Once upon a time, Whitechapel served as the stage on which notorious slasher Jack the Ripper played out his grisly prostitute murders under the cover of late 19th-century London nights. Today, it’s a multicultural hub and has come rather a long way from its overcrowded, dank and dangerous slum days.
Whitechapel is still bustling, but has been transformed into an epicenter of culture, style and fashion. Since the mid-20th century, Whitechapel and the surrounding districts of East London have figured prominently on the city’s art scene. This has been largely due to the introduction of Whitechapel’s very own Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1901, which presented culture to the area and resulted in gentrification.
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So what exactly is there in Whitechapel today for you lovely ladies to avail of? Well, apart from the Sunday markets on Columbia Road, Spitalfields and Petticoat Lane, there really is a stunning array of cultural fodder for you to enjoy.
Art — The Whitechapel gallery plays host to several excellent exhibitions. In the early 1970s, renowned conflict photographer Ian Berry was commissioned by the gallery to take pictures of the region, wherein he captured the clearing of the slums, the last of the Jewish community’s exodus and the arrival of Caribbean and South Asian residents. There is also an exhibition of the work of German artist and photographer Thomas Struth, which features late 20th-century family portraits, life-sized images of tourists enjoying art, colossal technology projects and solemn pictures of empty streets.
Music — If you’re more of a music lover than an art lover (or are a lover of both), then Whitechapel’s got it all on that front, too. For live music and club nights, you’ve got the likes of Rough Trade East on Brick Lane and the Rhythm Factory on Whitechapel Road (hailed as “the barometer of London’s musical trends” by none other than the Guardian), showcasing everything from folk to glam, metal, punk and drum ‘n’ bass.
Theater — Theater-goers will also be in their element here. The Brickhouse on Brick Lane specializes in a variety of nightly cabaret shows consisting of burlesque, boylesque, circus stunts, acrobatics, comedy, showgirls and showboys. It’s sexy, seductive and it’ll make for a pretty damned sensational evening. Still, with a theatrical, but this time a more sober theme, are Wilton’s Music Hall on Graces Alley and Rich Mix on Bethnal Green Road, both staging wonderful theater music and poetry shows on a nightly basis.
Food — Want to eat? Then head to Brick Lane. Among all the galleries, street art, quirky shops and street performers, Brick Lane is the hub of London’s Bangladeshi community and, as such, has won itself the reputation for housing some of the city’s very best curry houses. But if you’re not into curry, there’s plenty to be had in the way of cuisine from Asia, the Caribbean and everything in between.
Whatever you choose to do here, you’re sure to be pleasantly surprised. It’s a bold and eclectic mix of ethnic culture and vibrant subcultures — and a haven for the womanly wanderluster.
*****
Photo credits:
Dolls: Allen Denney
Whitechapel Art Gallery: Myster-E