Why would i need a virtual office in Paris?

Paris has always been one of the most popular cities in the world. With its cultural attractions, architectural beauty and tourist spots, Paris is also renowned as a center for finance, commerce, and fashion consolidating in the largest business district in Europe, La Defense. Indeed, the city itself is also the second largest metropolitan area in Europe, parallel to London, with a large population of 11 million and a GDP of US$ 497 billion in 2003.

La Defense as the major business district of Paris and spans between the Grande Arche on the western end, and the Esplanade de la Defense on the eastern end. This area consists of 3,000,000 square meters of offices, hosting a workplace for more than 150,000 employees. La Defense was developed through the creation of the Public Establishment for Installation of La Défense in 1958. Many high-rise buildings were built in order to replace the existing farms and factories located at the area. Now, other than being the main business district of Paris, La Defense also incorporates greenery, sculptures and monuments as well as hotels for the comfort of business travelers.

Through careful planning, it was originally decided that there would 20 buildings of 25 stories in height to be built in the La Defense area. However, in the end as most companies wanted taller towers, many of the buildings that were actually built exceeded this height. The tallest commercial building in this area is the GAN building, measuring at 589 feet. These rows of buildings in La Defense now form the skyline of Paris.

The GAN building consisting of 48 floors and offering over 70000 square feet of floor space is a black building located at Place de l’Iiris within the La Defense area. Apart from that, another building within La Defense is the Société Générale tower, which consists of 2 identical towers namely the Chassagne tower and the Alicante tower. Located at 17, Cours Valmy, this building stands at 569 feet tall in which the main tenant is the Société Générale bank. Some of the other buildings in the La Defense area include the Tours Kupka, Tour SCOR, Tour Axa, Tour Europlaza, Tour Ariane, Tour Manhattan and Tour Aréva. Apart from that, many large corporations that have set up their offices within this area include AIG, Dawn, France Telecom and Veritas.

The La Defense area is actually divided into several sections: La Defence 1 located on the east most section, is where the Neptune building and the AXA Tower is located, as well as IBIS and Novotel hotels. La Defense 2 is where the AIG building, France Telekom, Gan Tower and Manhattan Tower are located. Next to it at La Defense 3 is the Eurocourtage and Les Mirrors, the Coeur Defense at La Defense 4 – the middle of the entire La Defense area, while La Defense 5 is where Descartes, Balzac, Elipse, Monge, Fayette, Jean Monnet, Lavoisier and Newton offices are at. La Defense 6 is the location of CNIT, Technip and Berkerley Building. Tour Valmy and the Four Seasons hotel are located at La Defense 7, the Winterthur and the Franklin buildings are in La Defense 8. La Defense 9 is the area where Crédit Lyonnais and Ariane offices are located, La Defense 10 is where the offices of Acacia, Michelet, Coface, Elf Atochem and AGF Athena lie. With so many sky scrapers and high profile buildings located in the La Defense area, this location would be the best area for a virtual office, as it will offer much prestige associated with the neighboring buildings.

The tallest building in Paris other than the Eiffel Tower is the Tour Montparnasse. This building had been conceptualized in the 1950s and is located at the area of Montparnasse-Bienvenue. Much controversy surrounded this building particularly on its height which many felt intruded the skyline. An observatory is located at the 56th and 59th of the building, much to the delight of tourists. This building which had taken 17 years to complete had one of the faster elevators at the time when it was newly completed.

The fashion industry or haute couture is another area that Paris is internationally famous for. Champs-Elysees runs 3 kilometers from Place de la Concorde to Arc de Triomphe in the West.  Indeed, Champs-Elysees is the place of high rentals, tree lined avenues and most importantly the boulevard of fashion in Paris. Although you may find some financial institutions in this area, such as Citibank and Credit Suisse, the specialty shops predominantly in this area are the high-fashion boutiques with brand names such as Louis Vuitton, Aramis and Yves Rocher. Apart from that, there is also a string of tourist agencies and airline companies as well as a host of high class restaurants. Therefore, having a virtual office in this area would be suitable for companies that focus on creating a superior brand name, such as tourist agencies, fashion companies and food and beverage companies.

Finally, Paris is the symbol of international prestige, which is why having a virtual office in this city would ensure that your organization will be viewed with high esteem. Moreover, the well planned and structured La Defense area would well suit corporate organizations in various trade and finance industries, providing them with the international image that they seek. Companies seeking to set up a virtual office within Europe should look to Paris as a likely candidate.

Why would i need a virtual office in Switzerland?

Switzerland has always been regarded as a politically neutral country and therefore many international organizations have set up offices in this country. Located right in the middle of Western Europe, Switzerland is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. This country has enjoyed considerably high GDP values for the past few decades and with this has been regarded as one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. Indeed, one of the most famous attributes of Switzerland is the renowned Swiss Bank accounts, where information on account holders is withheld by law. In fact, it is not even possible to determine the source of funds, or even the existence of the account holders.

The bulk of Switzerland’s economy is dependent on the country’s manufacturing, export and trade industries. This is in addition to Switzerland’s renowned production quality in electronics, machinery, metals and chemicals. Apart from that, Switzerland has one of the most lenient trade and investment policies in the region. In fact, tax rates in Switzerland are one of the lowest in the region and banking and financial policies are of high standards. With this, the government has made it convenient and easy for anyone looking into setting up a business or even a virtual office in Switzerland.

Zurich is the financial center of the country. Other than being a center of numerous international financial institutions, Zurich is also where the Swiss Stock Exchange is located. The central business district of Zurich is at Bahnhofstrasse, which incidentally is also the main shopping area of Zurich. Stretching from the Zurich Train Main Station right down to the Lake Zurich, this location is famous for beautiful shop facades, high quality swiss jewelry, fashion apparel, furs, watches and accessories. Additionally, many renowned fashion boutiques have been set up in this area, as well as in the streets of Munsterhof and Weinplatz. Therefore, this would be the best location for you if you are in the fashion industry and wish to set up a virtual office or rent an office space in Zurich.

The area within Bahnhofstrasse known as Paradeplatz, is where many major financial institutions are located. Most the commercial buildings in this area are culturally and historically maintained, which is why most of them are not more than 5 stories in height. Amongst the international companies with a presence here is the Credit Suisse center in Paradeplatz 8, UBS in Bahnhofstrasse 45 and Citibank on Bahnhofstrasse 63. With all the prestigious international banks located in this business district, this would be an ideal location to rent an office space or set up a virtual office in Zurich.

Geneva is the second largest city of Switzerland, with the geographical location next to Lake Geneva. This city is synonymous with international recognition due as it is home to various international organizations including the World Health Organization, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. In addition to that, many international companies have set up offices in this city, including trade companies, financial institutions, hi-tech and biotech corporations. Amongst the companies with a presence in Geneva are ABN Amro Bank, Proctor and Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, DuPont and JP Morgan. The main business district within Geneva is located near the Lake Geneva and the area primarily famous as the main shopping district and the commercial center of Geneva is known as the Rues Basses, with Rue du Rhone and Rue du Marché, as important streets in this area. Specifically, shopping is a major activity here with companies such as Patik Phillipe and also prestigious hotels with high standards. The most popular item within these streets would be Swiss watchers, designer items, antique and art and also clothing. Thus, having a virtual office or rent an office space here would be a good idea for a production factory setup. On the other hand the Rue Du Marche is another busy area, and is also renowned for designer items, watches and even chocolate stores.

In fact, many government agencies are located in Geneva, such as the Geneva Financial Center Foundation, the Geneva Free Ports and Warehouses, Swiss Bankers Association, Swiss Private Bankers Association and the Swiss Association of Asset Managers. This shows that the Swiss government has inclinations to continuously promote Geneva as a financial center. Apart from that, many agencies for nuclear and biotechnology research are also set up in Geneva, the European Organization for Nuclear Research and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics. With all these organizations in Geneva, launching a virtual office or renting an office space here will definitely provide you with the association that you need, especially if you are in the finance, fashion and research and development industries.

Why would i need a virtual office in Kent?

The county of Kent is located in the South-East of London with the major cities and towns here comprising of Canterbury and Rochester. However, the town of Maidstone functions as the administrative headquarters for Kent. Although Kent has always been synonymous with the title of the Garden of England, much of the economy of Kent today is still dependent on farming related activities, textile, fishing, tourism, paper, engineering and coal mining. In terms of accessibility Kent is well-connected with the other parts of England and also the rest of Europe through ferry ports, motorways and airports.

Kent is physically bounded by River Thames at the north and the Straits of Dover at the south. One of the most scenic locations within Kent is the White Cliffs, which is why the area stretching from that location till Westerham has been designated as the Kent Downs Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty AONB.

Paper mills had traditionally been an important industry over the years due to the availability of a certain type of water in River Darent, River Medway, River Thames and River Len. With this, many mills had been built in the past in location such as Dartford, Northfleet and Kemsley. Cement became an important resource from the 19th century onwards, which saw the development of the Stone and Gravesend Pits. Thus, launching a virtual office or an office space for companies involved in the paper and cement industries in these locations would be ideal.

The City of Canterbury consists of a population of 150,000 and is a local government district within the county of Kent. The picturesque Canterbury which was populated since the 1st century AD has not been developed with many skyscrapers with the Canterbury Cathedral at 72 m being the highest building in this city. This city is linked to other parts of England with two railway stations – Canterbury East and Canterbury West.

Education is an important economic activity within the city of Canterbury, with two great universities located here – the University of Kent and the Franciscan International Study Centre. The University of Kent is just located two miles outside the city of Canterbury with the Franciscan International Study Centre located nearby. Apart from that, there is also the Canterbury College, the Chaucer College and various other independent schools. Thus, Canterbury has a high density of college students which makes this city a highly suitable location for a virtual office for the education-related industry.

The main streets within this city include High Street, which is lined with retail shops, all of which are quaintly designed since the city was first founded. This street was once the street that linked Dover to London, and served as a stopping point for travelers. St. Peter’s Street links High Street to the ends of the city, and is lined mostly with pubs. At the other end, St. Georges street connects the end of High Street to another exit from the city.

In conclusion, the county of Kent would be suitable for virtual offices or office spaces of smaller proportions, aimed to serve the rural community in this area or the even the student population. The city of Canterbury along high street would be the location highly likely for a virtual office here.

Why would i need a virtual office in Brighton?

The city of Brighton is renowned as one of England’s finest destinations for a seaside holiday. Located on the southern section of the Sussex coast, Brighton is a lively borough and combined with the borough of Hove, was granted city status in year 2000. This city is lined with a myriad of seaside resorts, which is the major economic contributor to this city’s success. The area in the city which was originally a fishing village, has now been converted into The Lanes, narrow streets lined with restaurants, bars, jewelry, retail outlets of famous labels as well as antique shops. Perhaps the most unique feature in relation to this area is the 400-year old fisherman architecture surrounding the buildings, in addition to the quaint pubs.

Bounded by North Street at the north, West Street at the west, East Street at the east, with the south being the beach, The Lanes is comprised of a weave of interconnecting lanes, such as Dune Street, Black Lion Street and Kings Road. The coffee-drinking culture has also caught up with this location, which is why there are numerous cafes mushrooming here, turning this into a highly attractive destination for tourists. With this, the Lanes would be highly suitable for virtual offices or office spaces of businesses in the tourism, retail or food industries.

North Laines, which is the area to the north of The Lanes, bounded by The Lanes at the south, the Royal Pavilion at the east and the station, consists of a maze of over 320 shops, most of which are fashion items ranging from wool-based clothing to Nepalese slippers. The diversity of products does not end here though. Exotic items never thought off to be native to Brighton are showcased in abundance, such as muslin from Mesopotamia, or teak from Bali. Moreover, the flea market during the weekends works to provide an assortment of products that are offered at bargain prices. From a fashion perspective, North Laines promises apparel across various genres, ranging from designer brands, retro designs or formal tuxedos. Thus, the North Laines area is totally suited for virtual offices of retail outlets to be set up along major roads such as Church Street and Queen’s Road.

One of the major retail commercial centers of Brighton is the Churchill Square Shopping Centre, occupied primarily by specialist stores, cafes and restaurants, again to cater to the large tourist population. All in all, there are a total of 80 stores set up in this center housed under one glass domed roof. With this, the environment of this center is truly aimed for creating the ultimate shopping experience in the city of Brighton. Here, shoppers are able to find various categories of items all in one central location, including clothes and accessories, books, home ware as well as toys. Indeed, anyone looking into setting up a virtual office in Brighton with products aimed for the local consumer should consider the Churchill Square Shopping Centre, as apart from being a major shopping attraction, it is also strategically located at the heart of Brighton between the streets of Cannon Place and West Street.

Aside from tourism, the city of Brighton is also home to two renowned universities : the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton. These two universities have been successful in attracting students from Europe, some here specifically for their language studies. The University of Sussex is well-known as the university that runs on renewable energy sources in addition to being situated within one of the areas designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Therefore, the city of Brighton not only serves as an attraction for tourists but also students as well. Setting up a virtual office in the city center of Brighton for student related products and services such as university books and stationery would be highly suitable.

Finally, other areas within the vicinity of Brighton include the areas of the Beachfront, Western Road, Brighton Marina Village, George Street, St. James Street and Kemp Town. Cafes, retail outlets, bars and restaurants are all found in abundance in these areas. Although all these areas are generally entertainment districts, they are all distinct in their own ways. For instance, Western Road is renowned for its mile long of unique restaurants and specialized food stores. On the other hand, factory outlets, cinemas and other leisure facilities are more prominent in the Brighton Marina Village area. The flea market and a string of antique outlets are highlights at St. James Street, while George Street just off Church Road is populated with chain retail stores including Woolworths, WH Smith and Body Shop.

In conclusion, setting up a virtual office or an office space within the city of Brighton would be a strategic move for businesses involved in tourism, retail, entertainment or education industries. This is due to the fact that these industries would tie in well with the local economic activities in Brighton.

Why would i need a virtual office in the Docklands?

The area of Docklands which had been historically known as the Port of London, was identified for redevelopment after the port had been unable to adapt to the usage of containers in cargo transportation methods. In fact, the government had first started using the name London Docklands back in 1971. Later on in 1981, the London Docklands Development Corporation was initiated and entrusted with the sole purpose of redeveloping the Docklands area. With this, many encouraging incentives such as property tax exemption and capital allowances were introduced in order to attract investors with the aim of turning Docklands into a business district.

Much commercial and residential, along with virtual office and office space development took place during the 80s and the 90s, in which one of the most prominent projects was the Canary Wharf project. This project included the construction of the tallest building in England, 1 Canada Square. In fact, the Canary Wharf project was aimed to create a second financial district within London. Flanking 1 Canada Square on either side are the HSBC Tower at 8 Canada Square and the Citigroup Center at 25 Canada Square, both prominent and international banks. During the 1990s after Canary Wharf had been completed, the building faced threats of being a white elephant when transportation infrastructure, the Jubilee Line in particular, had been halted during the midst of a property bust. However, once work was resumed on the Jubilee line, tenancy within Canary Wharf started to grow and attracted many financial corporations such as Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Lehman Brothers as well as media companies such as Reuters and the Daily Mirror. Even selected government organizations such as the Financial Services Authority have set up their offices in this renowned commercial center.

Within the 86 acres of Canary Wharf lies a combination of other commercial and shopping buildings, with 63,000 people working out of the 18 commercial buildings, retail outlets and conference and banquet centers. Further down the street from 1 Canada Square lies the 40 Bank Street with major tenants comprising of legal firms such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and also Allen & Overy. With a high density of legal firms, it is no doubt then that 40 Bank Street is the major virtual office center for organizations engaged in the legal industry.

Right next to 1 Canada Square is the Cabot Place, which is one of the newest shopping areas in Canary Wharf. One of the prominent features of this mall is that the design has been conceptualized by a group of world renowned architects – Cesar Pelli & Associates, Adamson Associates, Frederick Gibberd Coombes & Partners and Building Design Partnership. There are a total of 140 retail outlets in Cabot Place covering a total area of 21, 156 sq m. Divided into Cabot Place East and Cabot Place West, this would be a suitable location to set up a virtual office or rent an office space for retail businesses or restaurants. Indeed, Cabot Place has been constructed on either side of the Docklands Light Railway and is also conveniently connected to 1 Canada Square to provide easy access to office workers.

Down the road from Cabot Place is the majestic 25 Bank Street, where the famous investment banker Lehman Brothers is located. Standing at 502 ft tall, 25 Bank Street offers 33 floors of office space. Indeed, with floor space available of between 10,000 and 205,000 sq ft, setting up a virtual office here would truly be suited for any corporation with business dealings in the financial industry. Right next to 25 Bank Street is 20 Bank Street, a unique building with concrete panels of granite color and aluminum windows nicely matched with curtain walling. The uniqueness of 20 Bank Street lies in the fact that the north façade is built with a suspended glass façade with fins. With Morgan Stanley as its major tenant, this building would land prestige to companies which set up virtual offices or rent office spaces in this venue.

Perhaps one of the more prominent buildings located next to the Canada Square is The 1 Churchill Place, which stands at a height of 513 feet. With Barclays bank as its major tenant, The 1 Churchill Place stands at great importance as another financial center within Canary Wharf. One of the most unique features about this plaza is the existence of a 500 sq meter man-made nature reserve at the roof-top. This has been specifically built to attract a series of fauna such as insects and nesting birds. Another significant feature about 1 Churchill Place is the increased security features that have been incorporated into the building. Completed only after the 9/11 bombing, the 1 Churchill Plaza has been fixed with air-conditioned intakes at the roof to prevent roof entry into the building.

All in all, the Canary Wharf project within Docklands now comprise of a total of 13 buildings, most of which are populated by tenants from the financial or legal business industries. Canary Wharf is still growing as there are currently many buildings either still under construction, or in the plan for future development. In time, Canary Wharf is set on its path to become the nucleus for commercial growth within the Docklands area once other commercial buildings are in place. Building that are in the plan for development are Canary Wharf NQ 1 and 10 Churchill Place.

In conclusion, with Docklands greatly developed over the past two decades, renting an office space here would provide any company not only with reputation, but also with the latest facilities within acres of commercial area. With most infrastructure planned and laid out, virtual offices and office spaces in the docklands would gain from the reputation of a highly developed location in the vicinity of London.

West Central London

Another prominent business area within London is the area of St. James’s in West Central London, bounded by Piccadilly, Green Park, The Mall and The Haymarket. Historically renowned as a residential location for the affluent such as Marlborough House and St. James’s Palace, this area is now turned into a commercial area ever since World War II and are now well-known for its high rentals. Commercial offices are concentrated around the area of St. James’s Square, where the BP headquarters at No. 1 St James’s Square, the Rio Tinto head office at No. 6 St James’s Square, the East India Club at No. 16 St James’s Square and Norfolk house at No. 31 St. James’s Square are all situated. Additionally, Jermyn Street in St. James’s is a shopping street which is renowned for fine shirts such as Turnbull & Asser, Thomas Pink and Hilditch & Key. Thus, this street would be an excellent location for a virtual office or office space of companies involved in the tailoring of menswear.

East London virtual office

The other areas within the London include The East End, East London, North London, South London and West London. The East End essentially refers to the eastern end of the City of London. Traditionally the Port of London, The East End had always been regarded as one of the poorest areas within London. This was where the influx of immigrants into the country mostly resided, including the Jews and Bangladeshi communities. With this, much racism existed in the East End even till today, with events such as the 1999 bombing in Brick Lane.

Being one of the poorest areas in London, much regeneration and development had been planned for the East End, including the famous Canary Wharf development in the Isle of Dogs. Perhaps one of the most prominent communities here is the East End Film Society, which is the country’s largest film community with a member size of 450. Many of the activities of this society such as network meetings and workshops have been conducted here. Therefore the East End would be an ideal location for virtual offices of companies involved in the film industry.

East London is currently being targeted for development as it has been prepared for the 2012 Olympics. As such, the extent of development in this area is humongous, comprising of the upgrade of the A12 and A13 trunk roads and the construction of the Docklands Light Railway project.

West London virtual office

The area of West London mainly comprises of expensive and high class residential homes, encompassing residential locations such as Notting Hill. In addition to that, Portobello Road is well-known for its antique markets, while the areas of Kensington and Chelsea have been regarded as the most expensive areas to live in within London. Furthermore, the operating center for the national television station BBC is also located in West London, specifically in the area of White City. Incidentally, the London Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in Europe, is also located at the extreme west section of West London. With this, West London would project an expensive and wealthy image to any company setting up a virtual office or renting an office space here. Specifically, the association with antique markets would make a virtual office along Portobello Road highly suitable for antique businesses.

North London virtual office

The entire area north of the River Thames is regarded as North London. One of the prominent features of this area is the fact that North London is still very picturesque with its assortment of hills and parks. What’s more, much of the community residing in this area includes Jews and Muslims, especially in the areas of Stamford Hill. One of the more affluent areas in North London includes the area of Islington, which is also home to the Arsenal football team. The main street of Islington is known as Upper Street and consists of an assortment of retail outlets such as boutiques and restaurants. The Business Design Centre within Islington is a prominent exhibition center covering 65,000 square feet of space, and had been one of the largest exhibition halls during the 1800s. Similar to Portobello Road, Islington is also another area that is famous for antique shops.

south London virtual office

South London covers a range of famous districts, such as Wimbledon and Greenwich. Located south of the River Thames, South London consists less of government buildings but is more skewed towards the industries of art galleries and music. This explains why famous venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, the British Film Institute and the National Theatre are located here. In addition to that, galleries such as the Dulwich Picture Gallery, England’s oldest art gallery, the Saatchi Collection and the Tate Modern Gallery are found here as well. Richmond Park, the largest city park in Europe is also located amidst the renowned arts and theater venues. With this, South London is truly an ideal location for a virtual office or office space to be set up specifically for businesses involved in the arts and theater industries. Moreover, the recognition of Wimbledon for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships would make this a suitable location for a virtual office for services involved in supporting the tennis championship.

Conclusion

In conclusion, launching a virtual office or renting an office space in London would clearly add to the convenience and reputation of any corporation. With the major business districts such as the City of London (the famous Square mile) and the Docklands with the Canary Wharf being highly suited for a virtual office or an office space, all facilities built here have truly been made to meet business class standards. Also, as a major financial center of the world, London may be one of the most strategic cities when considering a virtual office or an office space within Europe.

Why would i need a virtual office in Westminster?

From a political standpoint, the City of Westminster located south west of the City of London serves as the political center for London. This is the place where the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Whitehall, the Royal Courts of Justice as well as the Palace of Westminster is situated. Indeed, this is where other famous landmarks such as the Big Ben, Madame Tussaud’s, Royal Albert Hall and the Buckingham Palace are situated. Major streets here include Downing Street which typically stands for the office of the Prime Minister of the U.K., Leicester Square which is well known as the headquarters of Capital Radio, Choice FM and Classic FM, and Whitehall with its string of government departments such as the Ministry of Defense and the Department of Health. With the high volume of political structures and offices within Westminster, it is no doubt that any business involved in services dealing with government agencies should set up a virtual office or rent an office space here. Moreover, with the high density of radio stations, a virtual office for businesses in the radio entertainment industry would also be ideal here.

London’s West End

London’s West End has always been synonymous with the entertainment and shopping industries. Indeed, the West End contains one of the highest density of shops, theatres, business headquarters and some of London’s finest attractions. There are numerous art galleries, museums, government buildings, offices of hedge fund companies, theaters, restaurants and bars and retail shops. In line with its name, the West End is located towards the west of the city of London, with parts of its area overlapping with the City of London.

Essentially, Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street are immensely popular as shopping areas. Oxford Street runs from Marble Hyde of Hyde Park till St. Giles Circus, intersecting with Charing Cross Road and Tottenham Court Road. Apart from that, Oxford Street also intersects with Regent Street, Bond Street and Park Lane. Regarded as the heart of shopping in London, Oxford Street is the most famous shopping street in England, although it may not necessarily be the most expensive place to shop. Many department stores and retail shops line the street of Oxford, with shopping malls such as St. Christopher’s Place, Plaza Oxford Street at 120 Oxford Street and West One Shopping Centre. Popular department stores here include Debenhams located at 334 to 348 Oxford Street, Marks and Spencer at 458 Oxford Street, as well as John Lewis at 278 to 306 Oxford Street. Moreover, HMV also has its flagship store along Oxford Street, the Virgin Megastore is located at the corner of Oxfordstreet and Tottenham Court Road and Borders, a large bookstore, all of which have their retail establishments set up in this world famous shopping street.

As an intersection with Oxford Street, Regent Street is also a popular shopping destination street in London. Named after Prince Regent, Regent Street starts from an intersection with Charles II Street, passing through Piccadilly Circus and ends as Upper Regent Street by intersecting with Langham Place, Cavendish Place and Mortimer Street. Prominent stores in this area include the Austin Reed Flagship Store, Hamleys toy shop and the Dickins and Jones Department store. One of the recent developments here include the plan of Crown Estate to redevelop Regent Street by replacing smaller retail lots into larger units. This is viewed as necessary as many of the 20th century shops have been built with small spaces, typical of that time period.

The final street in London’s West End which is also renowned for shopping activities is Bond Street. The difference between Bond Street and Oxford and Regent Streets is that retail outlets along Bond Street are thought to be more up-market and prestigious. This is partly because of the fact that Bond Street is located in the high class Mayfair district, which explains the inclination to more expensive merchandise. Apart from that, Bond Street is also renowned as the place for antique items as well as auction houses such as Sotheby’s. Nevertheless, many sections of Bond Street are also lined with designer brand fashion houses and also up-market jewelers.

With this, the shopping streets of Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street would make ideal locations for virtual offices & office spaces for the retail, fashion and antique industries. In fact, with the long history accompanying these streets, it would definitely be an added prestige to associate a retail business with the prestige and history of these three famous streets.

Docklands area

The City of London as the major financial district within London is indeed a suitable location for the setup of a virtual office in the middle of this city. The association with The Square Mile totally projects a prestigious image to any virtual office being setup within the many skyscrapers that have been constructed here. However, due the growth rate being experienced within the city center, some other locations have also been identified as alternate business districts.

One of these areas would be the area of Docklands, located in east of London within the area of Greater London. The origin of its name stems from the fact that it was historically known as the Port of London, one of the largest ports in the world at one time. This location had been identified for residential and commercial development with the name London Docklands officially used by the government in 1971. In line with these plans, the London Docklands Development Corporation was put into place in 1981 with the purpose of redevelopment here. One of the first initiatives put in place was to designate the area as an enterprise zone, where capital allowances and tax exemptions were provided to companies that invested here. Over the next two decades of the 80s and the 90s, Docklands has massively developed into an area with a good mixture of residential and commercial infrastructure. Apart from that, poor transportation infrastructure here was improved through the construction of the Docklands Light Railway, the Tube and the Limehouse Link Tunnel.

The Canary Wharf

One of the most ambitious and significant projects within Docklands is the Canary Wharf project, a financial district in the making together with the construction of the tallest skyscraper in Britain. Located in the Isle of Dogs in Docklands, the three highest buildings here are the 1 Canada Square, HSBC Tower and the Citigroup Centre. The construction of these centers had been temporarily halted during the property slump of the early 1990s. Apart from there, transportation infrastructure had also been halted, rendering this building to become a white elephant, a great building with no tenants, after completion.

In 1995, the Canary Wharf was bought over by an International Consortium with a staff size of 13,000. Following that, construction of the Jubilee Line resumed, which revived commercial activities in the area. Canary Wharf was seen to be an attractive alternative to other commercial areas, which is why many financial institutions have set up their offices here. This would include HSBC, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and the Lehman Brothers. Furthermore, many major newspapers have also shifted their operations here, including the Daily Mirror and Reuters. A poll taken in early 2006 found that the number of people working here totaled 78,000, a major increase from a mere 13,000 in 1995. Furthermore, the popularity of this area has been enhanced with the completion of the Jubilee Place shopping area in 2004, which is successful in attracting a total of 500,000 shoppers each week. With this, Canary Wharf has managed to emerge as a popular and probable location for a virtual office or an office space, for businesses in the financial and media sectors.

The headquarters of Barclays Bank is also located within Canary Wharf at One Churchill Place. This 156 m tall building of 32 floors is the seventh tallest building in the United Kingdom and the fourth tallest building in the area of Docklands. The Barclays Bank occupies most of the building, but other tenants here such as Cantor Fitzgerald occupy the mid level floors of 14 to 23. As this building had been completed after the 9/11 attacks, various security measures have been taken to increase security levels. These included the installation air-conditioning intakes at the top of the roof to prevent unauthorized entry as well as fire-fighting lift cores.

Heron Quays on the Isle of Dogs

Heron Quays is another area of development within the Isle of Dogs. Amongst the popular skyscrapers here comprise of 10 Upper Bank Street, the 40 Bank Street, 50 Bank Street, 20 Bank Street and the 25 Bank Street. These skyscrapers function as offices for many prestigious international firms, such as Lehman Brothers for 25 Bank Street, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher < Flom (UK) LLP for 40 Bank Street and Clifford Chance for 10 Upper Bank Street.

The 25 Bank Street consists of 32 storeys with floor space of 102,250m2, and functions as the new European Headquarters for the Lehman Brothers, a world renowned investment banking firm. Some of the facilities set up within this building include 4 trading floors, a data center and a TV broadcast studio. Similarly, 20th Bank Street is currently still under construction and is to be occupied by Morgan Stanley. Facilities in these building include data centers, trading floors, and engineering facilities. With all renowned tenants located here, Heron Quays would be an ideal location for a virtual office & Office Space for companies in the financial or legal sectors.

City of london (Square mile)

The City of London is poised for further development in skyscrapers of greater height, grandeur and uniqueness. These would include The Bishopsgate Tower, which has been uniquely designed with a helter-skelter motive. With a façade that resembles a snakeskin, this tower is to be built to sustain a natural ventilation system as well as the use of natural light. At a height of 945 ft, the Bishopsgate Tower has levels 3 to 9 planned to be utilized for financial trading purposes out of a total of 52 floors.

Another skyscraper in the works is the Minerva Building standing at a height of 712 ft and to be located along Houndsditch Street and built with 53 floors in total. The key feature of this structure is the fact that it is the first building in London to provide more than 1,000,000 sq feet of floor space, with 4 trading floors and space for a restaurant at the top floor. Apart from that, the design resembling 4 open books built with aluminum and glass, and also with an energy saving ventilation system for the façade.

Indeed there are many other towers that are currently being constructed within the city of London, such as The Leadenhall Building and the Heron Tower. Other towers include the 30 St Mary Axe building, also known as the Gherkin or the Swiss Re Tower. Standing at 590 ft tall, this unique building designed to the shape of a slice of pickle has won its designers the RIBA Stirling Prize award. Indeed the cone shaped design had been intended to reduce wind turbulence in addition to energy saving features incorporated also with natural ventilation. Additionally, glazing within the shaft creates heat insulation for the building. This shaft pulls air from the building during the summer and passive solar heating during the winter. The main tenant of this building is the Swiss Re re-insuring company, with other tenants such as the Hypo Real Estate Bank International, Allianz and Cardinal Asset Management occupying other floors in this building. With this, the 30 St Mary Axe building would be a suitable location for a virtual office or an office space setup, especially for corporations involved in the financial industry.

The BT Tower at 60 Cleveland Street is one of the most famous buildings within the city of London. Previously known as the Post Office Tower or the London Telecom Tower, this 574 feet tower had been used to support microwave aerials as well as for telecommunications transmission. Apart from that, the cylindrical shape was designed to enable it not to shift more than 25 cm in winds of up to 150 km/h. Today, the BT Tower is one of the major communications hubs in London, and is still used for microwave links. Furthermore, televisions such as BBC and other broadcasters are also using this tower for broadcasting purposes. A rotating tower has also been built at the top of the tower, and completes one circle every 22 minutes.

The King William Street is where the Bank of London is located. Other than being located in the financial district of the Square Mile, King William Street comprises of a host of hotels such as the Threadneedles Hotel, restaurants such as Pret a Manger and bookstores such as WH Smith.

Threadneedle Street, which crosses with King William Street, is the former location of the London Stock Exchange until the year 2004. Currently this is where The Baltic Exchange was founded. Apart from that, there are also many restaurants located in the vicinity of this street such as Caffe Nero and shopping outlets such as the French Connection.

The London Wall Street which was historically a defensive wall built along the river Thames, now has its pieces at the Museum of London. This street runs from the Museum of London at the west to the area of Bishopsgate at the east. Many of the establishments located along this street include pubs like The Scottish Pound and restaurants such as the Sri Siam City. Shopping is also good here with men’s shops such as TM Lewin. Also the London Guildhall University is located along the London Wall Street.

City of London (the Square Mile)

The city of London is the largest city in the UK (United Kingdom), with an economy that contributes 17% of the entire GDP of this nation. This stems from the fact that London has been established as a center for finance, fashion, communications, arts and entertainment, in addition to being a major city historically and even till today, therefore one of the best place to setup a vitual office or rent an office space. It remains as a city with the highest number in population within the European Union, with 7.5 million people living in the city of London, and 14 million people located in its metropolitan area. Additionally, the strategic location of this city has earned it the reputation of being a transportation hub in addition to a popular tourist destination. Furthermore, this city acts as the center for many global institutions and multinationals, and also a city with many world famous museums, concert halls and stadiums.

The City of London is essentially inclusive of a huge area known as the Greater London, which consists of 32 London Boroughs and the City of London. All the other districts within London are located around or surrounding the City of London, which is the main financial district area. In terms of size though, the City of London accounts for only a small land area within Greater London. This is why it is known as The Square Mile, as this major financial district is only a square mile in size right in the middle of London.

In terms of location, the City of London is bordered by the City of Westminster on the western side, with various other streets and boroughs forming the boundaries. These would include the Strand, Chancery Lane, Moorgate, Goswell Road, MiddleSex Street and the borough of Tower Hamlets and Bishopsgate, among others.

Major streets in the City of London include Aldersgate Street, Aldgate and Bishopgate, all of which were named after gates of the London Wall. Along Aldersgate Street lies the Museum of London, while the Bishopsgate Street is where the banks such as the ABN Amro and the Royal Bank of Scotland are situated. Perhaps one of the more popular streets is Fleet Street, which is renowned as home to the press. This is despite the fact that most of the major newspaper corporations have already moved out of this location to other areas within London. The last company to leave was Reuters which moved out in 2005.

Other important streets within The City of London include Queen Victoria Street, King William Street, ThreadNeedle Street, Leadenhall Street and the London Wall Street. The area surrounding Queen Victoria Street is particularly renowned for a high density of multinational corporations and skyscrapers offering thousands of square feet of office space and forming the major financial district in London. One of the prominent buildings here is the 60 Queen Victoria Street, which has been developed with a bronze façade and bronze columns. The major tenant of this building is the renowned management consulting firm, Accenture.

Other corporations which have set up their offices along Queen Victoria Street include Aurora Gender Management at 49 Queen Victoria Street, BP Gas Marketing at 146 Queen Victoria Street, Bank Mandiri and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia at 85 Queen Victoria Street, International Insider at 181 Queen Victoria Street and Philippines National Bank at 128 Queen Victoria Street. Amongst these buildings is the Albert Buildings, which is a host to many tenants from various industries such as David Alan Associates, a recruitment agency, Connelly-Manton, a printing company and Grier Olubi, who are solicitors. Therefore, having a virtual office or renting an office space along Queen Victoria Street in the midst of the City of London would be an ideal option for many industries.

One prominent tower within this central business district would be Tower 42 on Old Broad Street, which was the tallest building in the United Kingdom for a period of 10 years before being surpassed by One Canada Square in 1991. At a height of 600 ft, this tower had once been known as the NatWest Tower with an automated mechanical external cleaning system. However, after 1993, NatWest no longer remained as its anchor tenant and subsequently sold the building. Today, one of the most prominent tenants within Tower 42 is Vertigo 42, a restaurant and bar located on the 42nd floor. Other tenants here include the Bank of Korea, City Osteopath Clinics, Daewoo Securities, legal service companies such as Orrick Herrington < Sutcliffe and System Access, a computer systems development company. With such a variable mix of tenants, Tower 42 would be a good venue for virtual offices of many industries, as its location within the City of London is truly strategic and ideal.