The Strand (street), London

As its name implies, the Strand, originally constructed to connect Westminster to the City, once traced the riverside of the River Thames. Starting in the 12th century, it gained renown for its riverside residences, possessed by bishops, nobles, and courtiers, which lined the southern side of the street. Each of these grand homes had its own river gates that opened directly onto the Thames.

In the late 1860s, during the Victorian era, the Embankment was constructed. This project had several purposes, including easing traffic congestion along the Strand, severing the aristocratic mansions from direct river access, and providing extensions for the underground railway and a modern sewerage system. By the 1890s, the luxurious mansions on the Strand were increasingly outnumbered by theaters, giving rise to the famous music-hall song "Let's All Go Down the Strand (have a banana!)" and prompting Benjamin Disraeli to proclaim it "perhaps the finest street in Europe."

A century later, while several theaters from various eras still thrive, such as the sleek Art Deco Adelphi and the ornate Lyceum, the only surviving riverside palace along the Strand is Somerset House, which now houses galleries and exhibition spaces, a variety of restaurants and cafes, and boasts a delightful courtyard adorned with fountains.