Meet Katie – Favourite Station – Piccadilly Circus
I’ve started a new branch of the Tube Mapper project exploring people’s favourite stations or stops on the London Underground Tube Map. I meet people at their favourite stations, taking photos and interviewing them to find out what makes it so special.
Meet Katie, a London Blue Badge tourist guide whose favourite Tube station is Piccadilly Circus.
Why is it their favourite station?
The station opened on 10 March 1906, this Zone 1 station is served by the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines — but for Katie, it’s much more than just a stop on the map.
Growing up a little further out of London, she remembers the feeling of stepping out of Piccadilly Circus and instantly knowing she was in the heart of the city. The noise, the lights, the architecture, all the tiny details above your eyeline, create that unmistakable “this is London” moment.
One of her first jobs was in an office nearby, and walking out of the station each morning made her feel grown up and excited. It was a small but powerful milestone: emerging from the Underground and heading into working life in one of London’s most iconic spots.
Inside the station, Katie loves the classic roundels, the elegant lamp standards, and the sweeping staircase that draws you underground. Because it’s entirely below street level, there’s a sense of discovering a hidden city beneath your feet. The circular walkway, the stonework, the design, it’s a feast for the eyes.
Step outside and you’re on Regent Street, purpose-built in 1819 as a grand shopping street. With strict original rules, no butchers or grocers, it still feels refined today and remains owned by the Crown Estate.
And don’t miss one of the station’s hidden gems: the World Time Clock, still ticking and showing the time in cities across the globe.
