Great Portland Street

Great Portland Street

Great Portland Street marks the border of Marylebone and Fitzrovia
Former name(s)	John Street (1726)
Length	0.45 mi (0.72 km)
Location	Westminster, London
Postal code	W1W
Coordinates	51.5204° N, 0.1429° W
south end	Oxford Street
north end	Marylebone Road & Euston Road

Great Portland Street in the West End of London links Oxford Street with Albany Street and the A501 Marylebone Road and Euston Road. The road forms the boundary between Fitzrovia to the east and Marylebone to the west. Parts of it are in the City of Westminster's Marylebone High Street and West End wards.

Long sections of Great Portland Street are in two Westminster City Council conservation areas (Harley Street Conservation Area and East Marylebone Conservation Area). Great Portland Street was developed by the Dukes of Portland, who owned most of the eastern half of Marylebone in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was first rated as John Street in 1726.

Great Portland Street separates different areas with distinct identities, such as the grandeur of Portland Place and Harley Street, and the artistic and independent areas of Fitzrovia. The street has its own unique character, due in part of the unusual combination of small shops combined with its strongly rectilinear character, which gives it a feeling not unlike parts of New York City.

Different owners and interests influenced the initial development of the area and affected the street layout and character. Edward Harley – Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, who married Lady Henrietta Cavendish – was responsible for the development of the Portland Estate, which commenced with Cavendish Square in 1717 and grew north and east. Great Portland Street's name is derived from the estate and several other street names in the area are related to the area's ownership, albeit less obviously.