Baker Street
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Baker Street | |
 |
|
|---|---|
| Road number |  Part of the A41 road |
| Location | Westminster,London, UK |
| Length (mi) | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) |
| Direction | North |
| Start | Regent's Park |
| End | Oxford Street |
| Landmarks | Baker Street tube station, Apple Boutique, Selfridges |
| Known for | Shopping; setting of Sherlock Homes; Baker Street robbery |
Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It forms part of the A41. It is most famous for its connection to the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who lived at 221B Baker Street, an address that did not actually exist in Sherlock Holmes' era (the address now graces a building housing a "Sherlock Holmes museum"). The street is named after builder William Baker who laid the street out in the eighteenth century. It was originally a high class residential address, but now is mainly occupied by commercial premises.
Baker St is in postcode areas NW1/W1 and is a busy thoroughfare. It runs south from Regent's Park, the intersection with Park Road, parallel to Gloucester Place, intersecting Marylebone Road, York Street, Portman Square and Wigmore Street. At the intersection with Wigmore St, Baker St turns into Orchard Street, which ends when it intersects with Oxford Street.
The street is served by the London Underground by Baker Street tube station; next to the station is Transport for London's lost property office. Baker Street Station was the world's first underground station.
A significant robbery of a branch of Lloyds Bank took place on Baker Street in 1971.
Selfridges, a landmark department store is on the corner of Baker and Oxford Streets.
[edit] Notable residents
In 1835, the first permanent exhibition of Madame Tussauds waxworks was opened on Baker St. The museum moved, just around the corner, to Marylebone Road in 1884.
In 1940 the headquarters of the Special Operations Executive moved to 64 Baker Street, Marks and Spencer office; they were often called the "Baker Street Irregulars" after Sherlock Holmes's gang of street urchins of the same name.
The Beatles Apple Boutique was based at 94 Baker Street from December 7, 1967 until July 30, 1968.
The head office of Marks and Spencer, formerly the UK's largest retailer, was at "Michael House" (named in parallel with the group's "St Michael" brand) in Baker Street for many years until the company relocated to the Paddington Basin in 2004. This was one of the best known corporate buildings in the UK. It is expected that Michael House will be demolished and replaced with a new mixed use development.
British singer Dusty Springfield lived on Baker St in the 1960s.
[edit] Media references
In fiction, Sherlock Holmes, Danger Mouse, Sexton Blake, Basil the Great Mouse Detective and James Black (Case Closed) have all resided along the road.
"Baker Street" is a song by Gerry Rafferty, released in 1978. He also released an album entitled Baker Street.
The original title of "A Samba for Sherlock", by Jô Soares, makes a mention to the street: "O Xangô de Baker Street".
The street was also mentioned by the progressive rock band Jethro Tull in the songs "Life is a Long Song" and "Baker Street Muse".
Baker Street is also mentioned by H.G. Wells at the end of The War of the Worlds.
The 2008 film, The Bank Job was based on the 1971 robbery of Lloyds Bank in Baker Street.
[edit] See also
- Baker Street tube station
- 64 Baker Street - headquarters of the SOE
- 221B Baker Street - Sherlock Holmes's residence
- Baker Street Irregulars - Holmes's urchin detectives
- List of eponymous roads in London
