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Made a little trip up to London's East End today. I love South West London and I think we've picked the best place to live, but it is nice to visit the other parts of London.
The most evident characteristic of the east end is the demographic; which largely consists of Bangladeshis, Gypsies and Hipsters.
The result of such a demographic is an abundance of free-range-fair-trade-animal-safe-chemical-free grocery stores (saving the planet one reusable hemp shopping bag at a time); pretentious coffee establishments that boldly proclaim their distaste towards new or matching furniture with a selection of vintage couches and the obligatory leather wingback; street signs that are helpfully subtitled in Bengali (Bacon Street is just a tiny bit amusing); and the ever-present aromatic cocktail of falafel and shit that seems to inevitably accompany the presence of certain cultures.
The most evident characteristic of the east end is the demographic; which largely consists of Bangladeshis, Gypsies and Hipsters.
The result of such a demographic is an abundance of free-range-fair-trade-animal-safe-chemical-free grocery stores (saving the planet one reusable hemp shopping bag at a time); pretentious coffee establishments that boldly proclaim their distaste towards new or matching furniture with a selection of vintage couches and the obligatory leather wingback; street signs that are helpfully subtitled in Bengali (Bacon Street is just a tiny bit amusing); and the ever-present aromatic cocktail of falafel and shit that seems to inevitably accompany the presence of certain cultures.
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But what I really love about the east end is that here, like no other place in London (that I've encountered thus far), you see the old London come face-to-face with the new. Shiny steel and glass towers rise straight up out of blocks of earthen-brick buildings that have stood for decades or more; centuries old walls are adorned with contemporary street art; even Starbucks with its hallmark modern styling is jammed into a three-story building that at one point would have been small apartments.
It's in this area, geographically regarded as 'Greater London', that you truly see a greater London. The church-come-synagogue-come-Brick Lane Mosque shares a street with the aforementioned grocery stores, hipster coffee digs, corporate coffee chains, and of course the archetypal local pub synonymous with Britain.
It's in this area, geographically regarded as 'Greater London', that you truly see a greater London. The church-come-synagogue-come-Brick Lane Mosque shares a street with the aforementioned grocery stores, hipster coffee digs, corporate coffee chains, and of course the archetypal local pub synonymous with Britain.