Charlotte Street is a well-known street in Fitzrovia, central London, England. The southern half of the street has many restaurants and cafes, and a lively nightlife during the evening; while the northern part of the street is more mixed in character and includes the large office building of the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, and a student hall of residence Astor College. The street has a significant residential population living above the ground floor. Two conservation areas are contained within the street: Charlotte Street conservation area (Camden)[1] and Charlotte Street West conservation area (City of Westminster)[2]
Charlotte Street was named in honour of Queen Charlotte who was married to King George III in 1761, and the street was formed in 1763. It was one of three streets in and around Fitzrovia which took her name. The other two have since been renamed Hallam Street and Bloomsbury Street.[3] Fitzrovia itself was named after the Fitzroy Tavern, a public house on Charlotte Street. The boundary of Camden and Westminster runs along part of Charlotte Street.
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The nearest tube station is Goodge Street to the east. Goodge Street itself crosses Charlotte Street half way up. To the east and parallel with Charlotte Street is Tottenham Court Road. To the south is Oxford Street.
The street has a mix of eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century buildings and has reputation for its numerous restaurants serving a wide range of cuisine.
Sass's Academy, an important art school founded in the early 19th century by Henry Sass, was located in a house at 6 Charlotte street, on the corner with Streatham Street. Many notable British artists such as William Powell Frith, John Millais, Charles West Cope, William Edward Frost and Dante Gabriel Rossetti received their early training there. In 1842 its management passed to Francis Stephen Cary. (This refers to the Charlotte Street that has since been renamed Bloomsbury Street)
The Scala Theatre, opened 1905, was located on Charlotte Street. A theatre first stood on the site in 1772. From 1865 to 1882, the theatre was known as the Prince of Wales's Theatre. The theatre was demolished in 1969, after being destroyed by a fire.
The Fitzroy Tavern at 16 Charlotte Street was built as a coffeehouse in 1883. It became famous during the 1920s to the mid 1950s as a meeting place for artists, intellectuals and bohemians, including Dylan Thomas, Lawrence Durrell, Augustus John, and George Orwell.
The original Channel 4 television channel headquarters were at 60 Charlotte Street, before moving in 1994. The commercial radio station Xfm London originally had its studios in Charlotte Street before moving to Leicester Square.
Gennaro Contaldo's restaurant Passione was at 10 Charlotte Street between 1999 and March 2009.
The Charlotte Street Hotel is a boutique hotel that opened in 2000, its interiors decorated modern British art, and located at 15 Charlotte Street.[4]
The Charlotte Street Gallery is at 28 Charlotte Street.[5]
The late 18th century painter George Morland lived in Charlotte Street.
Wadham Wyndham purchased a house in Charlotte Street in 1771 and died there in 1812.
Theresa Berkley was an early 19th century dominatrix who ran a brothel in at 28 Charlotte Street (now 84-94 Hallam Street), specialising in flagellation.
The Victorian artist William Powell Frith studied at Sass's Academy.