The History of Park Lane
London possesses a vast history greatly dissimilar from the relatively young major American cities; its foundations incorporate Monarchical traditions, aesthetic landmarks, and the remnants of two World Wars into a culturally rich conception of modern urbanization. One of the most famous roads on the London Inner Ring Route, Park Lane was humbly constructed as a country road adjacent to Hyde Park running north and south. The wonderful view of Hyde Park and west London made Park Lane a very desirable residential address in the eighteenth century. Among its famous early homes were the Grosvenor, Dorchester, and Apsley Houses that accommodated wealth and, in many cases, nobility.
Even through its expansion and shifting, London preserved a great amount of its history as the city evolved. The Dorchester House, a mansion built in 1853, was demolished to make way for what is now the Dorchester Hotel. Although it wasn’t the first Park Lane hotel to open, the replacement of the Dorchester Mansion with the Dorchester Hotel represented Park Lane’s shift from private to commercial interests. And, much like the few private residences and many luxurious hotels on Park Lane today, all the houses on Park Lane were considered very costly and thereby accessible to only the richest in England.
Expansion during the 1960s widened Park Lane to three lanes each direction. Construction quickly turned into a major project including claiming some of Hyde Park’s land and demolishing houses at Hyde Park Corner. This physical rearrangement shifted Park Lane from a primarily residential area to one of the most congested roads in Central London. Today, almost all persons living on Park Lane are temporarily staying at one of the fabulous Park Lane hotels.
Many recent events involving Park Lane have kept this street in the limelight. The Animals in War Memorial was unveiled November 2004 in memory of the animals that died under British military command throughout history. The Live 8 Concert was held at Hyde Park, right off Park Lane, preceding the G8 summit in July 2005. The major event drew international attention and coverage as a charitable cause to fight global poverty with an incredibly talented musical lineup that included the long-awaited on-stage reunion of English rock band Pink Floyd.
As London grew, Park Lane abruptly changed its identity from an affluent residence to a major metropolitan causeway but continually remained essential and central to the development of London.
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