Shoreditch

Right on the border of the City, Shoreditch is the most fashionable of Hackney’s neighbourhoods. A run down area up until the 1990s it is now the hub of creative and artistic talent for the Capital and a very desirable residential location. The regeneration was led by the influx of artists and designers looking for cheap live/work spaces close to the City and good transport links. The area then quickly became well known for art and nightlife, and when Jay Joplin opened up an East End outpost of the internationally renowned White Cube gallery there in 2000, Shoreditch was firmly placed on the London cultural map.

In recent years Shoreditch and neighbouring Hoxton have attracted more and more young creative professionals who have turned former warehouses into loft apartments and made Hoxton Square the centre of contemporary bohemia. This popular corner of London is now home to numerous art galleries, bars, restaurants and clubs and is very much the cutting edge of London contemporary life. Shoreditch has continued to lead the regeneration of the rest of Hackney as companies and residents alike have spread out over the borough to avoid the steadily rising rents, taking with them the fashions and creativity that the rest of the borough is now known for.

The last few years have seen a huge influx of businesses being drawn to the neighbourhood. These have been from all industries, but predominantly from the creative and hospitality sectors. Shoreditch is home to the largest concentration of creative industries in Europe and has enough clubs, pubs and celebrity hangouts to rival the West End. It is also becoming famous for its quality restaurants and is the setting for Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant and the Hoxton Apprentice, both renowned eateries and innovative social enterprises.