Earthblog

Spitalfields
Spitalfields has undergone an amazing renaissance and alongside the street market it now has bars, cafes and an art gallery. It is a lively place with plenty going on both day and night. This is the place where you’ll find true cockneys, people who have lived here all their lives and have many stories to tell...

Shoreditch
Shoreditch is now one of the trendiest areas in London, having been a run down East End borough on the edge of Hackney and the City for years. The amazingly, unlikely comeback of the mullet (http://visitbricklane.com/administrator/index.php?option=com_content§ionid=-1&task=edit&cid[]=103traditionally the preserve of footballers, and easily recognisable by its brave short-top-n-sides-long-in-the-neck look) probably owes itself to Shoreditch trendies...

Whitechapel
Whitechapel is rippled with history; it is probably the most interesting East End borough if you're just visiting the area. It was here, that the French Huguenot immigrants first set up camp in the 17th century, later the Jews and today the area is dominated by the Bangladeshi community...

Bethnal Green & Stepney
Bethnal Green and Stepney have an amazingly diverse community and locals would argue it's the true heart of London. Whichever way you turn here there are legends and remnants of London's past staring back. Stepney used to be a medieval village and the area around St. Dunstan's on the High Street, which dates back to the 10th century...

Hoxton
Original home of the warehouse flat, the area became popular in the early 90's as artists such as Damien Hurst and Tracey Emin began exhibiting their work at the White Cube gallery. It now teems with musicians and artists, originally drawn by the cheap space and character of the place, but now as much by its reputation as a place to be seen...

East End
London's East End has almost mythical status, whether from one of Britain's most popular soap-opera's, East Enders, or from its famous citizens, such as Jack the Ripper or the Kray Twins it has something of a bad boy image and is by many considered the true heart of London...

Bow & Mile End
Although slightly less bombed during the War than much of the East End , Bow and nearby Mile End are a mix of high rise and council estates with Georgian and Victorian terraces punctuated by the odd fine warehouse. The old match factory of Bryant and May for example now houses 700 new flats...