Hotels in Hoxton

Twenty years ago, this was rough-and-ready Hackney heartland, where cockneys mixed uneasily with newer arrivals, and seedy strip bars proliferated. Then London's artists moved in and now it is the trendiest place in the capital, a Mecca for skinny jeans, checked shirts, ironic haircuts, edgy art galleries and hip bars that play music that will only become fashionable in about six months time. Keep an eye on the walls, as well, for many of the artists don't feel the need to obey the law when creating work and the graffiti is impressively weird and witty. Hoxton Square and Jay Jopling's White Cube gallery are where it all started and remain the heart of the area, while on a Friday night, the bars and clubs of Old Street are a strange place where the pinstripes and ties of the City mingle with the extravagant fashions of the avant-garde. More