Spanning the stretch between Old Street and Brick Lane, Shoreditch is one of East London’s best-known neighborhoods. This former industrial district is most famous for its vintage fashion, street art, and eclectic dining scene, where Michelin-starred restaurants and sophisticated wine bars rub shoulders with no-frills kebab joints ready to serve rowdy revelers a post-pub meal. Things to do here revolve around culture and cuisine, which you can discover while aimlessly wandering through this colorful enclave.
Shoreditch thrums with energy day and night all year round, and there’s honestly never a bad time to visit. The neighborhood is a hub for live music, so there’s bound to be a recognizable name performing at an atmospheric venue such as Village Underground or Old Street Records. Meanwhile, the bars and clubs tend to be packed from Thursday onwards.
Shoreditch is only around one-third of a square mile (one square kilometer), so it’s easy to explore on foot. It’s serviced by Shoreditch High Street station, which is on the East London line of the orange London Overground. Most side roads branch off the main Shoreditch High Street, which heads south toward Liverpool Street and the City of London and north toward Hoxton and Dalston. Buses such as the 388, 26, 149, and 242 also make stops in Shoreditch.
While Shoreditch High Street, the neighborhood’s main artery, has a vibrant mix of boutiques and bars, the best of Shoreditch lies in its backstreets. The cobbled Rivington Street boasts some of the area’s best street art and several galleries, while New Inn Yard has a secret statue of Shakespeare on one of its benches. And don’t miss Boundary Street, home to historic brick homes and luxury shops.