I lived in Shoreditch for a whole year. It is located in East London.
The first words that pop into mind to describe Shoreditch are vibrant, trendy, start-ups, lively and multicultural.
There is always something going on and something to do. I guess the same goes for London as a whole.
When I first moved there I was nervous and worried about venturing out, but these uncertainties literally passed within a day. I found myself drawn to going out, seeing my new surroundings and simply exploring.
I can't really pin point the moment, but I feel that I had always dreamt of living in London despite not knowing what it would be like. Basically I didn’t know what to expect. At all!! For lack of a better explanation - “there was just something”. So when I actually moved there I couldn't believe my luck and that my dream had become a reality. It felt so surreal! It was as if I was having an out of body experience! As I walked out of my student accommodation everything seemed unfamiliar and new. Was I utterly excited or fraught with fear. I don’t know, probably a bit of both. I didn't even know whether to go right or left, but I let instinct (and perhaps had a little help from my phone) guide me 😛 and I was off. After that, I just couldn’t stop. Every day was an adventure.
Old Street Station had me puzzled! There are two exits for each of the four sides (can you believe it?) and it can become awfully confusing especially when you end up on the wrong side of the road (I won't lie - that happened to me a couple of times the first weeks I was there). However, it wasn't long before I had them down pat.
Generally, I thought I would never get around without my phone, but surprisingly, especially for the areas I went to often I knew all the roads, alleyways and short cuts and was feeling like a true Londoner in no time.
It was a dream come true!
My Favourite Places to visit in the area:
Coffee Shops - Shoreditch Grind, The Old Shoreditch Station, Timberyard, Pitfield London, Ziferblat, Allpress Espresso Bar.
Restaurants - Byron Burger, Busaba Eathai, The Breakfast Club, Red Dog Saloon, Cay Tre, Korean Street Food, Bills, Pizza East.
Bars/Clubs - B@1, Queen of Hoxton, Nightjar, The Bedroom Bar, Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen, Cargo, Floripa, Bar Kick.