Central Buisness District

Covered Market

It is hard to define exactly where the central Buisness District of Oxford is, because Oxford is unlike other, larger towns, and dosen't have nearly the same concentration of commercial area that one would find in say, Tokyo or New York. Then again, I doubt that you would find the fine historical architecture of Oxford in their CBD's. I would say it's in the region shown here, from Beaumont street, along St Giles, and along Queen street to Parks Road, in the city centre. Here you will find an extensive collection of inns, pubs, museums, and shops. The area is primarily filled with service-based industry. One of the most inrteresting features of the area is the Covered Market, a collection of street vendors in a high concentration. It is found on The High, just west of Cornmarket Street. They sell meats, breads, fish, dairy products, and fruit and vegetables. There are also goods from around the world, including furniture, pet shops, records, coffee, gifts, and much more.

Westgate Shopping Centre

The Westgate Shopping Centre is located at the intersection of Queen Street and St. Elbe's, in the Southwest corner of the CBD. It is an ugly, sprawling conglomeration of retail stores, and is the largest mall in the Oxfordshire county. It is a distracting addition to the Urban Landscape, largely because it seems so out of place. It is in close proximity to The Museum of Modern Art, and the museum of Oxford, and seems out of place in the city as a whole due to its ugly 1970's architechture. Cornmarket Street, the main shopping throughfare, is a block to the east, as is Carfax, the intersection of The High and Cornmarket street. Carfax is the ancient center of the town, with Carfax Tower being the main historical attraction there.