Last week my friends and I ventured into east London to partake in First Thursdays.

http://www.firstthursdays.co.uk/

^ Click on the link for more information.
It was a lot of fun just being able to wander about the galleries and see the different mediums that artists use to convey their messages. I saw art that made me stand stare in wonder, and I also saw pieces that made me question society’s definition of art.

I think an added bonus of the night was that quite a few galleries were giving away free snacks and wine. I’m only 19, and I still find it strange that I can go into a pub and order a drink, no questions asked. It’s even stranger to find people walking down the street with beer bottles in hand and openly drinking.
Tangent aside, First Thursdays is a fun event to attend, even if you’re a poor university student who can’t afford to spend thousands of pounds on art.
More importantly, I think it’s a great way to encourage people to visit east London.
Historically, this has been a poorer area of the city with high crime rates. It’s always been associated with immigrant communities, and this is reflected in the many stores and restaurants that line the street. Brick Lane is a street known for its many curry houses, but it is also home to Beigal Bake and the Beigal Shop, which are two Jewish beigal stores that are a throwback to the previous Jewish community which used to thrive in east London.

I know that when I told people I would be studying in London, they imagined me frolicking down the halls of Parliament and spending my afternoons picnicking by the Eye. People often fail to consider the other areas of London – the lesser known areas with a slightly darker history.