Whitechapel

The old East End of London. Most of the people on the streets seem to be from Pakistan or Bangladesh. Streets are full of little stalls selling various cheap things from clothes to suitcases. Two-storey buildings make a good contrast with the nearby skyscrapers of City. The most dominant building is modern Royal London Hospital. This area seems quite hectic and messy compared to surrounding areas. This is where Jack the Ripper conducted his famous murders, where the Kray brothers ruled with fear and where the Elephant Man was shown in an exhibition.

Art: 

• Whitechapel Gallery is a medium-sized gallery for contemporary art. And the entrance is free. This is one of the best places to see great exhibitions for free.

Eating:

• Tayyabbs is probably the best curry house in London when it comes to food. Food is amazingly good and cheap. You can even bring your own alcohol with you. The downside is that a lot of people have found this place and in the evening you may have to wait for more than 30 minutes for a table. During lunch time the place is emptier. Service may be a bit rude from time to time.
• If you just want to experience the food, but you're not too bothered by the surroundings, Needoo Grill, just around the corner from Tayyabbs and the food is very comparable. There aren't as much crowds there, but the dining rooms are brightly coloured and the television is showing cheesy music videos.

Pubs:

• The White Hart is a smallish pub with excellent beer collection. They specialise in One Mile End Brewery's produce, but they also have a wide selection of other microbreweries' beers. One Mile End Rye IPA was amazing. 

Cafés:

• Grounded Coffee Company is a beautiful café with wooden tables and artsy lamps. They serve excellent coffee and tasty baked goods. When I was there, the music was also very good. Best of the latest indie albums. You can also buy coffee beans or coffeemaking equipment home from here. 

Entertainment:

• The Castle is a trendy East London pub with a nice selection of beers and a cool young crowd. Upstairs they have a venue that hosts gigs, stand-up comedy nights, live poetry etc.

Areas around Whitechapel: Spitelfields, Bethnal Green, City, Shadwell, Stepney