On a recent Sunday in London, I headed east to explore Brick Lane street art, having no idea what awaited me. I was at the end of a month-long trip traveling around Europe, and I was in the mood to just chill and wander London with no set plans.
When I arrived in the East End, I found that I had happened upon the weekly Brick Lane Sunday Market - the Sunday Upmarket. What luck. Typically I avoid crowds, but I was loving this vibrant Brick Lane Market scene, teeming with locals who had come for food and artisan shopping. The street was packed with people, but everyone was in a laid back, happy mood.
Only in recent years has this area of East London transitioned to this trendy hub. For a couple of hundred years, this part of London was known as a poor working class, immigrant neighborhood. And notorious as Jack the Ripper's hunting grounds.
Gentrification was propelled by artists and young people who moved into the East End for affordability. They spawned hip clubs and cafes...and the cool place to be. Undoubtedly, the redevelopment of East London for the 2012 Olympics gave it another big shove toward gentrification, and the Brick Lane area is beginning to feel more like a part of central London.
And as plagues all gentrification, the new popularity of the East End has increased prices and displaced once affordable housing, causing young urbanites and startup businesses to move further eastward to hamlets such as Bethnal Green and beyond, expanding the hip and interesting East London even further.
As I headed down Brick Lane, the street was lined with interesting food stalls.
When I first began traveling to London, Brick Lane was the place to come for cheap, tasty, and authentic Curry due to its large Bengali population. And while it still is, the Brick Lane area is now so much more. Curry restaurants cozy up to hipster vintage shops and trendy modern eateries.
For now though, Brick Lane still feels edgy and artsy. And you'll be in no doubt of that as you are pleasantly assaulted with murals and graffiti art at every turn.
I wandered up and down the small lanes, soaking in the wall-to-wall street art, and still only captured a portion of it.
Brick Lane Artisans
As I began my Market adventure on the main drag of Brick Lane, I found it lined with food stalls and densely packed with Londoners enjoying a bright sunny day. Street musicians ensconced themselves in doorways and street corners, taking advantage of the built-in audience.
I happened upon a small alley lined with artisan and food vendors that led to the Backyard Market, a large airy indoor hall. The artisan hall was lined with tantalizing booths featuring everything from artwork to jewelry to clothing. As I was at the end of my trip, this market was the perfect spot to finish my shopping and find special and unique gifts.
I walked away with a cool pop-culture collage print by Gilil.
Jewelry is a favorite item to shop for when traveling because it's the perfect portable art. Here I indulged in earrings, and one of these fantastic modular wrap necklaces.
Brick Lane Street Food
Off the artisan market, I wandered into its backyard is filled with picnic tables and food trucks / stalls, tucked into yet another cranny of the the Brick Lane Market.
As I wandered further into the neighborhood, I came upon the UpMarket in the Old Truman Brewery which anchors the Brick Lane Sunday Market.
This old brewery houses both food and vintage wares.
I ventured into the indoor food market, and was blown away by the mass of food offerings taking up every inch of space. Hungry locals scoured the indoor street food scene making the tough decision of which amazing foods to try first. And I joined them.
The Market is filled with every ethnic food type you might imagine. I had to take it all in before I could choose. Steaming dishes in enormous pots bubbled on table tops, tantalizing me with their aromas and colors.
I made a full circuit before choosing a brightly colored Thai Pumpkin Curry. I joined those in-the-know outside on the curb, where throngs of people lined the sidewalk seating, enjoying their street food finds.
Brick Lane Flea Market
As I reluctantly left the Brick Lane Market, I fortuitously ran in to yet another market area - this one an extensive flea market.
It was set in a spacious lot in the shadow of urbex buildings filled with graffiti that seemed to set the right tone for this second-hand market.
Sellers spilled from the market onto the sidewalk, hawking everything from luggage to musical instruments in the ambient and colorful streets.
As I segued away from the Brick Lane Market, I wasn't quite through with East London. But even beyond Brick Lane, it was impossible to escape the pervasive, interesting, and often brilliant street art of the East End.
The Perfect Day in London
This had been the perfect way to spend a day in London - far from the tourist scene, and quintessentially London. Given that London is such an expensive city to visit, you can fill an entire enjoyable day at the Brick Lane Sunday Market, very economically. And what you'll get for your investment is an amazing local experience with cheap and tasty street food, vibrant people watching, and an outdoor museum filled with stunning street art.
If you're traveling to London, be sure that make Sunday in Brick Lane happen. The area is conveniently located near the Liverpool Tube / Rail station.
Even with a full day in the area, I only scratched the surface of the Market and the street art. Once is not enough for the Brick Lane Sunday Market.
If you'd like to learn more about London Street Art, check out the extensive and prolific blog, London Calling - which also has a great Instagram feed.
