Brick Lane

From Free net encyclopedia

Brick Lane is also a novel by Monica Ali (named after this street), and was shortlisted for the 2003 Man Booker Prize.

Brick Lane is a street in the East End of London, site of a Sunday market, heart of the city's Bangladeshi community, former heart of the city's Jewish community, and before that, of its Huguenot community.

Image:Brick Lane 2005.jpg

The Sunday market at Brick Lane, like the one nearby at Petticoat Lane, dates from when it was a Jewish community.

In the 20th century the Brick Lane area was important in the second wave of development of Anglo-Indian cuisine, as families from countries such as Bangladesh migrated to London to look for work. The curry houses of Brick Lane are known for their cheap and cheerful food, and for allowing customers to bring their own beer (often the curry house itself will not sell alcohol as most are run by Muslims). More recently the area has also broadened to being a vibrant art and fashion student area, with considerable exhibition space. Each year most of the fine art and fashion courses exhibit their work near Brick Lane.

It has also been, since the late 1990s, the site of several of the city's best known night clubs, notably 93 Feet East and The Vibe Bar, both built on the site of The Old Truman Brewery, once the industrial centre of the area, now an office and entertainment complex.

Nearby buildings of interest include Christ Church, Spitalfields, The Jamme Masjid or Great London Mosque on the corner of Fournier Street, and the head office of Habitat on Princelet Street.

Brick Lane has been at the centre of protests against the proposed Crossrail project, which aims to build new underground railway lines.

[edit]