East End

Renowned throughout Victorian times as the home of the working class, the birthplace of Cockney Rhyming Slang and the stomping ground of the notorious Jack the Ripper, London’s East End has long been associated with the grittier side of the capital. But despite its rough-around-the-edges image, the East End remains one of Londoners’ favorite haunts and its high population of young and immigrant residents has made it one of the city’s most cosmopolitan and ever-evolving districts, teeming with fashion-forward nightclubs, vintage emporiums and modern art galleries.
Since the Olympic Games took over the city in 2012, East London has undergone a 21st-century makeover, with the vast Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park now sprawling over Stratford and a cluster of glitzy shopping malls and chic eateries springing up around it. Locals needn’t worry though – the East End hasn’t lost its grassroots vibe and whether you’re looking to explore the vibrant Bangladeshi communities of Brick Lane, discover London’s hippest bars and live music venues in Shoreditch or hunt down bargains at the legendary Spitalfields Market, there are plenty of good reasons to set your compass east.