What is a High Street?

The concept of “High Street” is something that has not come over the United States.  When I first arrived, I was pretty confused about what a high street was and what stores were on one.  My flat is right off of Kensington High Street, which is full of restaurants and a variety of fast fashion stores, like Top Shop and Zara.  Later, I visited Oxford Circus, which is the perfect example of everything a high street is.  When I first walked out of the tube and took a look around, the mobs of people and traffic reminded me of Times Square.  I looked up and down Oxford Street and there were stores as far as I could see.  Just off the main road, there are some higher end stores, restaurants, and a lot of cafes.  I found it all to be very overwhelming, but it gave me a good idea of what a high street is like.  In the simplest of terms, it’s a hub of stores and restaurants.  You can plan your day around your visit, pick and choose what stores to go into, stop at a cafe, and continue stopping later on.  To me, it seems like a large outdoor mall.