Brick Lane is a street in the East End of London. Its name comes from being the hotspot of the brick making industry in London in the 16th century, after the Great Fire of London destroyed many of the city’s wooden structures.
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Once known for the Jack the Ripper murders, Brick Lane is now associated with vibrant street art, vintage shops, and famous curry houses. It has a very grungy and liberal atmosphere and should definitely be on your list to visit while in London!
The East End of London has always been a popular spot for migrants such as French Protestants and Jewish families escaping persecution. After World War II, the population of immigrants from Bangladesh grew very quickly and the first curry houses on Brick Lane were opened. Still now this street is the go-to spot for curry in London.
These groups of migrants have a massive role in Brick Lane’s culture, and especially the cuisine. One of the most well known spots is Beigel Bake, a 24-hour bakery selling traditional Jewish style bagels with fillings first opened by an Israeli immigrant in 1974. Almost 50 years later, the bakery is incredible popular and produces an average 7,000 bagels everyday! If you’re happy to wait in a long line, you can get a bagel with fillings for only £2 (which is super cheap for London)!
By the 1990s, Brick Lane had became a very popular spot for street art and people began to leave their “tags” as a way to mark their territory and fight back against the local law enforcement. At the time, this area was not a popular spot for tourists and was not considered to be within central London. Banksy’s most early work appeared around this area, however most of it has been covered up due to the quickly changing nature of street art. Today, Brick Lane is considered by some to be the hotspot of street art in London and even the world.
Make sure you check out Brick Lane on your next trip to London!