A Walk in Shoreditch – The best things to do in Shoreditch

karl@karlosinternational.com

3 years ago

Today I want to take you on a walk around Shoreditch and to share some of the best things to do in this area. Visiting this corner of London is one of my favourite things when visiting the city. Shoreditch is packed with fun things to do, but is probably best known for it’s vibrant markets, it’s amazing food scene and it’s colourful street murals. It’s a very popular place with young, trendy Londoners who flock here to visit the quirky shops and to eat eclectic food from the local markets.

I’m lucky to say that I used to work close to Liverpool Street. This meant that the streets of Shoreditch and Spitalfields were a short walk from my desk. It also means that these are familiar neighbourhoods to me now. Even so, this is a vibrant and ever changing corner of London so there’s always something new to discover. So even though I’m familiar with the area, it’s still worth taking time to explore the streets around Shoreditch.

Before anyone gets on their high horse about what’s included in this post, the definitions of districts in London are pretty vague. In this corner of East London is particularly difficult to work out where the different neighbourhoods intersect. Shoreditch, Spitalfields, Aldgate, the City and Whitechapel are all remarkably close together. It can all get very confusing.

For me, the limits of Shoreditch would be Brick Lane to the east, Old Street Underground to the north and west and Liverpool Street Station to the south. I’m happy to discuss your definitions over some street food on my next visit.

A Very Brief History of Shoreditch

Shoreditch is a popular corner of the city, and there are some great things to do in this area. But it’s not always been this way. During the 19^th Century, the east end of London was a dark and dirty place. The people here had lives of extreme poverty. Most of them lived in boarding houses, where beds were shared by up to 24 other people and would be rented by the night.

To cope with these living conditions, the locals would drink huge amounts of gin which was cheap and brewed locally. Hence some of the many connections between gin production and the city of London. It hasn’t always been the classic aperitif that it is today. It was brewed in bath tubs and had the potential to be much stronger than the gins we drink today. Locals would drink this gin by the pint and without a mixer. It was so strong that many women used it as a method of birth control, which is where the term ‘mother’s ruin’ came from, a common nickname for gin which is used in the UK. It’s far cry from the gin and tonics and avocado salads consumed by the locals in Shoreditch today.

The streets around Spitalfields, Shoreditch and Whitechapel were among the very worst. Dorset Street, a street that no longer exists, was once described as the most dangerous street in London. It would have been a short walk from Dorset Street to where Spitalfields market is today. Although London was heavily bombed during World War 2, a lot of the buildings from the 19^th century are still here. It creates a quirky intersection between the historic buildings of the 19th century and the forward looking, hipster community that live in Shoreditch today.

Best Things to do in Shoreditch, London

Shoreditch has Amazing Markets

It’s impossible to write about Shoreditch without encouraging you to visit some of amazing markets in this area. There are a few of them and each one of them offers something different. They are amazing places for browsing stalls, soaking up the local atmosphere and enjoying amazing food. My top picks of the markets in Shoreditch are below. If you want to visit a specific market, you should plan your visit to Shoreditch for a market day as some of them only open once per week. The atmosphere in these areas will is completely different when you visit on a non-market day.

Brick Lane Market

So I’d recommend visiting Brick Lane even when it isn’t a market day. It’s a bustling corner of the city with a great atmosphere and some very interesting shops. I’m always sure to nip into the Brick Lane bookshop. It’s a great independent bookstore with a great selection of books on London, in addition to the usual selection of novels and non-fiction books. Beigel Bake is a 24/7 bakery, best known for producing bagels by the traditional Jewish recipe. This little bakery sells over 7000 bagels every day! One of my favourite shops, which has now closed, was called Cereal Killer. This café and shop sold nothing but bowls of cereal. Although that’s only a small selection of the shops of Brick Lane, it’s safe to say that if you’re looking for something quirky or alternative, this is probably the place to find it.

On Sunday morning, Brick Lane really comes to life as the market opens. The street fills with traders and merchants much like has happened for centuries. It’s a varied market but the street food vedors are particularly good. The aromas of the food being cooked are phenomenal and there’s always something new and interesting to sample. I’d recommend browsing the full length of brick lane before choosing what you want to eat. I know I’m terrible for getting excited by the first food stall, quickly buying lunch and having food envy for the rest of my time here.

Vintage Market

There’s a huge market for vintage clothing in Shoreditch. It’s not only trendy, but it’s also great for the environment. This makes it hugely popular with the local community of hipsters. You’ll spot quite a few vintage clothing stores in the area, and a few stalls selling vintage clothes usually pop up with Brick Lane Market.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a permanent vintage market on Brick Lane. It’s the largest vintage market in the UK. It’s open everyday of the week and is indoors which means there’s an option for browsing markets in Shoreditch, even when the weather is bad. The market is inside a disused brewery. Within this there is a labyrinth of independent stalls selling clothes from times gone by.

The collections are absolutely fascinating so it’s a great place to wander around, even when you aren’t shopping for clothes.

Columbia Road Flower Market

Columbia Road is away from the beaten track of the main street in Shoreditch. If you were to visit this area on most days, you’d find a residential street with a few shops and cafes, nothing out of the ordinary. But head here on a Sunday morning and your experience will be very different. On Sunday’s Columbia Road hosts one of London’s busiest markets. As the name suggests, the Columbia Road flower market specialises in the sales of plants and flowers. The range and variety of the flowers on sale here is phenomenal, not to mention the colours and the sweet smell of flowers and pollen.

The market is hugely popular and a large number of visitors come to the market each Sunday. On one hand the crowds mean that the market has a great atmosphere. But it also means that the street gets pretty crowded and at times it can be difficult to move around. Give yourself plenty of time and arrive early if you want to avoid the crowds.

Old Spitalfield’s Market

Spitalfields Market is on the border between Shoreditch and the city. The skyscrapers begin just a couple of blocks from here. The market at Spitalfields has been here for over 350 years although the current external buildings arrived in 1887. The market used to specialise in wholesale fruit and vegetables. The fruit and vegetable part of this market was moved to the New Spitalfields market in Leyton in the 1990s.

Old Spitalfield’s market now caters to tourists and city workers. It’s an eclectic mix of stalls selling sweet treats and souvenirs, sitting alongside the more permanent fashion brands and cosmetic boutiques. It’s a great place for socialising as there are many cafes, bars and restaurants, both inside the market and in the surrounding streets.

If you’re interesting in history, have a wander around the streets to the south of Old Spitalfields Market. The trendy cafes are boutiques are inside beautiful 19th century buildings. The area has a modern feel but it’s easy to imagine that you’re stepping back in time. In the narrow alleyways it’s easy to imagine how Dickensian London would have looked. On Crispin Lane you can even find a Victorian workhouse which has been converted into student accommodation. Just look for the signs for ‘Men’ and ‘Women’ above the entrance.

It’s Hotspot for Street Art and Graffitti

The people of Shoreditch are a creative bunch. And nothing represents this better than the street art and graffiti in this neighbourhood. It’s probably one of the best places in London for street artistry and murals.

Although you can find street art throughout Shoreditch, there are a couple of spots I’d recommend visiting. In these streets the walls are an ever-changing tapestry of colours, creativity, quirky ideas and political statements. The results are beautiful and often thought provoking.

New Inn Yard is a good starting point. A lot of the buildings in this area are converted warehouses so there’s an interesting mix between the old and new here. There are some amazing, large scale murals painted on the walls here so it’s a good place to visit if you’re looking for street art. Some of these are permanent fixtures, some of them less formal.

Buxton Street is my top recommendation for street art. The art here is more informal. The wall is a collage of smaller artworks making this one of the most colourful streets in London. The art on the wall changes by the day as new pieces of work join the other art on the wall. Some of the works are pretty small so it can take a while to browse. A local stopped while I was browsing to tell me which pieces had recently been and added and where to find more.

I took a short walk from here to Allen Gardens where there is even more graffiti surrounding the park. It’s also a great green space if you’re looking for a break. Shoreditch can be intense!

Amazing Options for Food

This is a great area of town if you’re looking for food. Shoreditch tends to attract a younger, vibrant and trendy clientele so you can expect to find cafes, bars and restaurants that cater to these eclectic tastes. There’s a huge amount of variety here.

I’ve already mentioned Brick Lane market which is open each Sunday morning. Street food is one of the highlights of this market so I’d recommend heading towards this area if you’re looking for Breakfast or Lunch on a Sunday.

But Brick Lane has other culinary merits. Brick Lane is the epicentre of the Bangladeshi community in London and has been since the 1970s. The curry houses here are among the best in London. There are over 60 of them on Brick Lane alone so there are plenty for you to chose from. Again, take some time to have a wander down the street before picking your restaurant as there are so many. I tend to follow my nose as some of the scents in this area are amazing and will definitely help to give you an appetite. Many of the restaurants in this area don’t serve alcohol for religious reasons but may allow you to bring your own. Double check before going into a restaurant if you like to have alcohol with your meal.

Was Shoreditch home to Jack the Ripper?

Jack the Ripper famously terrorised the streets in Whitechapel in the autumn of 1888. Over a century later, the case continues to fascinate criminologists. The Whitechapel murders are easily the most infamous unsolved murder case in history.

Most tours start in Whitechapel, but very quickly head north into Shoreditch and Spitalfields. I’d argue that most of the events happened in this area. Annie Chapman was murdered on Hanbury Street, a stone’s throw from brick lane, and Mary Jane Kelly was killed close to where Spitalfields market is today. It’s a five minute walk into the city and into Mitre Square where Catherine Eddowes died.

You can still visit some of the buildings from this period. The Ten Bells pub on Commercial Street is a popular point of interest. It was where two of the canonical five victims drank regularly. Much of the pub’s interior remains as it would have been in the 1880’s. The Christ Church is across the road from the Ten Bells. A key witness to the second murder was able to help estimate the timing of the killing, as he passed this church and looked at the clock a few moments later. The current building on Spitalfields market would have been newly opened at this time.

You can find most of the historic locations on your own. But I’d recommend joining a Jack the Ripper tour. It’s a great way to learn more about this area during the 19^th century. You’ll learn about the infamous murders but also discover what life was like for the people of Whitechapel and Shoreditch during this time. Hollywood has romanticised huge sections of the Jack the Ripper story. Taking a tour helps to strip away these associations and to tell the story in the streets where the events took place.

Thanks for Reading

Thank you for reading this post – I hope that you’re feeling inspired to take you own walk around Shoreditch. It’s a really great neighbourhood. If you enjoyed reading this post, I’d recommend reading some of my other UK travel posts. Take a look at the following: