I am thinking of exploring the Brick Lane area of London for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon/evening in July. It's a stopover and we have seen a lot of sights already. Any caveats as to safety or anything else?

The greatest danger you'll face is to your innards if you're unused to curry. And, on a Saturday night, most of the restaurants are BLOODY noisy. Try eating at American dinner time, before the hordes arrive.

I'm not sure there's much to detain you for a few hours, apart from the restaurants (though follow the thread on Denis Severs house). The real gem is the mosque - which started life as a Huguenot chapel and then turned into a synagogue, so sort of sums London up. But I've never found it terribly welcoming to infidel visitors these days.

There's a good self-guided walk of the area's Jewish history at http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/templ...cfm?newsid=592. And a walk round Spitalfields/ Brick Lane at http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/data/...s-walk.doc.(or "Banglatown" in the modish, horrid, newspeak) at

Unless the Saturday is a given, you might prefer Sunday morning when both Brick Lane and Spitalfields markets are open.

WillTravel

You may find this site interesting if you plan on having a meal on Brick Lane - lunchtime is quieter.

www.bricklanerestaurants.com

ooo, this is cool, I was just thinking og Brick Lane, myself. However, I will be in London on weekdays....are there any other days of the week that are more ideal for checking out Brick Lane?

Combining the above ideas, I'd suggest Sunday with lunch buffet at Cafe Naz. Simply wonderful, and amazingly reasonable as this is one of the pricier (but highly recommended and awarded) restuarants on Brick Lane.

We ate lunch in Brick Lane last June. It was unexpected, so I'd not done my research. Was told the restaurants were "all good." Not so...our pick was only ordinary. (Have had much better Indian in the Euston Station area.) So, if you go, get a good recommendation and enjoy! The neighborhood felt perfectly safe midday.

ummmm, why would one not feel safe? Sorry, I don't know much about it.

It's east London - not that posh.