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BALCONY VIEW FROM HOME AT FIRST'S ANNE BOLEYN APARTMENT AT ST.
KATHARINE'S MARINA
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THE
CITY APARTMENT
is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom, London apartment, a comfortable lodging for two to four
persons. The apartment is on the second floor of a building bordering
exclusive
ST. KATHARINE'S MARINA
by the Tower of London. This riverside location provides a quiet
pedestrian marina atmosphere plus easy access to all of Central London. |
EAST DOCK OF ST. KATHARINE'S MARINA |
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HISTORY: During the Middle Ages,
KING HENRY VIII
and his six wives were royal
patrons of the St. Katharine’s hospice that occupied
the site of today's St. Katharine's Marina
serving as both a hospital and a lodging for travelers and
pilgrims. The king and his wives were often in residence at the
neighboring
TOWER OF LONDON,
then a royal palace as well as a fortress.
ANNE BOLEYN
was wife #2 (reigning
1533-6, following #1 Catherine of Aragon and
ahead—no pun intended—of #3 Jane Seymour), for whom the king
broke with the Church of Rome. Anne came to know the Tower better than
most, landing there en route to her coronation, and in 1536 being tried,
imprisoned, beheaded, and buried there. Her daughter,
QUEEN ELIZABETH I,
last of the Tudors, became one of England’s
greatest monarchs. |
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THE
APARTMENT: The apartment
bedroom has twin beds. The bathroom has a tub-shower combination. The
comfortable living room includes a double
foldout couch bed, and cable color TV. The well-equipped kitchen
(including microwave, coffee maker, and clothes washer-dryer) connects
via a pass-through to the dining area. A small, furnished balcony opens
off the living room and overlooks the auto-free marina toward the famous
Tower Bridge. The apartment provides a hair dryer and a tabletop pay
phone (accepts incoming calls; takes coins for outgoing calls). |
LIVING ROOM WITH BALCONY ACCESS AT
HOME AT FIRST'S ANNE BOLEYN APARTMENT. |
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FLOOR PLAN OF THE ANNE BOLEYN APARTMENT
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Like most European city apartments, the apartment is compact, but
well equipped, comfortable, and well-kept. Its optimal occupancy is two
persons, but it can accept a family of three or four by employing the
sofa bed in the living room.
While the entrance and hallways of the apartment building
are undecorated and lack a concierge or doorman, the complex is safe (with a
coded entry system), well-managed, and clean. The building has stainless steel
lifts (elevators) that are spotless
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and
well-maintained.
Guests are met upon arrival by the friendly apartment manager who
lives elsewhere in the complex. He opens the apartment, explains its
workings and is available throughout your stay to answer any questions
you might have. |
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THE SETTING:
ST.
KATHARINE'S MARINA
is located on the north bank of the
RIVER
THAMES
about a five-minute walk from the famous
TOWER OF
LONDON
and the
TOWER BRIDGE.
The apartment is a
seven-to-ten-minute, traffic-free walk from the
TOWER HILL UNDERGROUND STATION
(subway trains) and
TOWER GATEWAY
(for the Dockland Light Railway),
and a three-minute walk to a bus stop for London’s well known red
double-decker buses.
The Marina is a traffic-restricted pedestrian zone, which does
not permit cars |
TOWER BRIDGE FROM THE RIVER
ENTRANCE
TO ST. KATHARINE'S MARINA
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STARBUCKS AT ST. KATHARINE'S MARINA |
other than for a few
privileged residents who are provided with underground parking.
Strolling to the
DICKENS INN
or to any of several of other marina restaurants and cafés is a
pleasure. The marina offers exclusive shopping at several small
boutiques. There is also a
STARBUCKS
coffee shop in the center of the marina.
After a day of sightseeing in the hustle and bustle of downtown
London, you will find the marina’s quiet atmosphere a real joy. On the
outside edge of the Marina is a state-of-the-art
WAITROSE
SUPERMARKET,
ideal for guests wishing
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to make good use of the
apartment’s fully-equipped kitchen. In the small shopping center by
the supermarket there is also a laundry/dry cleaner, a bookstore,
and a video shop.
LOCATION: St.
Katharine’s Marina is just five minutes, traffic-free walking from London’s
number one attraction,
THE TOWER OF
LONDON. The 1,000-year-old
fortress occupies the southeast corner of the original Roman city of London.
This 2,000-year-old city is today’s vibrant square mile of banking and
international commerce, a mixture of post-modern |
BEDROOM AT THE ANNE BOLEYN APARTMENT |
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THE SWISS RE
'GHERKIN',
THE CITY'S CURRENT
LANDMARK SKYSCRAPER. |
skyscrapers and great history.
THE CITY
(as it is known) offers museums, restaurants and pubs of all sizes and styles
(and for all budgets). It also has historic churches, open and covered markets,
and some of the world’s great architecture, including the
TOWER BRIDGE,
the
SWISS RE BUILDING, and
ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.
Tracing both sides of the River Thames are
pedestrians-only "pathways". Within traffic-free walking distance of St.
Katharine’s Marina are such attractions as the
HMS
BELFAST
naval warship museum,
SHAKESPEARE'S NEW
GLOBE THEATRE, the
exciting
TATE MODERN
art museum, the
LONDON EYE
super Ferris wheel, and the
popular
BOROUGH MARKET.
Great restaurants and pubs line the pathways on both shores, including several
historic pubs still lining the river in suddenly-upscale
COCKNEY EAST LONDON.
Beyond walking
distance but easily reached by Underground, bus, river boat, and light
rail in 30 minutes or less
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are all the famous attractions of London, e.g.:
GREENWICH
(22min),
WESTMINSTER & PARLIAMENT
(11min),
SOUTH BANK THEATRES
(23min),
COVENT GARDEN THEATRES
(30min),
PICCADILLY CIRCUS
(22min),
REGENT'S PARK
(25min),
THE BRITISH MUSEUM
(30min),
BUCKINGHAM PALACE
(25min), and
HARROD'S DEPARTMENT STORE
(30min).
THE TOWER OF
LONDON—LONDON'S #1 VISITOR
ATTRACTION—IS A 5-MINUTE TRAFFIC-FREE
WALK FROM THE ANNE BOLEYN APARTMENT.
AVAILABILITY:
For current availability information, call
HOME AT FIRST at
(800) 523-5842, or contact us by e-mail at:
info@homeatfirst.com. |
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Learn more about
HOME AT FIRST's travel program to:
LONDON. |
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