Short answers, pulled from the story.
London's West End of London began as a distinct entity from the City of London in medieval times. Two adjacent cities existed side by side, each maintaining its own legal identity and character.
Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans initiated initial development efforts during the 1660s. The massive loss of housing within the City of London triggered a significant building boom in the western district following the fire.
Westminster City Council published a report titled Vision for the West End in 2005 that included specific areas such as Covent Garden, Soho, Chinatown, Leicester Square, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street, Trafalgar Square, the Strand, Aldwych, and Theatreland. The document treated Edgware Road to the north-west and Victoria Embankment to the south-east as adjacent areas rather than core components.
One electoral ward named West End had a population of 10,575 according to the 2011 Census. This data point reflects the residential density within one specific boundary of the broader district.
Public squares and circuses define the visual identity of the area including Berkeley Square, Cambridge Circus, Cavendish Square, Grosvenor Square, Hanover Square, Hyde Park Corner, Leicester Square, Manchester Square, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Parliament Square, Piccadilly Circus, Portman Square, Russell Square, Soho Square, St James's Square, and Trafalgar Square. These locations serve as landmarks for both residents and visitors navigating the dense urban core.