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  Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a busy plaza at the junction of five major streets located in London's West End. It was built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly. The Circus is at a stone throw away distance from major shopping and entertainment areas. The Piccadilly Circus holds the same significance to London as the Times Square to New York. The Circus is particularly famous for its video display and neon signs including TDK, Sanyo, Coca Cola and Samsung.
Some of the well known buildings of London surround the Circus, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theatre and is located directly above the Piccadilly Circus London Underground station.
At the south-western side of the Circus is the Shaftesbury Monument Memorial Fountain which was constructed in 1893 to honor the goodhearted works of Lord Shaftesbury. The fountain is topped by a winged nude statue of an archer depicting Anteros, sometimes referred to as “The Angel of Christian Charity” and popularly known as “Eros” after the mythological Greek God of Love. The statue was designed and made by sculptor Alfred Gilbert's and was one of the first statues to be casted in aluminum.
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The Criterion Theatre designed by Thomas Verity is located on the south side of Piccadilly Circus. The theater has a seating capacity of 600 and also has a VIP Box. The theater is located under ground level and can be reached by a descending a tiled stairway and was opened in 1874.
The London Pavilion is located between Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street on the north eastern side of the Circus. It is currently a shopping arcade, and part of the Trocadero Centre and the basement of the building connects to the Piccadilly Circus tube station. The London Pavilion is also home to "Ripleys Believe It or Not!", an attraction dedicated to the weird, the unusual and the unbelievable.
Noted Sculptor Paul McCarthy made a 320 page two volume edition of video stills by the name of Piccadilly Circus. Swedish singer Pernilla Wahlgren's celebrated hit song was also called "Piccadilly Circus. The Dire Straits song "Wild West End" is inspired from the area around Piccadilly. Bob Marley had made a mention of Piccadilly Circus in his song "Kinky Reggae". The hit movie Bend it Like Beckham also featured Piccadilly Circus.
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