When wandering the street of the centre of London, everything is very clean, spruced… For people wishing to find something different, less chic, less smooth, think about Brick Lane, in East End neighbourhood.
As far as culture mix, you won’t find anything better than here!
Let’s go back in time: built in the 17th century, Brick Lane naturally inherited its name from the tile and brick factory settled around it. The place first became a shelter from homeless people after the great fire ravaging London in 1666. They settled here and work on the docks not so far away. Then the street (and the surrounding neighbourhood) welcomed throughout the years and the centuries different community: French Huguenots running from persecutions, Irish trying to avoid famine, Ashkenazi Jews fleeing Russian pogroms and only recently Bengalis took possession of the place… Besides their cultural background, these proletarians and blue-collars from Brick Lane all shared the same Marxist ideology. The East End and its lasting reputation of insalubrity inspired the great English writer that is Charles Dickens.
Nowadays, Brick Lane is well known for its curry houses and the Indian culture which the street is the centre.
As you walk up the street starting from the tube station East Aldgate, you’ll see along with graffitis that the street morph from Indian style to vintage clothes stores, coffee shops or hype art galleries. Actually, the place has become for a few years now, the place to be seen and party in London. New clubs and trendy bars are swarming each month, like the Truman Brewery, a former factory converted into a fashionable place.
As a matter of fact, this great complex houses, since the end of the 90’s, 2 of the most popular and trendier clubs: The Vibe Bar 93 and Feet East.
For those keen of History, know the Jack the ripper ‘worked’ in the area at the end of the 19th century. This case stayed in people’s mind up to this day. If you have a bit of time, you could follow a guide on a tour about this famous serial killer who slaughtered 5 prostitutes. The police never caught Jack! Back in those days, when the neighbourhood was dark and gloomy, a place where its habitants were left out of the society.
We highly recommend visiting Brick lane and its cultural mix. A feel good place, amongst Indian culture and trendy young people, where life hasn’t always be pretty!
