East London: Cultural Diversity and Eclectic Art

 

East London is brimming with culture- literally. Walking around Whitechapel, Petticoat Lane, Shoreditch, Brick Lane and Aldgate will expose you to world-renowned street art, a barrage of vintage shops, and cuisine ranging from award-winning Indian curries to jellied eels. 

 

 

The whole area is such a pleasant surprise, a hotbed of so many distinct cultures and languages; you'll come across shop signs written in Mandarin, Arabic, Hindu and Persian, catering to the specific culture that is concentrated in that particular neighbourhood.  

Each area did have a particular feel to it. In Whitechapel, for example, you have the East London Mosque calling the noon prayer next to the Royal London Hospital and across from a small market where you can buy embellished saris next to vegetable stalls and small shops selling Muslim prayer beads and incense sticks.

On Bricklane, the road is filled with incredible graffiti and street art, including famous pieces by ROA, Milotchais and Cranio, next to a row of Indian restaurants that have all been voted 'Best Curry' over the years. Of course, the vintage shops are another highlight of this famous street. They're not cheap, though, but they fit well into the neighbourhood's eclectic, artistic and urban vibe.

 

Shoreditch gets animated at night with so many popular pubs, bars and clubs in the area. Shoreditch Church faces the entrance to Spitafields Market, an indoor space which may have once been an organically created market, but now is filled with restaurant chains, boutiques and a few clothes stalls selling the same merchandise you'd find in Camden and Portabello market.

Past the market, you reach the commercial center, a sharp contradiction to the gritty streets of Brick Lane and Pettycoat Lane.

 

 

Petticoat Lane market has always been touted as one of the cheapest clothes markets you'll ever find in London; which is clearly true: you can buy dresses for as little as 5£, suits for 10£ and there are tons of fabric stores selling beautiful batik and African tribal prints. The market seems to be run by and catering to East African, Indian and Pakistani cultures, at least judging by the sellers' nationalities and the speciality shops.

 

 

One of the highlights of our walk around the area was visiting the Whitechapel Gallery next to Aldgate East station, which has free entry and one of the best art bookshops in London. The gallery's architecture is very interesting, with a variety of rooms in different sizes and on different levels that allows for a different art viewing experience. Also, their original prints are priced at 100£, making their displayed art affordable to anyone.

Having walked around these areas for a few hours, we interns can safely assume that CIDA is at the hub of a lively and booming cultural hotbed full of so many distinct and fascinatingly juxtaposed lifestyles and cultures. It's a great location and brings so much of London's unique cultural fabric together in a tight space.