Nottingham is one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in Britain. With a population of about 270,000, has much to offer from the world's oldest pub and traditional markets to fashionable bars to designer boutiques. In recent surveys, Nottingham was voted the best English shopping center outside of London. In addition, the Nottingham area has more sports facilities per person thatn anywhere else in Europe. The city has a reputation for contemporary arts, with around 400 practicing artists - more per square foot than any other European city. Nottingham, also known as "Queen of the Midlands", has been home to three of the most significant writers of the 19th and 20th centuries - Lord Byron, DH Lawrence, and Alan Silitoe - as well as Nottingham's Prince of Thieves, Robin Hood.