Fall in love with historical, whimsical and quirky places in Shoreditch this autumn to feed yourself hunger for all things ‘Dark Academia’. The digital aesthetic and lifestyle trends which embraces gloomy weather, candlelight, gothic architecture, greek philosophy and classic literature.
Influencers across Instagram and TikTok are stepping into the past, switching up their hyper-digital macbooks, emails and UV glow-lamps to books, old paper letters tied with string and candles.
Here are 3 of our top places where aspiring dark academics can enjoy around Shoreditch.
Museum of Home
136 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8EA
Info here.
Stories of the home. The perfect place to get inspiration for your ‘Dark Academia’ desk or study room is here! This museum is free to enter and explores the homes and living spaces of Britons from the past few centuries. Rooms Through Time is the permanent exhibition which guides you through family homes and living spaces and how they have changed throughout history.
The museum also features a botanical garden to which showcases how city gardens in London have changed throughout the time, going into detail about landscape structure and plants.
Shakespeare’s Curtain Theater
Hewett St, London EC2A 3NN
More info here
The all-time classic playwright’s original curtain theater was originally located in Shoreditch! After the abolishment of the building, the globe replica was relocated into South Bank. You can still pop by the original historical sight which now hosts a museum of the building.
The original Elizabethan theater is based in Hewlett Street and opened in 1577, continuing performances until 1624. The exact location of this theatre was unknown for many years, until archeologists discovered remains of the theater during an excavation.
The current theater site will soon be home to 'The Stage'. A new lifestyle venue embracing the heritage of the location. Still under construction.
Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch
This historical building which has been located just in the middle of all the buzz of various bars including Floripa, Cargo and Cirque that pour our beers, has once operated as a Old Street Magistrates Court and Police Station. Some famous cases including the London mobsters, the Kray Twins and other high-profile criminals. The police station also held Eric Arthur Blair, author of “1984” and Animal Farm, better know by his alias name George Orwell.
The rooms, and bars including the Jailhouse bar and Member’s club provide the ‘Ivy Leagesque’ interior of dim wood panels, banker table lamps abd leather seatings to bring the ambience of landing back in time. The building was originally opened in 1905.
With Oxford and Cambridge conveniently being just an hour away via train from Shoreditch, it’s the perfect place to start your adventures and walk back into historical times of the capital where so many famous artists, academics and writers of our past have once set foot.
Are you charmed by the historical stories and people of this area or are you cool-hunting for the next trend in today’s Shoreditch?
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