If you’re looking for a different side of London than the business-suit and steel-and-glass building City of London, you can do no better than to visit Brixton this year. The thriving area is home to a large number of people from all around the world, especially the Caribbean, and it has a wonderful sense of community and togetherness that can be hard to find elsewhere in London. Book yourself a service apartment nearby (discover apartments in London for rent short term at LSA) and plan a full week or more to explore the delights of Brixton: you won’t be sorry you did!
Go Down to Electric Avenue
Just as the song says, go on down to Electric Avenue – not necessarily to riot though, the Brixton riots being the inspiration for Eddie Grant’s song title! Today, Electric Avenue (so named because it was where the first market street was lit by electric lights in 1888) is a bustling high street, with many popular eateries and retail outlets as well as housing Brixton Market’s outdoor components. Browse the stalls, try unique and delicious street food and experience Brixton life like a local!
Pop Into Brixton Academy
This iconic establishment has known many names: Astoria Victoria Cinema; the Carling Brixton Academy and currently the O2 Academy Brixton – has seen some incredible music events take place within its walls: The Smiths, Madonna, the Ramones, and Iron Maiden (and many others besides) have put on iconic performances in this space, which is the recipients of NME’s best venue award an impressive twelve times. Currently closed, the building is worth visiting, even if just to say that you have seen it!
Brixton Windmill
A 200-year-old windmill, this building is worth visiting to learn a bit more about the history of the area, to enjoy some outside time in the luscious gardens (or join a gardening or tai chi group) and to enjoy the uniqueness of a wonderfully preserved mill, a unique and evocative hangover from days gone by.
Discover More About Black Britain
Brixton has been home to many seminal moments in Black British history, from the Brixton riots, to issues with biased institutions (from the police to the education system and more), to the people of Windrush – documents, photographs and biographies from people who lived through these pivotal moments, all encapsulated and documented in the Black Cultural Archives.
David Bowie’s Birthplace
David Bowie, famously, came from Brixton and conquered the world. Although the family moved away when Bowie was six or seven, the area still holds the iconic singer-songwriter close to its heart and there are some enormous pieces of street art upon which fans have scribbled their love for him and his music.
Shop at Brixton Village Market
Over one hundred traders sell clothing, bric-a-brac, accessories and – above all – food and ingredients sure to delight a gourmand’s cynical heart and pique the tastebuds of even the fussiest diner! You can browse for hours in Brixton Village Market without tiring of the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of this unique multicultural retail arena!
Watch a Film at the Ritzy
Going to the pictures is something that people have been doing for well over a hundred years, and they have been doing it at the Ritzy since it opened in 1911. The cinema has survived not only the depredations of Brexit, but it has also shrugged off not one but two world wars, of which the latter one brought the risk of damage and destruction within a whisker or two…
Stroll Through Brockwell Park
Get some sunshine and fresh air at Brockwell Park, one of several parks in Brixton. A fifty hectare park, the grounds were acquired from private ownership by the city, and opened to the public in 1892, possibly in response to a growing understanding that modern city life was not conducive to good health, either physical or mental, of the residents of said cities. London at the time was singularly unhealthy, with pollution causing frequent and often deadly ‘pea-souper’ fogs – now, fortunately a thing of the past, thanks to various Clean Air laws. The parks remain a popular destination for locals and visitors alike, allowing for gentle exercise, meditation and simple sitting on the grass and being at one with nature for a short while, before you get back to the bustling delights of Brixton.
