Did anyone see the recent movie ‘Brick Lane’? While we haven’t seen the movie, I recently finished reading the book and it made me curious how the real London lane compares with the one portrayed in the book.While on the hunt for Banksy’s work on Sunday, G and I dropped by the Lane for a quick gander. As we were visiting on a Sunday, there were tons of street vendors and a healthy flea market scene but looking beyond that, the lane is lined with Bangladeshi, Pakistani & Indian curry houses. Some are sleek, others more mundane, but there’s a hip, cool vibe about the place that’s easily enjoyed. We couldn’t help but liken it to a cross between Camden Town and a low-brow version of Portobello Road market (Notting Hill). Interestingly enough, the lane also boasts the BEST and cheapest bagels in town. Apparently, the northern end of the street used to be a Jewish district–hence, the bagel shops and fresh roasted corned beef.
Perhaps most enjoyable (besides the bagels :)) were the street musicians and the multi-cultural mix. While the lane is dominated by ethnic food houses, it’s easy to see that Ethiopian, Japanese and other cuisine is edging up on the competition. This is one of London’s many multicultural melting pots.
Click here to see additional photos of Brick Lane.
I can’t wait to see how the real lane compares to the one portrayed in the movie which will be released to video in June.