Sunday is a great day to explore the area around Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Bethnal Green.
Why?
Historically, this was a Jewish area between the late 1800s and the Second World War. As the Jewish day of rest, the Sabbath, takes place on Saturday, Sunday is traditionally the big trading day in this area.
Here are some of the things you can do in this area on a Sunday.
Start your day at:
COLUMBIA ROAD FLOWER MARKET
Every Sunday, 8am to 2pm or thereabouts. This otherwise pretty if unassuming street of terraced houses bursts into life on a Sunday: colourful, loud, lively and crowded. As well as the spectacle of all the plants and flowers for sale, there are a number of speciality shops here that open up specially for the market, as well as a number of places to grab drinks and snacks. This makes a great start to a Sunday in the area; get the Overground to Shoreditch High Street or Hoxton; or take the 8 or 388 bus (alight at Barnet Grove) or the 26, 48 or 55 bus (alight at Queensbridge Road)
When you're done with the Flower Market, head down to Brick Lane. It's easy to find - just follow the crowds!
BRICK LANE
Interesting any day of the week, on Sundays the road is closed to traffic and given over to market stalls, selling just about anything you can think of. Stop at the world-famous beigel shop at the top end of the Lane for a cheap and tasty snack - they are famous for being open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - yes, even Christmas Day. If you fancy something more exotic the middle part of the Lane, by the new railway bridge,has lots of stalls selling street-style food from all over the world, or there is the 'Up-Market' further down by the old Truman's Brewery. 'Brick Lane Bookshop' is a local independent, good for books on London and especially the East End, with some titles you won't see anywhere else. Also don't miss the vintage clothing shops in the Lane and in Cheshire Street.
You could also take a side trip to:
SPITALFIELDS CITY FARM
Situated just off Brick Lane, next to Allen's Gardens (turn left into Buxton Street), this is the closest City Farm to the City of London and a great place to get up close and personal with the chickens, sheep, goats and pigs (no cows or horses though, they don't have enough room). They do excellent work in the local community, enabling inner-city children to experience farm animals and farm life at first hand; as well as running a gardening project for Bangladeshi women, reducing isolation and giving them a chance to cultivate the vegetables that are traditionally grown by women in Bangladesh. The farm also participates in the conservation of rare breeds, preserving the traditional British farm animals that are in danger of dying out. They have just started doing teas and coffees on a Sunday too! Open from 10 to 4 on a Sunday, admission free.
MEANWHILE, BACK ON BRICK LANE:
Once you get past the old Truman's Brewery, Brick Lane changes character and becomes 'Banglatown', the heart of London's Bangladeshi community. It is noted for its concentration of curry houses, although most are not worth bothering with as they tend to cater to an English person's idea of what a curry should be - you can get far better, and more authentic, curries elsewhere (try Tayyab's on Fieldgate Street, or Lahore on Commercial Road). However, if you are interested in asian spices and foods, do have a look round Taj Stores which caters to the local Bangaldeshi community.
No, this is the time to head on to Spitalfields Market. The best way is to look for the tall, silver minaret outside the London Jammie Mosque, you can't miss it. The building started out as a Hugenot chapel, was adapted to become a synagogue and is now used as a mosque; it is believed to be the only building outside the Middle East that has been used by all three of the main monotheistic religions, and its history reflects te successive waves of immigrants who have come to this area. At the mosque, turn right into Fournier Street. This street is full of 17th Century town houses, most of which have been restored to their former glory. At the end you come to:
SPITALFIELDS MARKET
Originally a wholesale fruit and vegetable market, this moved out in the early 1990s. Now the old market building has been refurbished and extended, and houses market stalls galore as well as small speciality shops. Many of the stalls are run by craftspeople and designers, who make their goods and clothes during the wek and sell them here on Sunday. Definitely the place to come if you are looking for something unique/out-of-the-ordinary! There are also plenty of eateries, from full-blown cafes and restaurants to street-style stalls, and pubs too - again, something for every taste and budget!
If you've had enough by now, Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street stations are just five minutes walk away, and there are numerous bus routes serving Bishopsgate.
However, if you want to stay in the area a little longer, head back up to Shoreditch for the oh-so-achingly hip and cool clubs and bars. Also, from December 2011 you will be able to check out 'Boxpark', which describes itself as London's first 'pop-up shopping centre' - a mall created out of shipping containers, right next to Shoreditch High Street Station.