There are many things to do in Bethnal Green, an up-and-coming area in London’s East End. The neighborhood is home to a vibrant Bangladeshi community, young professionals, and a bustling flower market. Old-school pubs line the streets, and trendy bars fill the railway arches of Paradise Row. Families can explore the V&A Museum of Childhood. Columbia Road is home to many indie shops, and there’s a Sunday flower market.
Museum of Childhood
The Young V&A, formerly known as the V&A Museum of Childhood, is a branch of the Victoria and Albert, the United Kingdom’s national museum of applied arts. Located in the East End of London, the museum specialises in objects made by or for children. The museum’s collection includes over one million objects, and is free to enter. Children are the focus of the exhibits, but there is also an extensive collection of artworks by and for adults.
The museum is currently in the process of transforming itself, so you can help shape the future of the museum. Open Studio offers visitors a chance to engage with potential new additions and help the museum figure out what works and what doesn’t. For example, the Museum of Childhood has invited regular writers from Anglotopia to try out a new way to move books slightly to the left. You can take your child to the museum’s “Good Times” area, where you can interact with puppets in a Punch and Judy theatre.
The museum’s collection began in the 1920s when the V&A moved its collection to the site. A decade later, its focus on childhood became its official raison d’être. After rebranding in 2007, the museum will reopen with expanded exhibits. Objects from other cultures and toys created by children will be included in the museum’s permanent collection. It is also a good place to buy a replica of a child’s first toy or model.
Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club
If you’re looking for a down-to-earth area in East London, Bethnal Green might be the perfect choice. This eclectic neighborhood is home to many young professionals, including a large Bangladeshi community. Along Bethnal Green Road, you’ll find quaint old-school pubs and long-standing cafes. Hip bars fill the railway arches of Paradise Row. Families will enjoy exploring the V&A Museum of Childhood. You’ll also enjoy shopping for souvenirs at the Columbia Road indie boutiques and at the flower market each Sunday.
For a unique night out in Bethnal Green, visit the Working Men’s Club. The club features live music, cabaret shows, and comedy shows. Occasionally, the club also hosts local performers and has a lively, friendly atmosphere. This is a great place to spend an evening while taking in the sights and sounds of the area. You can also enjoy cheap drinks and tasty snacks at the Working Men’s Club.
While you’re in the area, take a stroll along Paradise Row, which is dotted with 18th-century terraced houses. You can also check out the former house of boxing legend Daniel Mendoza. The neighbourhood is home to a large Bangladeshi population, so you’re sure to have a great time. There’s a great selection of restaurants and bars in the area, and many things to do in Bethnal Green london
Columbia Road Flower Market
If you’re in the area looking for fresh flowers and plants, a visit to Columbia Road flower market in Bethnal Green is a must. It’s a well-known market, with stalls run by small, independent traders, many of whom have been in the business for several generations. The Columbia Road flower market is located just outside Bethnal Green tube station on the Central line.
Once a bustling Victorian street in East London, the Columbia Road flower market is now a popular attraction, attracting eager plant shoppers and tourists alike. From potted succulents to uniform shutters painted in Farrow & Ball colours, the market is a hive of activity and bustle. A walk through the market reveals the ‘new normal’ of London for many visitors, and its popularity is growing all the time. Although it is a relatively new flower market, it has managed to achieve renown only in recent years, as previous flower markets have failed to reach the level of fame they enjoy now.
If you’re looking for a fresh, healthy and affordable plant, consider George’s Flower Stall. Despite the name, George’s flower stall is the most established and well-known in the Columbia Road flower market. Not only is he a stalwart of the flower market, he’s also one of the best-selling traders. George’s flower stall offers a wide variety of perennial plants, which will bloom year after year. There’s a large selection of colourful flowering plants at this stall, and you’ll find all sorts of blooming perennials, including British-grown shrubs and perennials, exotic amaryllis and every kind of rose.
Repton Boxing Club
The Repton Boxing Club is located in the East End of London. The club is famous for having featured on billboards in New York City and was even funded by Paul McCartney. The club is also known in Africa, with posters adorning the walls in Nigeria and Lagos. There are a few notable boxing legends that were produced by the club. Listed below are just a few of them.
Established in 1884, the Repton Boxing Club has an extensive history. Unlike some modern boxercise clubs, the Repton Boxing Club aims to train serious amateur boxers. The club boasts 500 former National boxing champions and is affiliated with the Amateur Boxing Association. However, the club does not offer keep-fit or beginner’s classes. It is a gym aimed at serious amateur boxers.
The Repton Boxing Club has been a center of sport for people of all ages and abilities. Since its founding, it has been a home to a variety of great athletes, gangsters, world champions, and even pop stars. Its history is rich in cultural context and is still very much part of the Bethnal Green community. The club is an essential part of Bethnal Green’s history and will likely be a fixture for another century.
London Buddhist Centre
The London Buddhist centre is a temple located in Bethnal Green, East London. It is the main base for the London Triratna Buddhist Community, formerly known as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. Visiting the temple is a good way to experience Buddhism and to learn about the history of the community. If you’re interested in Buddhism, you can visit the London Buddhist centre to learn more about the practice and to make a donation.
The London Buddhist centre is a fascinating building. Founded in a Victorian fire station, the centre has since become an architectural oasis. The building combines a modernist aesthetic with a Dharma-based spiritual practice. It is a vibrant community and over 1,000 people visit the centre each week. You’ll learn about the history of Buddhism in London and gain new insight about yourself as a human.
If you’re a bookworm, you’ll love the Jambala bookstore, run by the London Buddhist Centre. The heavenly-blue colour of the books makes the place an eye-catching place to visit. Besides reading Buddhist poetry, you can also buy unique gifts, buy a great book, or buy a gorgeous vintage dress. You can visit the centre’s official website to find out more.
Bethnal Green Spa
There are a number of things to do in Bethnal Green if you want to indulge in a day of pampering. You could visit the York Hall leisure centre, which opened in 1929, for a day of pampering. This spa is famous for its Turkish baths and offers steam rooms, saunas, hammam, plunge pools and ice fountains. Admission is around PS30 for three hours, and it is female-only on certain days. It is also possible to take in a gig or two at the York Hall, including Laura Marling in 2014.
If you want to pamper yourself, why not visit the Bath Spa? It’s the first public sector day spa in the UK, and the reopened Turkish Baths in York Hall are now the centre’s spa facilities. You can also book a treatment in the ten or seven-course tasting menus, or simply relax in the quiet relaxation area. If you want to indulge yourself without spending a fortune, you could book a superfood facial at Bath Spa. The Superfood facial contains superfoods and minerals and will leave your skin feeling plump and radiant. The Superfood facial costs PS35 and lasts 25 minutes.
There are also several pubs in Bethnal Green, which have a traditional decor. For a more energetic night out, you can visit the club Bethnal Green. This club features live performances and international DJs. You can also enjoy terrace parties in the summer. For a hearty meal, you could visit the Bethnal Green restaurant, which is bright yellow and serves the best fried chicken and sides in town. You must make a reservation for this restaurant to avoid disappointment.
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosity in Bethnal Green, London is an edgy, tiny museum that showcases unique collections of oddities. From a two-headed kitten to occult artwork, you’re sure to find something to interest you here. Here, you can explore the collection of tinier objects to discover more about the history of our world.
In this former call centre, Viktor Wynd has turned his passion for collecting into a museum. What he calls a wunderkabinett now features stuffed animals, pickled genitals, two-headed lambs, the key to the Garden of Eden, and even some pickled prostitutes. The museum’s founder describes himself as an artist and author, and one of the leading exponents of pataphysics.
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosity in Bethnal Green, London is not your ordinary museum. Its contents are humane, unusual, and beautiful. There’s even a bar inside the museum that has a stuffed lioness! The museum is within a ten-minute walk of Bethnal Green tube station, which makes it easy to reach.
10 Interesting facts about Bethnal Green
- Bethnal Green is a neighborhood located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located in the East End of London and has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages.
- Bethnal Green is known for its diverse population, with a mix of cultures and communities living in the area.
- The name “Bethnal Green” is believed to come from the Anglicised version of the name “Bedanhalgh,” which means “resting place of a man called Beda.”
- Bethnal Green is home to several landmarks and points of interest, including the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, the V&A Museum of Childhood, and the Geffrye Museum.
- In the 19th century, Bethnal Green was an important center of the silk industry in London, with many silk weavers living and working in the area.
- During World War II, Bethnal Green was heavily bombed and suffered significant damage.
- Bethnal Green is home to several markets, including the Columbia Road Flower Market and the Brick Lane Market, which are popular destinations for tourists and locals alike.
- The Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club is a historic social club that was founded in the late 19th century and is still in operation today.
- The Bethnal Green tube station disaster occurred on March 3, 1943, when 173 people were killed in a stampede at the station. It is the deadliest civilian incident in London during World War II.
- The area around Bethnal Green is known for its vibrant street art scene, with many murals and graffiti pieces found throughout the neighborhood.
