I don't care if it is one of these super-trendy places - everytime i come back from my Sunday trips from Brick Lane - which have become almost a ritual of mine - I have a camera is loaded with a huge set of colourful photos.
The only shame is it can't record smell otherwise it would probably explode from the smell of the many curry restaurants and world-food market stands you can find there.
I can't get enough of that unique flair that the area around Brick Lane owns. It is a saturated mix of old and new, East and West, trendy and forgotten, ugly and beautiful. On Sundays the streets are covered by all sorts of market stands - selling you selfmade designer clothes, freshly cooked food from around the globe or just old junk - made of the most obscure varsity of items you can imagine. Anything from old shoes, CDs and casette tapes (remember?), 90s mobile phones, 80's video games, collectors comic books, toys from your childhood - the list is endless and treasures are many to be found.
I 've never seen before the way these second-hand sellers are offering their stuff. All items are displayed on nothing else but a blanket or a piece of cloth or even just layed flat onto the bare pavement. The objects are sometimes put down very messily but sometimes arranged in perfect geometrical alignment. As much as the displays differ in style their owners differ too. From rather funky and fashionable art-student lookalikes to run down alcoholic types - the characters are as coulourful as their goods.
The market seems very popular with the young crowd - probably also due to the fact that it closes at 5pm on Sundays - very convenient for party-goers.
If you, like me, like to get up late on Sundays and fancy some food and just to stroll around and hunt for photos or treasures (it's the same for me) and if you don't mind the sometimes high concentration of supercool Fashionista-stampedes - then Brick Lane is the perfect choice for you.
Facts:
Sunday Upmarket:
Every Sunday, 10am-5pm
Ely's Yard (entrances on Brick Lane & Hanbury Street)
The Old Truman Brewery
London E1.
(Tube – Aldgate east / Liverpool Street)
The Backyard Market
Every Saturday from 11am till 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 5pm
The Old Truman Brewery
91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL
