Forming part of London's inner ring road, Commercial Street joins Aldgate and Shoreditch, also acting as a boundary between the affluent City and the poorer East End. The street runs North-South and makes up part of the edge of the Congestion charge zone.
Just around the corner lies the street that epitomises the City itself, Threadneedle Street, home of the Bank of England and some of the major financial houses, such as Lloyds of London.
The best known landmark in the area, though, has to be the old Spitalfields Market, a large covered market which has proved to be a great draw for local and foreign shoppers alike. Although the bulk of fruit and vegetable sales were relocated to the new Spitalfields Market in the early nineties, the old market is still as popular as ever for its food and antiques.