--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A curious colony of mountaineers has long…" description: "\"“A curious colony of mountaineers has long been enclosed within that small flat London district of Soho. Swiss watchmakers, Swiss silver-chasers, Swis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-lon_801878.jpg" --- # A curious colony of mountaineers has long been enclosed… ![“A curious colony of mountaineers has long been enclosed within that small flat London district of Soho. Swiss watchmakers, Swiss silver-chasers, Swiss jewellers, Swiss importers of Swiss musical boxes and Swiss toys of various kinds, draw close together there. Swiss professors of music, painting…” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-lon_801878.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-lon_801878.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-lon_801878.jpg) > ““A curious colony of mountaineers has long been enclosed within that small flat London district of Soho.  Swiss watchmakers, Swiss silver-chasers, Swiss jewellers, Swiss importers of Swiss musical boxes and Swiss toys of various kinds, draw close together there.  Swiss professors of music, painting, and languages; Swiss artificers in steady work; Swiss couriers, and other Swiss servants chronically out of place; industrious Swiss laundresses and clear-starchers; mysteriously existing Swiss of both sexes; Swiss creditable and Swiss discreditable; Swiss to be trusted by all means, and Swiss to be trusted by no means; these diverse Swiss particles are attracted to a centre in the district of Soho.  Shabby Swiss eating-houses, coffee-houses, and lodging-houses, Swiss drinks and dishes, Swiss service for Sundays, and Swiss schools for week-days, are all to be found there.  Even the native-born English taverns drive a sort of broken-English trade; announcing in their windows Swiss whets and drams, and sheltering in their bars Swiss skirmishes of love and animosity on most nights in the year.”” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid portrait of a tight‑knit Swiss community in Soho, highlighting cultural concentration and social dynamics. **In simple terms:** Swiss community in Soho is dense and varied. Key Takeaway Notice how cultural clusters form in cities. Themes culture community immigration urban life diversity Mood observational nostalgic Type historical sociological When to use this quote - urban planning - tourism - community events - business networking Key Concepts ethnicity social cohesion economic activity Questions to Reflect On - How does cultural clustering affect identity? - What challenges arise from such dense ethnic enclaves? A Different Perspective May overlook individual differences within the group. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Soho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soho/) ## Related quotes > [I went to the University of Minnesota to study art. I left the university to come to New York and live in Soho. 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Will: "Actually, she wasn't a little girl at all, as it turns out, but a midget in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/tessa-a-little-girl-robbed-you-will-actually-she-wasn-t-a-little-girl/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [For me, growing up in Harlem and then migrating down to SoHo and the Lower East Side and chillin' down there and making that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asap-rocky/for-me-growing-up-in-harlem-and-then-migrating-down-to-soho-and-the/) [ASAP Rocky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asap-rocky/) > [People come from all over the world to see this little place they've seen in movies and read about in history books: Soho.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-almond/people-come-from-all-over-the-world-to-see-this-little-place-they-ve/) [Marc Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-almond/) > [Soho House is normally a private-members club, but the Berlin one has a hotel open to the public. Many beautiful rooms in a cool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-otto/soho-house-is-normally-a-private-members-club-but-the-berlin-one-has/) [Miranda Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-otto/) > [You know obviously a big TV or film break would be lovely, but I find that I’m essentially a theatre trained actor and that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-harington/you-know-obviously-a-big-tv-or-film-break-would-be-lovely-but-i-find/) [Kit Harington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-harington/) > [Being on stage at the Soho Theatre is hard to beat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-martin/being-on-stage-at-the-soho-theatre-is-hard-to-beat/) [Mae Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-martin/) > [Every day you run into artists on the streets in SoHo or other creative people you want to do something with. There's nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-deitch/every-day-you-run-into-artists-on-the-streets-in-soho-or-other/) [Jeffrey Deitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-deitch/) > [I was a young actor in my 20s, going out in Soho, having a wild time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-was-a-young-actor-in-my-20s-going-out-in-soho-having-a-wild-time/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I love SoHo, so much, so stylish and exclusive - it's become my home in every way - this is where I work, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-serhant/i-love-soho-so-much-so-stylish-and-exclusive-it-s-become-my-home-in/) [Ryan Serhant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-serhant/) > [I met her in a club down in North Soho, where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-davies/i-met-her-in-a-club-down-in-north-soho-where-you-drink-champagne-and/) [Ray Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-davies/) > [Sunday brunch at Soho House. The views of L.A. are spectacular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-foster/sunday-brunch-at-soho-house-the-views-of-l-a-are-spectacular/) [Erin Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-foster/) > [I lived on Thompson Street in SoHo for 13 years and I watched it go from a little Italian neighborhood to the Mall Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mottola/i-lived-on-thompson-street-in-soho-for-13-years-and-i-watched-it-go/) [Greg Mottola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mottola/) ## More by Charles Dickens > [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-other-swindlers-upon-earth-are-nothing-to-the-self-swindlers-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-can-be-no-disparity-in-marriage-like-unsuitability-of-mind-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-joe-was-a-very-clean-housekeeper-but-had-an-exquisite-art-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“evening, they began to think that although he could never hope to be an Englishman, still it would be hard to visit that affliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/evening-they-began-to-think-that-although-he-could-never-hope-to-be/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Besides which, all that I could have said of the Story to any purpose, I had endeavoured to say in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/besides-which-all-that-i-could-have-said-of-the-story-to-any-purpose/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The wheels rolled on, and rolled down by the Monument, and by the Tower; and by the Docks; down by Ratcliffe, and by Rotherhithe;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-wheels-rolled-on-and-rolled-down-by-the-monument-and-by-the-tower/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The three customers pulled off their hats to Madame Defarge, with three flourishes. She acknowledged their homage by bending her head, and giving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-three-customers-pulled-off-their-hats-to-madame-defarge-with/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mr. Pickwick was a philosopher, but philosophers are only men in armour, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mr-pickwick-was-a-philosopher-but-philosophers-are-only-men-in-armour/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) [Explore all 2,309 Charles Dickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More Soho quotes > [I went to the University of Minnesota to study art. I left the university to come to New York and live in Soho. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/i-went-to-the-university-of-minnesota-to-study-art-i-left-the/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > [Sunday brunch at Soho House. The views of L.A. are spectacular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-foster/sunday-brunch-at-soho-house-the-views-of-l-a-are-spectacular/) [Erin Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-foster/) > [I met her in a club down in North Soho, where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-davies/i-met-her-in-a-club-down-in-north-soho-where-you-drink-champagne-and/) [Ray Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-davies/) > [I love SoHo, so much, so stylish and exclusive - it's become my home in every way - this is where I work, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-serhant/i-love-soho-so-much-so-stylish-and-exclusive-it-s-become-my-home-in/) [Ryan Serhant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-serhant/) > [I was a young actor in my 20s, going out in Soho, having a wild time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-was-a-young-actor-in-my-20s-going-out-in-soho-having-a-wild-time/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [Every day you run into artists on the streets in SoHo or other creative people you want to do something with. There's nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-deitch/every-day-you-run-into-artists-on-the-streets-in-soho-or-other/) [Jeffrey Deitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-deitch/) > [Being on stage at the Soho Theatre is hard to beat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-martin/being-on-stage-at-the-soho-theatre-is-hard-to-beat/) [Mae Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-martin/) > [You know obviously a big TV or film break would be lovely, but I find that I’m essentially a theatre trained actor and that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-harington/you-know-obviously-a-big-tv-or-film-break-would-be-lovely-but-i-find/) [Kit Harington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-harington/) > [Soho House is normally a private-members club, but the Berlin one has a hotel open to the public. Many beautiful rooms in a cool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-otto/soho-house-is-normally-a-private-members-club-but-the-berlin-one-has/) [Miranda Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-otto/) > [People come from all over the world to see this little place they've seen in movies and read about in history books: Soho.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-almond/people-come-from-all-over-the-world-to-see-this-little-place-they-ve/) [Marc Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-almond/) > [For me, growing up in Harlem and then migrating down to SoHo and the Lower East Side and chillin' down there and making that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asap-rocky/for-me-growing-up-in-harlem-and-then-migrating-down-to-soho-and-the/) [ASAP Rocky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asap-rocky/) > [Tessa: "A little girl robbed you?" Will: "Actually, she wasn't a little girl at all, as it turns out, but a midget in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/tessa-a-little-girl-robbed-you-will-actually-she-wasn-t-a-little-girl/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I don't like the idea that one hotel could be better than another. In any city, I try to find a hotel that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-nouvel/i-don-t-like-the-idea-that-one-hotel-could-be-better-than-another-in/) [Jean Nouvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-nouvel/) > [All my best friends live downtown in New York City. I was made in Soho.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joakim-noah/all-my-best-friends-live-downtown-in-new-york-city-i-was-made-in-soho/) [Joakim Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joakim-noah/) > [I lived on Thompson Street in SoHo for 13 years and I watched it go from a little Italian neighborhood to the Mall Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mottola/i-lived-on-thompson-street-in-soho-for-13-years-and-i-watched-it-go/) [Greg Mottola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mottola/) [Browse all 47 Soho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soho/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A curious colony of mountaineers has long been enclosed within that small flat London district of Soho.  Swiss watchmakers, Swiss silver-chasers, Swiss jewellers, Swiss importers of Swiss musical boxes and Swiss toys of various kinds, draw close together there.  Swiss professors of music, painting, and languages; Swiss artificers in steady work; Swiss couriers, and other Swiss servants chronically out of place; industrious Swiss laundresses and clear-starchers; mysteriously existing Swiss of both sexes; Swiss creditable and Swiss discreditable; Swiss to be trusted by all means, and Swiss to be trusted by no means; these diverse Swiss particles are attracted to a centre in the district of Soho.  Shabby Swiss eating-houses, coffee-houses, and lodging-houses, Swiss drinks and dishes, Swiss service for Sundays, and Swiss schools for week-days, are all to be found there.  Even the native-born English taverns drive a sort of broken-English trade; announcing in their windows Swiss whets and drams, and sheltering in their bars Swiss skirmishes of love and animosity on most nights in the year.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Dickens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-long-been-enclosed-within-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Soho" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-long-been-enclosed-within-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-lon_801878.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-lon_801878.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-lon_801878.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A curious colony of mountaineers has long been enclosed within that small flat London district of Soho…” — Charles Dickens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Dickens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A curious colony of mountaineers has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-long-been-enclosed-within-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-curious-colony-of-mountaineers-has-long-been-enclosed-within-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```