 Leicester Square at night 
Leicester Square - Spot the celebrity
Recommendation added: 08/11/2006 02:31
By: velvet202 (YSUK rating +191)velvet202 has been thanked 9 times for this contribution
"London's Leicester Square is the entertainment centre in the UK. If there's a screening of a new Hollywood blockbuster, then it's very likely that it's going to happen here. Books and CD signings, red carpet events, here's where you'll find them. And it's completely free to hang around this beautiful part of the city. Just put on your best jeans and shirt, and you may not even believe your luck as you're being mistakenly cast for a new theatre show in front of one of the many old theatres while you thought you were queuing to get a sandwich. Well, it did happen to me!
Leicester Square is located between Piccadilly and Covent Garden and is a gathering of old Victorian buildings such as theatres and the modern in the form of new cinemas, small cafés and fine restaurants. Here you will find the big cinema complexes such as Odeon, but also the smaller ones like Prince Charles (cinema), where tickets cost around two pounds only. Most theatres have offer smaller revues and matinees during the morning and afternoon hours. The advantage of visiting these times is that there's hardly anybody else there and you may even have the entire auditorium for yourself. When it's really empty, it feels like the show was put together only for you.
During the evenings, Leicester Square becomes very busy as people like to listen to impromptu 'live' acts on the streets or watch various public shows. Most of these happen somewhere near the statues of Charlie Chaplin, Isaac Newton and Joshua Reynolds, all former residents of the area at various times during the last centuries.
The places to dance the night away are Equinox and Maximus. Equinox is very popular with a younger audience due to its trance music. Maximus, however, hosts more mature visitors and has an excellent selection of charts music and oldies. New Year's parties here are very thought after as the catering is first-rate and one can enjoy watching the fireworks over Leicester Square while having a great night out.
Walking past the old theatres will take you to nearby Chinatown, which is an attraction in itself. Unlike in many major cities such as Toronto, London's Chinatown is not marked by an unidentified smell that will linger forever in your hair and clothes. It is a beautiful place with lots of colourful shops that offer excellent Chinese food and memorabilia at very reasonable prices.
Leicester Square is a busy place. During the day, it's mostly tourists and businesspeople that travel up and down the street. But in the evenings, you will see visitors from all cultures and social background. Because all important premieres happen here, one is very likely to catch a glimpse of the one or other celebrity at all times.
All in all, it's a great place to enjoy a night out, enhance one's cultural knowledge by attending one of the many shows and movies, or simply have a cup of coffee with a friend in a small pavement café. Look out for a French one as they serve delicious cakes too."
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