In the 1620's, Robert Baker was an acclaimed tailor in the area, famous for making piccadillies, which were a type of frilly collar (very popular during the 17th century). His house was named Pickadilly Hall, which was located along a thoroughfare that would later become known by the same name. Piccadilly Circus itself was built in 1819 on the site of the property once owned by Lady Hutton. When Shaftesbury Avenue was built in 1886, Piccadilly Circus lost its iconic circular shape, but not its well-established name.
Because of its central location, Piccadilly Circus and the junction on which it lies are both very busy in terms of human and vehicular traffic. To cope with the increasing amount of pedestrians, cars, busses, and so on, it was decided that Piccadilly Circus would need to be expanded. These expansion discussions were held during the early 1960's. However, there were several disputes, which meant that Piccadilly Circus remained relatively unchanged in terms of its size and structure or layout.
Some of the popular tourist attractions around Piccadilly Circus include the Shaftesbury Memorial and the statue of Eros, the Criterion Theatre, the central hub of Soho, and the London Pavilion. In addition, there are many shops to satisfy even the most discriminating of shopaholics. These include everything from designer boutiques to family-oriented retail outlets. The young (as well as the young-at-heart) will know this area as the epicentre of a vibrant night club culture. Any one of the many night clubs in the area are pulsating with vibrant party-goers until the small hours of the morning.