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{{short description|Area of central London, England}}
{{other uses}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name            = Mayfair
| static_image_name        = File:Grosvenor Square entrance.jpg
| static_image_caption     = [[The Biltmore Mayfair]] overlooking [[Grosvenor Square]]
| pushpin_map              = United Kingdom London Westminster
| country                  = England
| region                   = London
| london_borough           = [[City of Westminster|Westminster]]
| constituency_westminster = [[City of Westminster|Westminster]]
| post_town                = LONDON
| postcode_area            = W
| postcode_district        = W1
| dial_code                = 020
| os_grid_reference        = TQ285807
| coordinates              = {{coord|51.510|-0.147|region:UK-ENG_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| hide_services            = yes
}}

'''Mayfair''' is an affluent area of [[Westminster]], [[London]], England, in the [[City of Westminster]]. It is in [[Central London]] and part of the [[West End of London|West End]]. It is between [[Oxford Street]], [[Regent Street]], [[Piccadilly]] and [[Park Lane]] and is one of the most expensive districts in the world.<ref name=ft>{{cite news |last=Cox |first=Hugo |title=Mayfair: London's most expensive 'village' |url=https://www.ft.com/content/936ee878-a12c-11e6-891e-abe238dee8e2 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[Financial Times]] |date=11 November 2016 |access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/936ee878-a12c-11e6-891e-abe238dee8e2 |archive-date=10 December 2022}}</ref>
[[File:Mount Street and Carlos Place, Mayfair.jpg|thumb|Central Mayfair showing [[Mount Street, London|Mount Street]], Carlos Place, the [[The Connaught (hotel)|Connaught hotel]] and the [[Tadao Ando]] fountain 'Silence' (photograph taken from outside [[Mayfair House, London|Mayfair House]])]]
The area was originally part of the manor of [[Eia]] and remained largely rural until the early 18th century. It became well known for the annual May Fair that took place from 1686 to 1764 in what is now [[Shepherd Market]]. Over the years, the fair grew increasingly downmarket and unpleasant, and it became a public nuisance. The Grosvenor family (who became [[Dukes of Westminster]]) acquired the land through marriage and began to develop it under the direction of Thomas Barlow. The work included [[Hanover Square, Westminster|Hanover Square]], [[Berkeley Square]] and [[Grosvenor Square]], which were surrounded by high-quality houses, and [[St George's Hanover Square Church]].

By the end of the 18th century, most of Mayfair had been rebuilt with high-value housing for the upper class; unlike some nearby areas of London, it has never lost its affluent status. The decline of the [[British aristocracy]] in the early 20th century led to the area becoming more commercial, with many houses converted into offices for corporate headquarters and various [[Diplomatic mission|embassies]]. Mayfair retains a substantial quantity of high-end residential property, upmarket shops and restaurants, and luxury hotels along [[Piccadilly]] and [[Park Lane]]. Its prestigious status has been commemorated by being the most expensive property square on the London ''[[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]]'' board.

==Geography==
Mayfair is in the [[City of Westminster]], and mainly consists of the historical [[Grosvenor Group|Grosvenor]] estate and the [[Albemarle Street|Albemarle]], [[Berkeley Square|Berkeley]], [[Burlington Estate|Burlington]], and [[Curzon Street|Curzon]] estates.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}} It is bordered on the west by [[Park Lane]], north by [[Oxford Street]], east by [[Regent Street]], and the south by [[Piccadilly]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} Beyond the bounding roads, to the north is [[Marylebone]], to the east [[Soho]], and to the southwest [[Knightsbridge]] and [[Belgravia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5050127,-0.1504156,14.75z |title=Mayfair |publisher=Google Maps |access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref>

Mayfair is surrounded by parkland; [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] and [[Green Park]] run along its boundary.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}} The {{cvt|8|acre|adj=on}} [[Grosvenor Square]] is roughly in the centre of Mayfair,<ref name=sol39_12-13/> and its centrepiece, containing numerous expensive and desirable properties.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/08/10/from-swamps-to-shopping-centres-how-the-grosvenor-family-came-to/ |title=From swamps to shopping centres: How the Grosvenor family came to own some of the UK's most desirable property |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=10 August 2016 |access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref>

==History==

===Early history===
Following analysis of the alignment of Roman roads, it has been speculated that the Romans settled in the area before establishing [[Londinium]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=494}} ''[[Whitaker's Almanack]]'' suggested that [[Aulus Plautius]] built a fort here during the [[Roman conquest of Britain]] in AD 43 while waiting for [[Claudius]].<ref name=Almanack>{{cite book |title=Whitaker's Almanack |publisher=Joseph Whitaker |date=1994 |chapter=Roman Mayfair |page=1118 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=htTu86RbfhsC&q=mayfair}}</ref> The theory was developed in 1993, with a proposal that a town grew outside the fort but was later abandoned as it was too far from the River Thames.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Sole |first=Bill |title=Metropolis in Mayfair? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vIZnAAAAMAAJ&q=Mayfair |journal=The London Archaeologist |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=122–126 |date=1992}}</ref> The proposal has been disputed because of lack of archaeological evidence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Clark |first1=John |last2=Sheldon |first2=Harvey |title=Londinium and Beyond: Essays on Roman London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S3UgAQAAI1AJ&q=mayfair |publisher=David Brown Book Company |date=30 November 2008 |pages=104 |isbn=978-1-902771-72-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Fuentes |first=Nicholas |title=The Plautian invasion base |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vIZnAAAAMAAJ&q=Metropolis+in+Mayfair%3F |journal=The London Archaeologist |volume=7 |pages=238 |date=1992}}</ref> If there was a fort, it is believed the perimeter would have been where the modern [[Green Street, Mayfair|Green Street]], North Audley Street, [[Upper Grosvenor Street]] and Park Lane now are, and that Park Street would have been the main road through the centre.<ref name=Almanack /> This area was the manor of [[Eia]] in the [[Domesday Book]], and owned by [[Geoffrey de Mandeville (11th century)|Geoffrey de Mandeville]] after the [[Norman Conquest]]. It was subsequently given to the Abbey of Westminster, who owned it until 1536 when it was taken over by King [[Henry VIII]] during the [[dissolution of the monasteries]].<ref name=sol39_1 />

Mayfair consisted mainly of open fields until development began in the [[Shepherd Market]] area around 1686–88 to accommodate the May Fair, which had moved from [[Haymarket, London|Haymarket]] in [[St James's]] because of overcrowding.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} There were some buildings before 1686. A cottage in Stanhope Row, dating from 1618, was destroyed in [[the Blitz]] in late 1940.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/leisureandculture/greenplaques/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716210428/http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/leisureandculture/greenplaques/ |url-status=dead |title=City of Westminster green plaques |archive-date=16 July 2012}}</ref> A 17th-century [[English Civil War]] fortification established in what is now [[Mount Street, London|Mount Street]] was known as Oliver's Mount by the 18th century.<ref name=sol39_12-13 />

===The May Fair <span class="anchor" id="The May Fair"></span>===
The May Fair was held every year at Great Brookfield (which is now part of [[Curzon Street]] and Shepherd Market) from 1 to 14 May.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} It was established during the reign of [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] in open fields beyond St. James. The fair was recorded as "Saint James's fayer by Westminster" in 1560. It was postponed in 1603 because of [[1603 London plague|plague]], but otherwise continued throughout the 17th century.<ref name=onl /> In 1686, the fair moved to what is now Mayfair.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} By the 18th century, it had attracted showmen, jugglers and fencers and numerous fairground attractions.<ref name="onl">{{cite book |last=Walford |first=Edward |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol4/pp345-359 |title=Mayfair |work= |year=1878 |series=Old and New London |volume=4 |location=London |pages=345–359 |access-date=23 March 2017}}</ref> Popular attractions included bare-knuckle fighting, [[semolina]]-eating contests and women's [[Pedestrianism|foot racing]].{{sfn|Moore|2003|pp=284–85}}

By the reign of [[George I of Great Britain|George I]], the May Fair had fallen into disrepute and was regarded as a public scandal. The [[George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry|6th Earl of Coventry]], who lived on Piccadilly, considered the fair to be a nuisance and, with local residents, led a public campaign against it. It was abolished in 1764.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}}<ref name=onl /> One reason for Mayfair's subsequent boom in property development was that it was able to keep out lower-class activities.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=285}}

===Grosvenor family and estates===
[[File:Grosvenor Square.JPG|thumb|left|[[Grosvenor Square]] is the centrepiece of Mayfair, and named after the family name of the [[Dukes of Westminster]].|alt=Historic portrait of Grosvenor Square in Mayfair]]
Building on Mayfair began in the 1660s on the corner of Piccadilly, and progressed along the north side of that street.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=535}} [[Burlington House]] was started between 1664 and 1665 by [[John Denham (poet)|John Denham]] and sold two years later to [[Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington]], who asked Hugh May to complete it. The house was extensively modified through the 18th century, and is the only one of this era to survive into the 21st century.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=116}}

The origins of major development began when [[Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet]], married Mary Davies, heiress to part of the Manor of [[Eia|Ebury]], in 1677.{{sfn|Great Estates|2006|p=14}} The Grosvenor family gained {{cvt|500|acre}} of land, of which around {{cvt|100|acre}} lay south of Oxford Street and east of Park Lane.{{efn|The remainder was subsequently developed into [[Pimlico]] and [[Belgravia]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=358}}}} The land was referred to as "The Hundred Acres" in early deeds.<ref name="sol39_1">{{cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol39/pt1/pp1-5 |title=The Acquisition of the Estate |work= |year=1977 |editor=F H W Sheppard |series=Survey of London |volume=39, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 1 (General History) |location=London |pages=1–5 |access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>

In 1721, the ''[[London Journal (Boswell)|London Journal]]'' reported "the ground upon which the May Fair formerly was held is marked out for a large square, and several fine streets and houses are to be built upon it".<ref name=onl/> [[Sir Richard Grosvenor, 4th Baronet]], asked the surveyor Thomas Barlow to design the street layout, which has survived mostly intact to the present day despite most of the properties being rebuilt.{{sfn|Great Estates|2006|p=14}}<ref name="mayfair, london (an insider’s guide)">{{cite web |last1=Residence |first1=Hyde Park |title=mayfair, london (an insider's guide) |url=https://hpr.co.uk/mayfair-london-insiders-guide/ |website=Hyde Park Residence |date=12 July 2022 |publisher=Cultureshock |access-date=9 June 2023}}</ref> Barlow proposed a grid of wide, straight streets, with a large park (now Grosvenor Square) as a centrepiece.<ref name="sol39_12-13">{{cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol39/pt1/pp12-13 |title=The Development of the Estate 1720–1785: Layout |year=1977 |editor=F H W Sheppard |series=Survey of London |volume=39, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 1 (General History) |location=London |pages=12–13 |access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>

Buildings were constructed in quick succession, and by the mid-18th century the area saw a significant rise in residential property. Much of the land was owned by seven estates: [[Burlington Estate|Burlington]], Millfield, [[Conduit Mead Estate|Conduit Mead]], Albemarle Ground, the Berkeley, the Curzon and, most importantly, the Grosvenor. Of the original properties constructed in Mayfair, only the Grosvenor estate survives intact and owned by the same family,{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}} who became the [[Dukes of Westminster]] in 1874.<ref name=sol39_1/> [[Chesterfield Street]] is one of the few streets that has 18th-century properties on both sides, with a single exception, and is probably the least altered road in the area.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=161}}

[[File:Statue of Pitt the Younger, Hanover Square W1.JPG|thumb|upright|Statue of [[William Pitt the Younger]] in [[Hanover Square, Westminster|Hanover Square]]|alt=Statue of William Pitt, The Younger in Hanover Square, Mayfair]]
[[Hanover Square, Westminster|Hanover Square]] was the first of three great squares to be constructed. It was named after King George I, the Elector of Hanover, soon after his ascension to the throne in 1714. The original houses were inhabited by "persons of distinction" such as retired generals. Although most have been demolished, a small number have survived to the present day. The [[Hanover Square Rooms]] became a popular place for [[classical music]] concerts, including [[Johann Christian Bach]], [[Joseph Haydn]], [[Niccolò Paganini]] and [[Franz Liszt]]. A large statue of [[William Pitt the Younger]] is sited at the southern end of the square.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|pp=381–382}}

[[File:St George's Hanover Square by T Malton. 1787.jpg|thumb|left|Looking towards [[St George Hanover Square]] from St George Street, 1787|alt=Historic picture of the church of St George's Hanover Square]]
In 1725, Mayfair became part of the new parish of [[St George Hanover Square]],<ref name=sol39_29-30>{{cite journal |title=The Development of the Estate 1720–1785: Other Features of the Development |journal=Survey of London |volume=39, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 1 (General History) |editor=F H W Sheppard |location=London |year=1977 |pages=29–30 |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol39/pt1/pp29-30 |access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref> which stretched as far east as [[Bond Street]] and to Regent Street north of [[Conduit Street]]. It ran as far north as Oxford Street and south near to Piccadilly. The parish continued into Hyde Park to the west and extended southwest to [[St George's Hospital]].<ref>{{cite map |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/crace/other/zoomify88656.html |title=St Georges parish, Hanover Square. With the views of the church and chapels of ease from the original survey of the late Mr Morris. |publisher=[[British Library]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803191936/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/crace/other/zoomify88656.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Most of the area belonged to (and continues to be owned by) the Grosvenor family, though the [[fee simple|freehold]] of some parts belongs to the [[Crown Estate]].{{sfn|Great Estates|2006|p=6}}

A water supply to the area was built by the [[Chelsea Waterworks Company|Chelsea Water Works]], and a royal warrant was issued in 1725 for a reservoir in Hyde Park that could supply water at what is now Grosvenor Gate. In 1835, the reservoir was decorated with an ornamental basin and a fountain in its centre.<ref name=sol39_29-30/> In 1963, following the widening of Park Lane, it was rebuilt as the Joy of Life Fountain.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park/things-to-see-and-do/memorials,-fountains-and-statues/joy-of-life-fountain |title=Joy of Life Fountain |publisher=Royal Parks |access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref>

Grosvenor Square was planned as the centrepiece of the Mayfair estate. It was laid out from 1725–31 with 51 individual plots for development. It is the second-largest square in London (after [[Lincoln's Inn Fields]]) and housed numerous members of the aristocracy until the mid-20th century.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=359}} By the end of the 19th century, the Grosvenor family were described as "the wealthiest family in Europe" and annual rents for their Mayfair properties reached around £135,000 ({{Inflation|index=UK-GDP|value=135,000|start_year=1891|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}).{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=358}} The square has never declined in popularity and continues to be a prestigious London address into the 21st century. Only two original houses have survived; No.&nbsp;9, once the home of later U.S President [[John Adams]], and No.&nbsp;38 which is now the [[Embassy of Indonesia, London|Indonesian Embassy]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=359}}

[[File:Sophie Snyder Berkeley Square.jpg|thumb|Sculpture ''Hares'' by Sophie Snyder, [[Berkeley Square]]|alt=Photograph of Berkeley Square]]
Berkeley House on Piccadilly was named after [[John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton]], who had purchased its land, and that surrounding it, shortly after the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration of the Monarchy]] in 1660. In 1696, the Berkeley family sold the house and grounds to [[William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire|William Cavendish]], 1st [[Duke of Devonshire]] (who renamed it [[Devonshire House]]), on condition that the view from the rear of the house should not be spoiled. Berkeley Square was laid out to the rear of the house in the 1730s; because of the conditions of sale, houses were only built on the east and west sides. The west side still has various mid-18th-century buildings, and the east side now contains offices including Berkeley Square House.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=59}}

The expansion of Mayfair moved [[upper-class]] Londoners away from areas such as [[Covent Garden]] and Soho, which were already in decline by the 18th century. Part of its success was its proximity to the [[Court of St James]] and the parks, and the well-designed layout. This led to it sustaining its popularity into the 21st century. The requirements of the aristocracy led to stables, coach houses and servants' accommodation being established along the mews running parallel to the streets. Some of the stables have since been converted into garages and offices.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}}

The [[Rothschild family]] owned several Mayfair properties in the 19th century. [[Alfred de Rothschild]] lived at No.&nbsp;1 Seamore Place and held numerous "adoration dinners" where the only guest was a female companion. The marriage of his brother [[Leopold de Rothschild|Leopold]] to Marie Perugia took place here in 1881. The house was demolished after the [[First World War]] when Curzon Street was extended through the site to meet Park Lane.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://family.rothschildarchive.org/estates/46-1-seamore-place |title=1, Seamore Place, London, England |publisher=Rothschild Archive |access-date=27 March 2017}}</ref> The future Prime Minister [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery]], was born in [[Charles Street, Mayfair|Charles Street]] in 1847, and grew up in the area.<ref>{{cite book |last=James |first=Robert Rhodes |year=1963 |title=Rosebery |publisher=[[Weidenfeld and Nicolson]] |page=9 |isbn=978-1-857-99219-9}}</ref>

Mayfair has had a long association with the United States. [[Pocahontas]] is believed to have visited in the early 17th century. In 1786, John Adams established the [[Embassy of the United States, London|US Embassy]] on Grosvenor Square. [[Theodore Roosevelt]] was married in Hanover Square, and [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] honeymooned in Berkeley Square.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=288}} A small memorial park in [[Mount Street Gardens]] has benches engraved with the names of former American residents in and visitors to Mayfair.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=289}}

===Modern history===
[[File:Aldford House, 26 Park Lane, London.jpg|thumb|left|Aldford House in 1918]]
[[File:LondonderryHouse.jpg|thumb|Londonderry House, {{Circa|1900}}]]
[[File:ChesterfieldHouse1760.jpg|thumb|left|Chesterfield House in 1760, published in Walford's ''Old & New London'' (1878)]]
[[File:US_Embassy_London_view_from_SE.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Eero Saarinen]] designed former American embassy building (1960–2018) on the western side of Grosvenor Square is now a hotel]]

[[File:HC of Canada, London 3.jpg|thumb|250px|Macdonald House in 2013]]

[[File:4 Grosvenor Square - geograph.org.uk - 7773053.jpg|thumb|The London [[Embassy of Italy, London|Italian ambassadorial residence]] is in Mayfair.|alt=Photograph of the front of the Italian ambasaddorial residence, London]]
The death of [[Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster]] in 1899 was a pivotal point in the development of Mayfair, following which all redevelopment schemes not already in operation were cancelled. In the following years, Government budget proposals such as [[David Lloyd George]]'s establishment of the [[welfare state]] in 1909 greatly reduced the power of the Lords. Land value fell around Mayfair, and some leases were not renewed.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol39/pt1/pp67-82 |title=The Estate in the Twentieth Century |work= |year=1977 |editor=F H W Sheppard |series=Survey of London |volume=39, the Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 1 (General History) |location=London |pages=67–82 |access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>

Following [[World War I]], the British upper class was in decline, for the reduced workforce meant servants were less readily available and demanded higher salaries. The grandest houses in Mayfair became more expensive to service; consequently, many were converted into foreign embassies. The [[Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster|2nd Duke of Westminster]] decided to demolish Grosvenor House and move his residence to [[Bourdon House]]. Mayfair attracted commercial development after much of the [[City of London]] was destroyed during the Blitz, and many corporate headquarters were established in the area.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}} Several historically important houses were demolished, including [[Aldford House]], [[Londonderry House]] and [[Chesterfield House, Westminster|Chesterfield House]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/investment/10836954/How-did-Mayfair-become-Londons-most-desirable-area.html |title=How did Mayfair become London's most desirable area? |first=Christopher |last=Middleton |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=20 May 2014 |access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref>

In 1961, the old US embassy at No.&nbsp;1 Grosvenor Square became the [[High Commission of Canada, London|Canadian High Commission]], and the building was named [[Macdonald House, London|Macdonald House]], after the first Canadian Prime Minister [[John A. Macdonald]]. The [[Embassy of Italy, London|Italian ambassadorial residence]] is at No.&nbsp;4 Grosvenor Square.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=360}}

The district has become increasingly commercial, with many offices in converted houses and new buildings, though the trend has been reversed in places.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}} The [[Embassy of the United States, London|United States embassy]] announced in 2008 it would move from its long-established location at Grosvenor Square to [[Nine Elms]], [[Wandsworth]], owing to security concerns, despite constructing an £8m security upgrading after the [[September 11 attacks]] including {{cvt|6|ft|adj=on}} high blast walls.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3123915/US-embassy-to-move-from-Grosvenor-Square-to-industrial-estate.html |title=US embassy to move from Grosvenor Square to industrial estate |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=2 October 2008 |access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref> Since the 1990s residential properties have become available again, though the rents are among the highest in London.<ref name=middleton>{{cite web |url=http://www.manors.co.uk/about-us/area-guide/mayfair?start=1/a-potted-history-of-Mayfair |title=A Potted History of Mayfair |publisher=Manors |access-date=29 March 2017 |archive-date=20 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620222838/http://www.manors.co.uk/about-us/area-guide/mayfair?start=1%2Fa-potted-history-of-Mayfair |url-status=dead}}</ref> Mayfair remains one of the most expensive places to live in London and the world,<ref name=ft/> and it possesses some exclusive shopping, London's largest concentration of luxury [[Hotels in London|hotels]] and many restaurants, particularly around Park Lane and Grosvenor Square.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=536}}

The [[Al-Thani]] family, the ruling family of [[Qatar]], and their relatives and associates owned a quarter of the 279 acres of Mayfair by 2006.<ref name=Ind06>{{cite news |last=Rodionova |first=Zlata |title=London property crisis: Qatari investors now own £1bn in Mayfair real estate |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/london-property-qatari-investors-now-own-ps1bn-in-mayfair-real-estate-a6961151.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=31 March 2006 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref> The north-western part of Mayfair has subsequently been nicknamed "[[Little Doha]]".<ref name=ES05>{{cite news |last=Prynn |first=Jonathan |title=World's most expensive mews house: former garage in Mayfair sold to Qatari for £24m |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/world-s-most-expensive-mews-house-former-garage-in-mayfair-sold-to-qatari-for-ps24m-a2925496.html |work=[[Evening Standard]] |date=2 September 2015 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref><ref name=Ind06/><ref name=FT06>{{cite news |last=Townsend |first=Sarah |title=Foreign investors seek new London property sites |url=https://www.ft.com/content/826ec146-45c6-11e5-af2f-4d6e0e5eda22 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |work=Financial Times |date=16 September 2016 |access-date=16 November 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/826ec146-45c6-11e5-af2f-4d6e0e5eda22 |archive-date=10 December 2022}}</ref><ref name=GuardNov05>{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Rob |last2=Smith |first2=Joseph |title=How Qatar bought up Britain |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2022/nov/05/how-qatar-bought-up-britain |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=5 November 2022 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref> The area has also been called a "Qatari quarter" and 'Qataropolis'.<ref name=ES05/> Prominent properties owned in Mayfair by Qataris include [[Dudley House, London|Dudley House]] on [[Park Lane]] and Lombard House on Curzon Street.<ref name=VF05>{{cite news |title=Sheikh Shack |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2015/01/dudley-house-london |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=February 2015 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Leppard |first=David |title=Designer 'paid Pounds 2m bribe' for contract |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A92553652/AONE?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=8898d5b5 |work=The Times |date=6 October 2002 |page=9 |access-date=15 November 2022}}</ref> Family members also own [[The Connaught (hotel)|The Connaught]] and [[Claridge's]] hotels in Mayfair through the [[Maybourne Hotel Group]].<ref name=GuardOct10>{{cite news |title=The billion-pound battle over Claridge's hotel from Belfast to Qatar |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/10/the-billion-pound-battle-over-claridges-hotel-from-belfast-to-qatar |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=10 October 2022 |access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref>

==Properties==

===Churches===
[[File:Saint George Church, Hanover Square.jpg|thumb|upright|[[St George's, Hanover Square]]|alt=Photograph of the front of St George's Hanover Square]]
[[St George's, Hanover Square]], constructed between 1721 and 1724 by [[John James (architect)|John James]], was one of 50 churches built following the [[Commission for Building Fifty New Churches]] Act in 1711. [[Emma, Lady Hamilton]], in 1791, poet [[Percy Bysshe Shelley]] in 1814, and Prime Ministers [[Benjamin Disraeli]] and [[H. H. Asquith]] in 1839 and 1894 respectively were all married in the church. The porch houses two cast-iron dogs rescued from a shop in Conduit Street that was bombed during the Blitz.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=759}}

[[Grosvenor Chapel]] on [[South Audley Street]] was built by [[Benjamin Timbrell]] in 1730 for the Grosvenor Estate. It was used by American armed forces during the [[Second World War]]. The parents of [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]], are buried in the churchyard.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=358}}

The [[Mayfair Chapel]] on Curzon Street was a popular place for illegal marriages, including over 700 in 1742. [[James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton]], married [[Elizabeth Gunning, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon|Elizabeth Gunning]] here in 1752. The [[Marriage Act 1753]] stopped the practice of unlicensed marriages. The chapel was demolished in 1899.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=228}}

===Hotels===
Having opened in 1837, [[Brown's Hotel]] is considered one of London's oldest hotels.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicoletrilivas/2020/01/30/inside-browns-hotel-londons-oldest-hotel/ |title=Inside London's Oldest Hotel |first=Nicole |last=Trilivas |website=Forbes}}</ref> Straddling [[Albemarle Street|Albemarle]] and [[Dover Street|Dover]] streets, it is thought to have been a popular [[Afternoon tea|tea]] location for [[Queen Victoria]], and it was from the hotel that in 1876 [[Alexander Graham Bell]] made the first successful telephone call in Britain. Certain writers were known to stay there frequently; [[Rudyard Kipling]]'s ''[[The Jungle Book]]'' and [[Agatha Christie]]'s ''[[At Bertram's Hotel]]'' were each partly written during a visit to Brown's. [[Theodore Roosevelt]] enjoyed staying at the hotel and married his fiancée [[Edith Roosevelt]] with a reception there in 1886. Now part of [[Rocco Forte Hotels]], the Hotel maintains its popular tea room and has expanded to occupy 11 townhouses.<ref>{{cite web |title=The History of the Brown's Hotel in London – Rocco Forte |url=https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/browns-hotel/story/ |website=www.roccofortehotels.com}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=September 2024}}

[[File:Claridges Hotel - geograph.org.uk - 1064579.jpg|thumb|left|[[Claridge's]]|alt=Corner view of the hotel Claridge's]]
[[Claridge's]] was founded in 1812 as Mivart's Hotel on [[Brook Street, London|Brook Street]]. It was acquired by William Claridge in 1855, who gave it its current name. The hotel was bought by the Savoy Company in 1895 and rebuilt in red brick. It was extended again in 1931. Several European royal families in exile stayed at the hotel during the Second World War. [[Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia]], was born there on 17 July 1945; the Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] is said to have declared the suite he was born in to be Yugoslav territory.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=192}}

[[Flemings Mayfair]] on [[Half Moon Street, London|Half Moon Street]] was opened in 1851 by Robert Fleming, who worked for [[Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey]]. It is the second-oldest independent hotel in London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Step Inside London's Second-Oldest Hotel Flemings Mayfair |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bridgetarsenault/2018/06/09/step-inside-londons-second-oldest-hotel-flemings-mayfair/#1a95ba01a3ec |work=Forbes |date=9 June 2018 |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref>

The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square on the corner of Grosvenor Square and [[Duke Street, St James's|Duke Street]] was the first [[Marriott Hotels & Resorts|Marriott Hotel]] in Britain. It opened as the Europa Hotel in 1961 and was bought by Marriott in 1985. It was a popular place for visitors to the American Embassy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/londt-london-marriott-hotel-grosvenor-square/ |title=London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square |website=Marriott International |language=en-US |access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref>

The [[Grosvenor House Hotel]] on Park Lane is on the former site of [[Grosvenor House]], the home of [[Robert Grosvenor, 2nd Earl Grosvenor]] (who later became the 1st Marquess of Westminster). It was built by [[Arthur Octavius Edwards]] in the 1920s and has over 450 bedrooms, with 150 luxury flats in the south wing. It was the first London hotel to have a swimming pool.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|pp=358–9}}

[[The Dorchester]] is named after [[Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester]]. The first building here was erected by Joseph Damer in 1751, and renamed Dorchester House following the Earl's succession in 1792. The property was purchased by [[Sir Robert McAlpine|Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons]] and [[Gordon Hotels|Gordon Hotels Ltd]] in 1928 to be converted into a hotel, which opened on 18 April 1931. It was General [[Dwight Eisenhower]]'s London headquarters in the Second World War. The [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]] held his [[stag night]] at the hotel prior to his marriage to [[Elizabeth II|Princess Elizabeth]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=244}}

[[The May Fair Hotel]] opened in 1927 on the site of Devonshire House in [[Stratton Street]]. It also accommodates the May Fair Theatre, which opened in 1963.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.themayfairhotel.co.uk/may-fair-theatre_131-en.html |title=The May Fair Theatre private screening room |website=www.themayfairhotel.co.uk |access-date=7 March 2019}}</ref>{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|pp=536,679}}

[[The Ritz Hotel, London|The Ritz]] opened on Piccadilly on 24 May 1906. It was the first [[Modular building|steel-framed building]] to be constructed in London,{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=695}} and it is one of the most prestigious and best-known hotels in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coventry.ac.uk/culc/culc-primary-news/london-campus-signs-collaborative-agreement-with-the-ritz-london/ |title=London Campus signs collaborative agreement with The Ritz London |publisher=Coventry University |date=30 April 2014 |access-date=3 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216045106/http://www.coventry.ac.uk/culc/culc-primary-news/london-campus-signs-collaborative-agreement-with-the-ritz-london/ |archive-date=16 February 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Retail===
Mayfair has had a range of exclusive shops, hotels, restaurants and clubs since the 19th century. The district—especially the vicinity of Bond Street—is also the home of numerous commercial art galleries and international auction houses such as [[Bonhams]], [[Christie's]] and [[Sotheby's]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=537}}

[[File:Savile Row c. 1890.jpg|thumb|Savile Row {{circa|1890}} showing the entrance to "Poole" (now [[Henry Poole & Co]])]]

From the early 19th century, tailors, attracted by the affluent and influential residents, began to take up premises on [[Savile Row]] in south-eastern Mayfair, beginning in 1803. The earliest extant tailor to move to Savile Row was [[Henry Poole & Co]] in 1846. The street's reputation steadily grew throughout the late 19th and early-20th centuries, under the patronage of monarchs, moguls and movie stars, into the [[Savile Row tailoring|global home of men's tailoring]]; a reputation retained to the present day.<ref>{{cite web |date=3 May 2019 |title=Savile Row tailors: the GQ Guide |url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/gallery/savile-row-tailors-london |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=British GQ |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Henry Poole Savile Row – The History at London's Savile Row |url=https://henrypoole.com/heritage-savile-row/our-story/ |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=Henry Poole Savile Row}}</ref>

[[Gunter's Tea Shop]] was established in 1757 at Nos.&nbsp;7–8 Berkeley Square by the Italian Domenico Negri. Robert Gunter took co-ownership of the shop in 1777, and full ownership in 1799. During the 19th century it became a fashionable place to buy cakes and ice cream, and was well known for its range of multi-tiered [[wedding cake]]s. The shop moved to Curzon Street in 1936 when the eastern side of Berkeley Square was demolished, until closing in 1956. The business as a whole survived until the late 1970s.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=365}}

Mount Street has been a popular shopping street since Mayfair was developed in the 18th century. It was largely rebuilt between 1880 and 1900 under the direction of the 1st Duke of Westminster, when the nearby workhouse was relocated to Pimlico. It now houses a number of shops dealing with luxury trades.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=563}}

[[File:Shepherd Market 1.jpg|thumb|left|Shepherd Market in 2011|alt=Black and white view of Shepherd Market, London, from an upper storey window]]

[[Shepherd Market]] has been called the "village centre" of Mayfair. The current buildings date from around 1860, and house food and antique shops, pubs and restaurants. The market had a reputation for high-class prostitution. In the 1980s, [[Jeffrey Archer]] was alleged to frequent the area and was accused of visiting [[Monica Coghlan]], a call girl in Shepherd Market, which eventually led to a libel trial, and later to Archer's imprisonment for [[perjury]] and [[perverting the course of justice]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=834}}

Alongside Burlington House is one of London's most luxurious shopping areas, the [[Burlington Arcade]]. It was designed by [[Samuel Ware]] for [[George Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington]], in 1819. The arcade was designed with tall walls on either side to prevent passers-by throwing litter into the Earl's garden. Ownership of the arcade passed to the [[Baron Chesham|Chesham family]]. In 1911, another storey was added by [[Beresford Pite]], who also added the Chesham arms. The family sold the arcade to the [[Prudential Assurance Company]] for £333,000 (now £{{inflation|GBP|333000|1926|fmt=c|r=-3}}) in 1926. It was bombed during the Second World War and subsequently restored.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=115}}

[[File:Burlington Arcade, shops - clean.jpg|thumb|The [[Burlington Arcade]] opened in 1819.|alt=View of Burlington arcade, with shoppers]] [[Allens of Mayfair]], one of the best-known butchers in London, was founded in a shop on Mount Street in 1830. It held a [[Royal warrant of appointment]] to supply meat to the Queen, as well as supplying several high-profile restaurants. After accruing spiralling debts, it was sold to Rare Butchers of Distinction in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2939830/But-Allen-of-Mayfair-is-sold-to-rival-from-Lewisham-says-Supplier-to-Queens-kitchen-collapses.html |title=But Allen of Mayfair is sold to rival from Lewisham, says Supplier to Queen's kitchen collapses |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=29 May 2006 |access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref> The Mayfair premises closed in 2015, but the company retains an online presence.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.westendextra.com/butcherssign |title=Mount Street laments the loss of Allens, Mayfair's legendary butchers shop |work=West End Extra |date=6 November 2015 |access-date=30 March 2017 |archive-date=30 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330174724/http://archive.westendextra.com/butcherssign |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Scott's (restaurant)|Scott's]] restaurant moved from [[Coventry Street]] to Nos.&nbsp;20–22 Mount Street in 1967.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=828}} In 1975, the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] (IRA) [[Scott's Oyster Bar bombing|bombed]] the restaurant twice, killing one and injuring 15 people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch75.htm |title=CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1975 |last=Melaugh |first=Dr Martin |website=cain.ulst.ac.uk |access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref>

South Audley Street is a major shopping street in Mayfair running from north to south from Grosvenor Square to Curzon Street.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol40/pt2/pp290-291 |title=South Audley Street: Introduction |work= |series=Survey of London |pages=290–291 |access-date=24 December 2016}}</ref> Originally a residential street, it was redeveloped between 1875 and 1900. Retailers include china and silverware specialists [[Thomas Goode (tableware)|Thomas Goode]] and gunsmiths [[James Purdey & Sons]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=851}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mayfair-london.co.uk/sth_audley_street.htm |title=Mayfair Sth Audley Street, London Sth Audley Street W1 Mayfair |website=Mayfair-london.co.uk |access-date=24 December 2016 |archive-date=22 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222152406/http://www.mayfair-london.co.uk/sth_audley_street.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{{Clear}}

===Museums and galleries===
Numerous galleries have given Mayfair a reputation as an international art hub.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.luxurylondon.co.uk/article/meet-mayfair-s-bright-young-art-gallerists-dealers |title=Meet Mayfair's Bright Young Art Gallerists & Dealers |work=Luxury London |access-date=30 May 2013 |language=en-GB |archive-date=3 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103005147/http://www.luxurylondon.co.uk/article/meet-mayfair-s-bright-young-art-gallerists-dealers |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Royal Academy of Arts]], based in Burlington House, was founded in 1768 by [[George III]] and is the oldest fine arts society in the world. Its founding president was Sir [[Joshua Reynolds]]. The academy holds classes and exhibitions, and students have included [[John Constable]] and [[J. M. W. Turner]]. It moved from [[Somerset House]] to [[Trafalgar Square]] in 1837, sharing with the [[National Gallery]], before moving to Burlington House in 1868. The academy hosts an [[Royal Academy Summer Exhibition|annual Summer Exhibition]], showing over 1,000 contemporary works of art that can be submitted by anyone.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=705}}

The [[Fine Art Society]] gallery was established at No.&nbsp;148 New Bond Street in 1876.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/art/art-sales-can-the-fine-art-society-survive-in-mayfair/ |title=Art Sales: can The Fine Art Society survive in Mayfair? |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=7 June 2016 |access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref> Other galleries in Mayfair include the Maddox Gallery on [[Maddox Street]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Maddox Gallery |url=http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/125869-maddox-gallery#UbhvB6OLqZoCCoqB.97 |website=visitlondon.com |access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref> and the [[Halcyon Gallery]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Khan |first=Tabish |title=Take Our Tour Of Some Of London's Best Art Exhibitions |url=http://londonist.com/2016/10/a-free-guided-tour-of-some-of-london-s-best-art-exhibitions |work=Londonist |date=13 October 2016 |access-date=31 March 2017}}</ref>

[[File:London 003 Hendrix and Handel houses.jpg|thumb|220px|upright|Nos.&nbsp;23–25 Brook Street, Mayfair, home to [[Jimi Hendrix]] and [[George Frederic Handel]] respectively, albeit over 200 years apart|alt=Front view of two houses on Brook Street, Mayfair]]
The [[Handel House Museum]] at No.&nbsp;25 Brook Street opened in 2001. [[George Frideric Handel]] was the first resident from 1723 until his death in 1759. Most of his major works, including ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]'', and ''[[Music for the Royal Fireworks]]'' were composed here. The museum held an exhibition of [[Jimi Hendrix]], who lived in an upper-floor flat in neighbouring No.&nbsp;23 Brook Street in 1968–69.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=380}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/may/16/jimi-hendrix-handel-museum-exhibition |title=Jimi Hendrix and Handel: Housemates separated by time |first=Maev |last=Kennedy |date=16 May 2010 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=31 March 2017}}</ref>

The [[Faraday Museum]] in [[Albemarle Street]] occupies a basement laboratory used by [[Michael Faraday]] for his experiments with electromagnetic rotation and motors at the [[Royal Institution]]. It opened in 1973 and exhibits include the first electric generator designed by Faraday, along with various notes and medals.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=286}}

===Business===
[[Cadbury]]'s head office was formerly at No.&nbsp;25 Berkeley Square in Mayfair. In 2007, [[Cadbury Schweppes]] announced that it was moving to [[Uxbridge]] in order to cut costs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/2809823/Cadbury-swaps-Mayfair-for-Uxbridge.html |title=Cadbury swaps Mayfair for Uxbridge |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=1 June 2007 |access-date=27 March 2017 |first=Caroline |last=Muspratt}}</ref>

===Other===
Bourdon House, one of the oldest properties in Mayfair, was constructed by Thomas Barlow between 1723 and 1725 as part of the original development. An additional storey was added around 1864–65. In 1909, the 2nd Duke of Westminster ordered major refurbishments and the expansion of a three-storey wing. He moved out of Grosvenor House in 1916 into this, where he stayed until his death in 1953.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=84}}

Crewe House was built in the late 18th century on the site of a house on Curzon Street owned by [[Edward Shepherd]], a key builder and architect around Mayfair. It was bought by [[James Stuart-Wortley, 1st Baron Wharncliffe]] in 1818 and became known as Wharncliffe House. In 1899, it was purchased by [[Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe|Robert Crewe-Milnes, Earl Crewe]], giving it its current name. The house is part of the [[Embassy of Saudi Arabia, London|Saudi Arabian Embassy]].{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=228}}

Mayfair has many [[blue plaque]]s on buildings for its prominent residents. Standing at the corner of Chesterfield Street and Charles Street, one can see plaques for William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (later [[William IV of the United Kingdom|King William IV]]), Prime Minister [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|Lord Rosebery]], the writer [[W. Somerset Maugham|Somerset Maugham]] and Regency-era fashion icon [[Beau Brummell]].{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=287}}

Other important buildings within Mayfair include the [[Lansdowne Club]] (9 Fitzmaurice Place), [[Stanhope House]], [[Cambridge House]], [[Aberconway House]] and [[Dudley House, London|Dudley House]].

The [[Wynn Mayfair]] casino is located in Mayfair. The casino originally opened as Aspinall's in the 1960s. In 2025 the casino was acquired by [[Wynn Resorts]] and was rebranded as Wynn Mayfair.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wynn Resorts completes purchase of Mayfair Casino from Crown Resorts |url=https://www.gamblinginsider.com/news/29738/wynn-resorts-completes-purchase-of-mayfair-casino-from-crown-resorts |website=www.gamblinginsider.com |access-date=5 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

==Transport==
While there are no [[London Underground]] stations inside Mayfair, there are several on the boundaries. The [[Central line (London Underground)|Central Line]] stops at [[Marble Arch tube station|Marble Arch]], [[Bond Street station|Bond Street]] and [[Oxford Circus tube station|Oxford Circus]] along Oxford Street along the northern edge, and [[Piccadilly Circus tube station|Piccadilly Circus]] and [[Green Park tube station|Green Park]] are along the [[Piccadilly line]] on the southern side, along with [[Hyde Park Corner tube station|Hyde Park Corner]] close by in Knightsbridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010032009/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf |archive-date=10 October 2015 |url-status=live |title=Tube Map |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=27 March 2017}}</ref>

[[Down Street tube station]] opened in 1907 as "Down Street (Mayfair)".{{sfn|Moore|2003|pp=285–6}} It closed in 1932<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_inGigaWg0QC&pg=PA35 |page=35 |title=War at the Top |author=James Leasor |publisher=House of Stratus |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-755-10049-1}}</ref> but was used during the [[Second World War]] by the Emergency Railway Committee, and briefly by Churchill and the war cabinet while waiting for the [[Churchill War Rooms|War Rooms]] to be ready.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p6UmFCOvSK8C&pg=PT55 |pages=55–56 |title=Churchill's Bunker |author=Richard Holmes |publisher=Profile Books |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-847-65198-3}}</ref> While there is only one bus route in Mayfair itself, the 24-hour route [[London Buses route C2|C2]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/C2 |title=Route C2 |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-date=27 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227065811/https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/c2/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> there are many bus routes along the perimeter roads.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/central-london-bus-map.pdf |title=Central London Bus Map |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=31 March 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313082004/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/central-london-bus-map.pdf |archive-date=13 March 2017}}</ref>

==Cultural references==
[[File:Monopoly expensive squares.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|A segment of a British [[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]] board, showing Park Lane and Mayfair|alt=Cross section of a standard British Monopoly board, showing Park Lane and Mayfair]]
Mayfair (spelled "May Fair") is the home of Sir Brian in Thackeray's ''[[The Newcomes]]'', and otherwise features as the most desirable part of London.<ref name="McMaster 1991">{{cite book |author=R.D. McMaster |title=Thackeray's Cultural Frame of Reference: Allusion in The Newcomes |date=18 June 1991 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |isbn=978-1-349-12025-3 |pages=138–}}</ref>
Mayfair is the principal location of the television series [[Bridgerton]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Behind Bridgerton: The Regency Period in Mayfair {{!}} Mayfair London |url=https://www.mayfairldn.com/stories/mayfair-the-home-of-bridgerton |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=www.mayfairldn.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Georgian Mayfair: Behind Bridgerton {{!}} Mayfair London |url=https://www.mayfairldn.com/stories/behind-bridgerton-food-drink-entertainment |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=www.mayfairldn.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Seth |first=Radhika |date=2024-06-18 |title=From Palaces to Country Piles, 10 Bridgerton Season 3 Locations You Need to Visit |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/bridgerton-season-3-filming-locations-to-visit |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref>

Mayfair has featured in a number of novels, including [[Evelyn Waugh]]'s ''[[A Handful of Dust]]'' (1934) and [[P. G. Wodehouse]]'s ''[[The Mating Season (novel)|The Mating Season]]'' (1949). It is a partial setting for [[Jane Austen]]'s ''[[Sense and Sensibility]]'' (1811) and [[Michael Arlen]]'s ''[[The Green Hat (novel)|The Green Hat]]'' (1924).{{sfn|Glinert|2007|p=325}} [[Oscar Wilde]] lived in Grosvenor Square between 1883 and 1884, and referred to it in his works.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wilde |first1=Oscar |author1-link=Oscar Wilde |last2=Bristow |first2=Joseph |author2-link=Joseph Bristow (literary scholar) |title=The complete works of Oscar Wilde 3. 3. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PT9LmqxcCbsC&pg=PA419 |date=1 January 2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |pages=419 |isbn=0-198-18772-6}}</ref> He regularly socialised in the artistic quarter along [[Half Moon Street, London|Half Moon Street]], which is mentioned in both ''[[The Picture of Dorian Gray]]'' and ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/buy/live-like-the-literati-homes-owned-by-famous-writers/ |title=Live like the literati: homes owned by famous writers |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=18 September 2016 |access-date=28 March 2017}}</ref>

Mayfair is the most expensive property on the standard British ''[[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]]'' board at £400, and is part of the dark blue set with [[Park Lane]]. It commands the highest rents of [[List of London Monopoly places|all properties]]; landing on Mayfair with a hotel costs £2,000.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=283}} The price is a reference to the property values in the area, which have remained consistently high, with real-life rent as much as £36,000 per week.<ref name=middleton/> At the time the board was being designed in the 1930s, Mayfair still had a significant upper-class residential population.{{sfn|Moore|2003|p=287}}

The department store [[Debenhams]] became one of the first companies in Britain to have a dedicated business telephone number, Mayfair 1, in 1903.{{sfn|Weinreb|Hibbert|Keay|Keay|2008|p=233}}

==See also==
{{Portal|London}}
*[[Mayfair, Philadelphia]]
*[[Mayfair (Washington, D.C.)]]
*[[Mayfair, Saskatoon]]
*[[A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square]]
*[[The Punch Bowl, Mayfair]]
*[[Street names of Mayfair]]
*[[Autumn in New York (song)]]

==References==
===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Glinert |first=Ed |title=Literary London: A Street by Street Exploration of the Capital's Literary Heritage |publisher=Penguin |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-141-90159-6}}
*{{cite book |last=Moore |first=Tim |title=Do Not Pass Go |publisher=Vintage |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-099-43386-6}}
{{london encyclopedia}}
*{{cite report |title=The Great Estates – Who owns London? |publisher=New London Architecture |year=2006 |url=http://www.landvaluetax.org/download-document/128-the-great-estates-who-owns-london.html |ref={{harvid|Great Estates|2006}} |access-date=25 March 2017 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803202008/http://www.landvaluetax.org/download-document/128-the-great-estates-who-owns-london.html |url-status=dead }}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |series=[[Let's Go travel guides|Let's Go]] |title=London |chapter=Mayfair |page=151+ |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/letsgolondon199800stol#page/150/mode/2up |ol=24256167M |year=1998|isbn=9780312157524 }}
*{{cite book |first=Mary Cathcart |last=Borer |title=The Years of Grandeur: The Story of Mayfair |publisher=W. H. Allen |location=London |year=1975 |ref=none}}
*{{cite book |first=Oliver |last=Bradbury |title=The Lost Mansions of Mayfair |publisher=Historical Publications |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-905-28623-2 |ref=none}}
*{{cite book |first=Maria |last=Perry |title=Mayfair Madams |publisher=André Deutsch |location=London |year=1999 |isbn=0-233-99476-9 |ref=none}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{official website|http://www.mayfair-london.co.uk}} of the [[business directory]]

{{Geographic Location
|title = '''Neighbouring areas of London'''
|Northwest = [[Paddington]]
|North = [[Marylebone]]
|Northeast = [[Fitzrovia]]
|West = [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]]
|Centre = Mayfair
|East = [[Soho]]
|Southwest = [[Knightsbridge]]
|South = [[St James's, London|St James's]]
|Southeast = [[Chinatown, London|Chinatown]]
}}
{{LB City of Westminster}}
{{London Districts}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Mayfair|Mayfair]]
[[Category:Districts of the City of Westminster]]