Until the 1980's it was the centre of the UK newspaper industry. In the quiet inns, you can see some of the richest men in Britain walk the alleyways. These lawyers have driven justice out of the reach of most people in Britain today. It is also the centre for much of the pageantry, including the Lord Mayors banquet in November each year, at which the Prime Minister traditionally makes a major speech. There is a very comprehensive library, which has among other things a deed of sale for a house, signed by one William Shakespeare Lombard Street - the very heart of the financial centre.
Many banks have their headquarters here.
St Paul's Cathedral has its own page The Strand - the thoroughfare that links the City to Westminster.