a hipster's paradise

Last Sunday, I found it.

The holy grail of vintage lovers, the epicenter of trendiness, the artist's playground, the ultimate hipster's paradise- Brick Lane Market.  Nestled within a few unassuming streets in the village of Shoreditch is a group of endless booths selling everything from handmade leather journals to old records.  I could literally find an appropriate present for every single person I know there.  I saw jewelry made of colored pencils, old typewriters, tribal print bags of every shape and size, colorful prints of London cityscapes, mountains of funky sunglasses, and hats for every occasion imaginable.

AND THE VINTAGE CLOTHING STORES.  Endless caves of cool people things.  Everyone that worked there looked like they were born with edgy haircuts and stylish leather jackets.  They made me want to drink black coffee and burn incense while listening to scratchy records of bands you probably haven't heard of and discussing obscure postmodern literature.  Never have I seen so many ugly sweaters, Titus-worthy retro neon windbreakers, and Gatsby-esque sequined apparel in one place.  After I walked into the first one, I instantly vowed to look four times trendier next time I visit Brick Lane.  At St. Lawrence, my bright blue Patagonia jacket, flannel shirt, and Danskos are totally acceptable, but at Brick Lane they just made me feel painfully dumpy.  I MUST own a wide-brimmed felt hat and Doc Martens and be London chic.

Another really fantastic part about Brick Lane is the food.  Food from every corner of the world imaginable-Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Argentinian, Moroccan, Indian, traditional English.  You could eat at Brick Lane for every meal for a week and still have choices left.  There was even a woman on the street selling gourmet cupcakes and espresso out of the trunk of her car.  Excuse me, the boot of her car.

One more thing: Brick Lane/Shoreditch in general has the most incredible street art EVERYWHERE.  Actually really impressive, meaningful art, not just graffiti.  It's the only place I've ever visited where it would be totally acceptable to just stare at a wall all day.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

If you think these are cool, check out my friend Carolyn's street art blog for more!