Over 300 languages are spoken in London, a city steeped in diversity.
And what better way to represent this, than with a World Tube Map — a country's flag represented at each stop (plus a few religions), contingent on ethnic neighbourhoods & commercial hubs; landmarks & associations; and restaurants/bars. To name a handful:
🇬🇷 Tottenham Court Road: That'll be the Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum.
🇨🇭Piccadilly Circus: Everyone's favourite glockenspiel clock.
🇯🇵 Holland Park: despite its name, this spot is better known for its Japanese garden.
🇬🇪 Highbury & Islington: the nearby Tbilisi restaurant is home to the best khachapuri this side of Georgia.
🇨🇳 Kew Gardens: Though designed by a Swedish-born architect in England, Kew Gardens' Great Pagoda takes its cue from China.
🇮🇷 East Finchley, Finchley Central, West Finchley: lots of Iranian heritage in this part of town.
The World Tube Map is the idea of map maker Arcangelo Martiello, who's behind the Easy Tube Map website. "I was inspired by London's incredible diversity and the way multiple layers of migration have shaped the city," Arcangelo tells Londonist. "Every time I walked somewhere new, I would notice restaurants, bakeries and religious buildings — it was a never‑ending discovery. I wanted to design a map that reflects that richness, celebrating multicultural London through ethnic neighbourhoods, landmarks, and restaurants at every stop, for people of all national, racial and religious backgrounds."
As for Archangelo's favourite stop on the map? "It's difficult to say, but maybe St Peter's & Old Little Italy (Farringdon). It made me reflect on the Italians who arrived in London long before me, even though it has now mostly disappeared. It was also a special place to visit when my mum and my sister came to London."
Check out the full map on the Easy Tube Map website. There's also a centralised map with a handy slider here.
All images: easytubemap.com
