London area of Chelsea guide

What to do and where to stay in London's Chelsea neighbourhood

Football is traditionally a working class sport, but an ordinary fan of Chelsea FC earns around double the national average income, a statistic that tells you everything you need to know about this fabulously wealthy riverside neighbourhood. Two long high streets, the King's Road and the Fulham Road run parallel to the river, meaning that nowhere in the neighbourhood are you ever more than a few minutes' walk from a world-class restaurant, an exciting little boutique, or an antique shop with hotels more concentrated up towards fashionable Sloane Square. The artists of the nineteenth century and the pop singers of the 1960s made their homes here, and there are still a few remnants of the areas Bohemian past. Though the art galleries tend to sell tasteful landscapes, and the cafes no longer host all-night parties, the doyenne of contemporary British art Charles Saatchi chose Chelsea to be the home of his new gallery, and Vivien Westwood's punk boutique is still open on King's Road.

See our recommended nearby Chelsea Hotels, Entertainment, Sights and Attractions, Shopping, Restaurants, Pubs, Nightlife, Leisure, Education, and Meeting Venues.