Birmingham and Islington and Hampstead, Oh My!

It's been almost two weeks since my last post and I feel like I've had so many experiences and I've made so many significant discoveries! But as always, conveying them all just seems impossible.

As I mentioned in my last post, Katherine, Helga and I made our way to Birmingham to visit a friend for 24 hours. I particularly enjoyed walking around the school's campus, parts of which were beautiful (see below!). I think what stood out to me most was how much calmer it felt. The hustle and bustle of London can be pretty intense, even for a New Yorker, and the vibe in Birmingham was very mellow and relaxing. Though by the end of the 24 hours I was also ready to be back in my London home.

A few photos from the night:

We slept on an "air mattress" that was more like the kind you would bring into the pool. We had to sleep on our sides to fit all three of us. Most uncomfortable night ever!

Since I last posted, I discovered that the neighborhood of Islington is right next to where I live. It's actually kind of embarrassing that it's taken me this long to realize. In any event, Islington is one of my favorite neighborhoods here! It has a quaint, residential (sometime Brooklyn-y) feel in some parts, and also has a lot of cute coffee shops, independent stores and a plethora of street vendors selling vintage goods and knick knacks. While the main street by the tube station is generally quite busy and hectic, just a step off the main road provides a much more relaxing experience. 

I took a lot of photos of the quieter areas and failed to document the more vibrant ones. 

A typical block in Islington. I definitely would not mind living here!

Fence & Wall along a canal.

Pictured below is a grocery store called Unpackaged—Amanda Fox told me about it! I am not entirely sure how she heard of it (being across the pond and all), but as it turns out, it's only a seven minute walk (thank you google maps) from my dorm. It's a small shop which sells primarily organic and locally grown food. You bring your own reusable containers and bags to the store and therefore reduce a lot of the waste that comes with grocery shopping (especially in the UK, it seems like everything is sealed in plastic). They also have bath products and dish soap which you can refill. While I am not able to get all of my shopping done there, I have been making an effort to be more conscious of how environmentally friendly my purchases are, and for the things I can't recycle, I have been trying to find uses for them (as it turns out, the containers from cherry tomatoes have come in very handy for organizing the abundance of little things lying around my room). 

On a similar note, I also recently discovered a small clothing boutique called Equa, also located in Islington, which sells only fair trade clothing made of organic and sustainable fabrics. Unlike your usual hodgepodge fair trade store, this place has a sophisticated vibe, proof that you don't have to sacrifice a clear conscience for fashion—and vice versa. Although, I am going to be keeping my shopping to a minimum!

A couple more photos of Islington in the late afternoon. 

Another neighborhood I recently explored with Miranda was Hampstead. It is known for being quite ritzy—home to the most millionaires in all of the UK! Despite this fact, the neighborhood didn't seem to have a particularly extravagant vibe. It was definitely beautiful, and quite different from other neighborhoods I've seen in London, but it was more quaint than arrogant (which many upscale neighborhoods tend to be). It had a bit of a Park Slope feel—stroller mafia included. Hampstead is very hilly, and in some parts you get the feeling like you're not in London at all. There is also a beautiful, spacious park. But anyway, I should just let the pictures speak for themselves!

The park in Hampstead

I know this is almost repulsively cliché, but it captures the feel of the park so well!

A typical block in Hampstead

A Chapel

One of those streets in Hampstead that make you forget you are in a city. Not even a paved road!

It's hard to capture, but on some higher ground, you can see bits of other parts of London below.

This weekend, my friend Adria stayed with me for a couple of days on her way from Oxford to Paris. It was great having her here! Last night we went to a dance club called Fabric, where they had a bunch of pretty well known artists and DJs playing to celebrate their 10th year. Long story short, when Spank Rock was performing, he pulled me on stage to dance with him! At long last, my fifteen (minus fourteen) minutes of fame have come! Unfortunately for you, and quite fortunately for myself, I do not have photo documentation of said evening.

Anyway, it feels like I smooshed a lot of stuff together, hopefully this post was bearable? I am going to Spain for 10 days on Wednesday (absolutely cannot wait!), but before then, I have to write two papers... ahhh! One of them I am in the process of and need to somehow finish tonight so that I can spend the next three days on the other. Of course, based on the time I have spend updating my blog, my time management skills are seriously questionable. Wish me luck! I will probably update next after España!