London SW3 is the London postal district covering the area of London on the north bank of the River Thames, Roughly between Battersea Bridge and Chelsea Bridge.
SW3 contains Chelsea and Brompton.
North: SW7, across Fulham Road/Brompton Road;
East: SW1, across Chelsea Bridge Road;
South: SW11, across the River Thames;
West: SW10, across Beaufort Street;
It wasn't until the latter part of the nineteenth century that Chelsea began to earn its reputation as London's very own Left Bank. Its household fame, however, came through King's Road 's role as the unofficial catwalk of the "Swinging Sixties". The road remained a fashion parade for hippies, too, and in the Jubilee Year of 1977 it witnessed the birth of punk, masterminded from a shop called Sex, run by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren. The posey cafés and boutiques still persist, but these days, the area has a more subdued feel, with high rents and house prices keeping things pretty staid, and chain stores and interior design shops rather than avant-garde fashion the order of the day.
The area's other aspect, oddly enough considering its boho reputation, is a military one. For among the most nattily attired of all those parading down the King's Road are the scarlet or navy-blue clad Chelsea Pensioners, army veterans from the nearby Royal Hospital (Mon-Fri 9am-noon & 2-4.30pm, Sat & Sun closes 3pm; free), founded by Charles II in 1681. The hospital's majestic red-brick wings and grassy courtyards became a blueprint for institutional and collegiate architecture all over the English-speaking world. The public are allowed to view the austere hospital chapel, and the equally grand, wood-panelled dining hall, opposite, which has a vast allegorical mural of Charles II.
The concrete bunker next door to the Royal Hospital, on Royal Hospital Road, houses the National Army Museum (daily 10am-5.30pm; free; www.national-army-museum.ac.uk). The militarily obsessed are unlikely to be disappointed by the succession of uniforms and medals, but there is very little here for non-enthusiasts. The temporary exhibitions staged on the ground floor are the museum's strong point, but it's rather disappointing overall - you're better off visiting the infinitely superior Imperial War Museum.
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| 9-11 Sydney Street, Chelsea, London SW3 6PU
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| Hotel in Chelsea, London, SW3
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Closest airport London Heathrow 8 miles, closest railway station VIctoria 2 miles. Closest underground station South Kensington serviced by Picadilly, District and Circle line, only a 3 minute walk from the hotel.
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| 17-19 Egerton Terrace, Chelsea, London SW3 2BX
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| Hotel in Chelsea, London, SW3
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We are two minutes walk from Harrods and the chic shops of the Brompton Road and Sloane Street. We are only minutes by cab from the theatres of the West End. London Heathrow is a thirty minute ride away, and the financial and business centre of the City is easily reached by taxi, nearby Underground or chauffeur driven limousine.
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| 35 Ixworth Place, Chelsea, London SW3 3QX
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| Hotel in Chelsea, London, SW3
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Through the influence of feng shui and cutting-edge design by James Soane of Project Orange, myhotel Chelsea feels like a refreshingly bright country house. Located on a quiet residential street in Chelsea, it is on the doorstep of some of the world's most fashionable shops and within minutes from South Kensington and King's Road.
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| 26 Cadogan Gardens, West Brompton, Kensington & Chelsea, London SW3 2RP
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| Hotel in West Brompton, London, SW3
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Presented and staffed as a grand Edwardian residence, the Draycott Hotel is not a hotel, it is a home. The perfect balance of luxury, privacy and location, poised between London's fashionable Chelsea and Knightsbridge.
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