury Square Gardens and Lincolns Inn Fields. The Thames passes nearby.

Soho History

Soho and the Soho area were grazing farm land until the 16 th Century.

It has Links relating to Henry VIII, who used the Soho area as a Royal park for one of his palaces.

Most of its history lies in the 17 th Century, when exchange started to occur in the way of land being leased out and builders began to gain planning permission to build upon the land towards the end of the 17 th Century, with ownership going to a variety of rich people, such as the Earl of Leicester.

Despite many attempts, it never became fashionable for the rich and many immigrants moved into the Soho area by the 17 th and 18 th Centuries. Although it is a very good area for business, it has traditionally been neglected by rich and fashionable London and there hasn't been a great deal of development in the area. Many families moved away from the away by the 1800's.

After WWII the entertainment life of the Soho area began when pubs opened up and famous poets and artists used to come to the area.

The Soho name has been imitated in other countries and we are not entirely sure of the name's origin; but there is a Soho, for example, in Hong Kong and in New York also.

Thanks to Wikipedia for help with a variety of information for this article, as well as Google View.

Famous people that were born, have lived, or are living in the Soho area

William Blake, famous poet and painter from the 1700's once lived in Soho.

Famous buildings we have not surveyed!

We have not surveyed any famous buildings in the Soho area, however, we did survey an apartment in a 1960's building and found a resident who knew quite a lot of history of the area; in fact she had grown up there since the 1930's and we were pleased to find out more information from her. Please see her interesting articles about the Soho area at www.1stassociated.co.uk/regions/soho_facts.asp

Unfortunately we haven't been able to come up with any other really famous buildings in the Soho area, so anyone who knows any please phone or e-mail us, we are sure we can sort out some sort of prize.

After WWII some newer developments took place, replacing bomb damaged houses and some housing with 1960 post-war built houses. This is when a lot of the commerce started in the area and the entertainment industry picked up and people began to go shopping in the Soho area, drinking, etc. Therefore, there are many post-war flats in the Soho area, and even some flats that were built before the war, which has made them very expensive apartments today.

There do not appear to be many Victorian or Edwardian properties around Soho, however the surrounding areas of Bloomsbury Square and other parts around the Soho area there are some lovely Georgian buildings, which are grand two or three storey properties.

We are more than happy to carry out building surveys, structural surveys, engineers reports on these properties to give you a clear idea of any problems that you may be buying when you buy your new house.

Things to do in Soho and the Soho area

There are a variety of things to do in Soho or the Soho area. For example, you can buy records; roads that spring to mind are Berwick Street and Wardour Street . There are a variety of coffee houses and pubs; famously a lot of artists and poets in the 18 th /19 th Centuries used to frequent this area and drink.

If you fancy some high street shopping then Oxford Street and Regent Street are nearby and Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus are famous for tourists and there are many things to do there, such as visiting the cinema/theatre and of course shopping.

If you are a bit of a sex fanatic there are numerous sex shops in the Soho area, where we find many tourists find themselves something to do and even some peep shows.

Independent Chartered Surveyors

If you truly do want an independent expert opinion from a chartered surveyor, and many of us are also chartered builders, with regard to valuations, mortgages, mortgage companies, surveys, building surveys, structural reports, engineers reports, specific defects report, structural surveys, home buyers reports or any other property matters please contact 0800 298 5424 for a chartered surveyor to give you a call back.

Commercial property independent chartered surveyors advice

If you have a commercial property, whether it is freehold or leasehold then sooner or later you may get involved with dilapidation claims. You may wish to look at our Dilapidations Website at www.DilapsHelp.com and for Disputes go to our Disputes Help site www.DisputesHelp.com .

We hope you found the article of use and if you have any experiences that you feel should be added to this article that would benefit others, or you feel that some of the information that we have put is wrong then please do not hesitate to contact us (we are only human).

The contents of the web site are for general information only and is not intended to be relied upon for specific or general decisions. Appropriate independent professional advice should be paid for before making such a decision.

All rights are reserved the contents of the web site is not to be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or part without the express written permission of www.1stAssociated.co.uk