The London Centre- Home Away from Home

What is the London Centre?
One of the many benefits of visiting London on a BYU study abroad program is the opportunity I have to live somewhere beautiful.  I will be lucky enough to live at the Brigham Young University London Centre.  This short video shows what the Centre looks like and give a good description of it (ignore the 1990's look of the students and just admire the beautiful architecture of the Centre).  You can read about the location and history below for more information.  I can already tell that it's going to be a great home away from home for seven weeks!

Location
"Nestled on a quiet street just north of Kensington Palace and Gardens and just east of Notting Hill and the famous Portabello Market, the Brigham Young University London Centre sits inconspicuously in two of several stately Victorian mansions on Palace Court in the Bayswater neighborhood of London. Less than a block away, Palace Court intersects Bayswater Road, which runs along the north side of Hyde Park, passes the Speaker’s Corner where Gordon B. Hinckley preached the gospel from a soap box as a missionary, and becomes Oxford Street—Europe’s busiest shopping street" (BYU London Centre History by Jason Jones).


Here is a map to show you what area I'm in... It's the red area. :)

Here is a real map to give you an idea of where it is in relation to the rest of the city (where the "A" is).  

The location couldn't be more perfect!  It is a very posh and well to do area, near so many sites, with great access to public transportation (the "Underground" or the "Tube").  I'm especially excited about being one short block away from Hyde Park and Kensington Palace.  


History
The Centre is not only in a great location but is also seeped with history itself.  It is made up of numbers 27 and 29 Palace Court townhomes.  The townhomes were built in the late 19th century and occupied by several different characters including a prominent women's rights activist, a suspected thief of the Irish Crown Jewels, men who died as soldiers in World War I, war veterans, and students.  


The building has also stood the test of many disasters.  After WWI it was most likely used as a boarding house or hotel.  During the bombing of London of World War II the Kensington/Notting Hill area were severely damaged.  While the Centre survived, "Palace Court was hit on at least two but probably three occasions, with the buildings directly across the street seriously damaged" (BYU London Centre History by Jason Jones).  At one point, the Centre housed "the Czechoslovak-British Friendship Club, which provided a gathering place for those refugees and their families" (BYU London Centre History by Jason Jones).  When the homes were purchased by BYU in the 70's, they were being used as a medical training facility.  The Centre has survived a lot and will be renovated this upcoming Fall.

I am excited to live and learn in this beautiful, historic place as so many others have done before me!