I've always had a passion for style and design, but London's creative spirit has instilled in me a newfound interest in modern art, so I recently checked out Whitechapel Gallery with Mariel. The Rothko exhibit was unbelievable and took me right back to 1961. Although I prefer the Saatchi (post coming soon), Whitechapel's unique grittiness was captivating and totally screamed East London.
Better yet, Brick Lane is just around the corner, so naturally I dragged Mariel around Banglatown. It is the perfect mix of international flavor and London eclecticism. The first half is taken over by curry houses galore. The heckling by managers to sway you to their eatery is a bit overwhelming - but hey, they almost all offer free drinks! Mariel and I gave in and had a sampling of some authentic Indian dishes. SPICY! That meant we were too full to indulge at the famous Brick Lane Beigel (but I don't think BLB would pass a health inspection anyways - so I was kind of relieved).
As we headed further down Brick Lane the curry houses were replaced by vintage shops and spunky boutiques. We spent upwards of an hour exploring The Tea Rooms, a cozy indoor market with an eclectic community to match. Between the barber, psychic, and barista there were tons of gems hidden in there - vintage Cartier purses, art deco jewelry, and fur coats. We were tripping on cats, knocking over china and hitting our heads on artwork but we couldn't get enough of it! The expansive record collection was eye-opening (I know nothing about music/records but I got lost looking at them all!) and we got a few for my dad. We also stumbled upon this awesome screen printing studio and gallery called Print Club London. Wasn't too pricey and had some of the coolest prints I've seen, hoping to get a few for my house senior year. The rest of the night was spent frolicking around East London, enjoying lots of visual and oratory stimulation!
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