Southwick to Southwark

It dawned on me today that a lot of people might not know about the different boroughs of London. There are quite a lot and each has it’s own scene and vibe. Frequently we find ourselves asking, what is the equivalent of this borough to places back home? But it’s just so hard to compare London to anywhere else. Southwark (pronounced “Suthuck”) is a borough along the South Bank of the Thames. It holds the Tate Modern museum and Shakespeare’s Globe. But it’s much more than that.

When I first arrived in Southwark from Southwick, Ma, USA, I wasn’t impressed. First impressions were not anything I had hoped for; to be sure it wasn’t anything close to Notting Hill. It’s taken about a week of exploring and returning to my new home to really appreciate the area. This Saturday we walked down to Borough Market and were completely taken off guard by how amazing the local scene was. There were smiling vendors selling everything: meats, wheels of cheeses, spices, vegetables, wine, granola, breads. It was a wonderland of local products. From there we explored the winding streets near the Thames and discovered hidden restaurants and pubs, our very own Cathedral, and a docked pirate ship. Walking under bridges became magical when we realized the ceilings sparkled and danced with webs of little lights that stretched from end to end.

There’s also a video of one particularly fancy show: http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=16309695&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0

Clink Street LED Mesh Installation from Halo Lighting on Vimeo.

Because very occasionally I am lucky, I happen to live in a part of Southwark called “The Borough”, and for anyone who reads Harry Potter, that really is a treat. If you’d like to learn more about my area follow this link: Southwark Council

And maybe the next time you visit London, after you visit the tourist attractions and the upscale neighborhoods, maybe you’ll venture down to Bankside and see our old London retreat.