Many of the historical sites of interest and landmarks of Leicester were constructed and established during the 18th Century. The Royal Infirmary, the New Walk and the canal are just a few of those from that time. During the 19th Century the Industrial Revolution took place and that was the greatest single movement that affected the town of Leicester. During that short one hundred years the population grew exponentially, from seventeen thousand to two hundred thousand, and the city began to expand its boundaries.
By the beginning of 1900, 4 railroads were going through the town, the Midland, the Great Central, the Leicester-Swannington and the Great Northern. Leicester hotels, restaurants, and market shops began their booming businesses as well. The factories started being built throughout the town, hundreds of them. Architecture was splendidly exihibited through the civic and the governement buildings such as the Town Hall, with a fountain, and garden decorated front square. The status of the city was elevated with the construction of opulent and extravagent hotels.
The industries of hosiery and knitted production as well as the shoe craftsmans, and by the 1930′s Leicester became one of the wealthies, and most successfull cities in all of Europe. Many of the historic mansions located throughout the suburbs of Knighton and Stoneygate are evidence of this previously acquired wealth. Today, many Asian companies and coroporations have moved into the city, which has add another cultural and economic element to the heritage and to the future of the city of Leicester.
The Oxford Street is the site of the Jain Center, this is in the Asain business district and is the largest center of this type in the Western countries of the world. The combination of the traditional modes of business transactions and adapability have merged with the Asian mode of business and ethics, and this two aspects combined served to pull the city through the economic trials of the 1980′s.
