Kensington
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| Kensington's coat of arms | |
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|---|---|
| Population - Metro |
24,205,184 34,762,467 |
| Home Country | Victoria |
| Nation | British Londinium |
| Area Code | 001 |
| Postal Code | W10 |
The Royal City of Kensington is the capital and largest city of British Londinium. It lies 42 metres above sea level and has a population of 24 million (34 million when the metropolitan area is counted). It is an important economic, cultural and political center in the country and in the world, and is the home of the United Kingdom's government. It is unique in that it is the only Londinian city with public loudspeakers built on every street corner.
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Background
Founded at the beginning of the first millenium CE, Kensington is home to thirty million individuals, along with many vital political, economic, and social institutions. When first founded by Roman explorers in 2 BCE, it was referred to as Novæ Londinivm, and served as the informal head of the Londinian-city states, an alliance known as the Aseuropaeus League. After one hundred and forty four years of loose conglomeration, Novæ Londinivm noted its superiority, and invaded the entirety of British Londinium - it took centuries to push the Empire established by the Royal City back to its Metropolitan boundaries. Up until 1745, the city's political importance waned in light of British Dominion, though its societal, cultural, and economic importance still remained strong. During the War of Sovereignty, Kensington was restored as capital of British Londinium.
Since 1745, Kensington has served as the focal point for many political and economic trends, and has also served as the forefront of technological development in British Londinium.
Kensington is renowned for its cool summer fog, steep rolling hills, an eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture, and its peninsular location surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and Kensington Bay. Famous landmarks include the Metelli Bridge, 1 International Finance Place, Kensington Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Chinatown, and New Rome.
Geography
Kensington is located in the Home Country of Victoria, in the province of Londinium. Running through the city is Kensington Bay, which is connected to the Tiberius and Romulus rivers. To the north lie the Montaigne Mountains, which stretch from the western coast to Lake Cæsar, near Kingston. To the east are the famous Vernaccia Basin vineyards, which produce some of the finest wines in the nation. The city is mainly built on flat grassland, though the northern area has been said to be hillier than San Francisco.
Sectares
The city of Kensington is split into a number of districts, or sectares.
Sectare Dirigere
The extremely large Governmental District is the heart of British Londinium's government. Most of the Ministries are based here, along with Parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Prime Minister's residence. Most embassies are located here as well.
At times, the Governmental District has been sealed off from public access due to security concerns. This district is the most secure in Kensington.
Sectare Finera
The Financial District is the nerve centre of the city; it comprises the offices and headquarters of many of the city's major financial institutions, including the Kensington Stock Exchange. The neighborhood is anchored by 1 International Finance Centre. The LBG, Virgin Victoria, the Royal Bank of Victoria, and others all have their corporate headquarters located here. Some of the most upscale stores and restaurants line the streets, with the rich and famous frequently dropping by.
Traffic is the largest problem here, especially due to the number of scramble crossings to accomodate the millions of pedestrians that pass through the area.
Infrastructure
Because of its unique geography — making beltways somewhat impractical — and the results of the freeway revolts of the late 1950s, Kensington has opted for European-style arterial thoroughfares instead of a large network of freeways.
Public Transport
Public transit solely within the city of Kensington is provided predominantly by the Kensington Municipal Railway (Muni). The city-owned system operates both a combined light rail/subway system (the Muni Metro) and a bus network that includes both trolleybuses and standard diesel buses. The Metro streetcars run on surface streets in outlying neighborhoods but underground in the downtown area. Additionally, Muni runs the highly-visible F Market historic streetcar line, which runs on surface streets from D'Oyly Street to Fisherman's Wharf, and the iconic Kensington cable car system.
Commuter rail is provided by two complementary agencies. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the regional rapid transit system which connects Kensington with the East Bay through the Transbay Tube. The Transbay Terminal serves as the terminus for long range bus service (such as Greyhound) and as a hub for regional bus systems. Lontrak also runs a shuttle bus from Kensington to a nearby rail station. A small fleet of commuter and tourist ferries operate from the Ferry Terminal and Pier 69.
Airports
Kensington International Airport (KIA), though located 13 miles (21 km) south of the city proper, is under the jurisdiction of the City and County of Kensington. It is a hub for Virgin Victoria, its largest tenant. KIA is an international gateway, with the largest international terminal in the Pacific. The airport is built on a landfill extension into Kensington Bay. During the economic boom of the late 1990s, when traffic saturation led to frequent delays, it became difficult to respond to calls to relieve the pressure by constructing an additional runway as that would have required additional landfill.
Seaports
The Port of Kensington is the largest port in British Londinium, though significant amounts of commerical shipping are being redirected north towards Triumphe.
