The area is home to many specialist shops, such as Berry Bros, the fine hat makers James Lock & Son and Rudd, a fine wine merchant whose cellars are reputedly the largest in London.

The magnificent St James's Park begins just over the road from Buckingham Palace, and hosts many royal events such as the Trooping the Colour ceremony. The Mall is the finishing point of the London Marathon.

The numerous gentlemen's clubs that line St James's Street and Pall Mall are well-known as places where affairs of state are discussed and foreign policies are secretly debated.

In 2001, St James Park tube station was one of three to experience a new fragrance called 'Madeleine', designed with the aim of making the underground smell nicer. The idea was scrapped one day later after passengers complained it was making them feel sick.