Aldgate and Whitechapel lie east of the City of London, straddling the border of both Tower Hamlets and Hackney – perfect for quick access to one of the world’s leading financial districts without having to pay the premiums for office space.
Whitechapel now has a significant British Bangladeshi community which has given rise to ‘Banglatown’ on Brick Lane – famous for its curry houses and bustling pop-up markets. Aldgate has deep-rooted ties to the capital’s business sector and is well connected to the Home Counties, thanks to major transport hubs such as Fenchurch Street, Liverpool Street and Cannon Street stations.
The City ward of Aldgate is largely home to firms working across the insurance industry, with multiple leading brokers and underwriters based there. Meanwhile, Whitechapel has gained a strong multicultural identity over the years with its proximity to the Docklands and Canary Wharf, which is increasingly becoming an attractive place for people to settle in – whether you’re looking for a state-of-the-art serviced office or a coworking space.
Who’s there?
On-demand taxi app Uber moved its headquarters to Whitechapel from Kings Cross in 2015, taking up a 40,000 square foot of office space in 1 Aldgate Tower. Similarly, e-commerce subscription service Groupon’s London HQ is housed in the upper floors of the same tower.
There is currently 468,000 sq ft of available space to let in Aldgate/Whitechapel, which equates to a vacancy rate of 5.7%.
In the area...
While Aldgate and Whitechapel may have a murky past, this area in East London has become well known for its food and arts scenes, and its cultural diversity. It’s also become a popular haunt for city workers, too. You can find them on “team-building exercises” at All Star Lanes bowling alley on bustling Brick Lane, or teeing off at Junk Yard Golf (mini-golf that is) in Dray Walk any night of the week. In fact, Dray Walk is fantastic for everything from vintage clothes shopping to summer drinks on the fake lawn of its industrial courtyard
It’s hard to walk down Brick Lane without being tempted to go for a curry – there are over 30 opportunities for one on the half-a-mile stretch of the road alone. And while this makes it difficult to pick one in particular, we’d recommend City Spice for its Bengali-influenced seafood dishes, such as the fish thalia, or Sheba for the lamb rogan josh. There are several veggie curry houses, too.
There’s also a fair bit of street art that can really catch your eye on Brick Lane and its various back alleys. Famous graffiti artists such as Banksy and Ben Eine have thrown up artwork towards the Bethnal Green Road end of the lane, which has become something of a destination for fans of street art. If you want to check out art in a more formal (and legal) setting, the Whitechapel Gallery is open to the public all year round.
Both Whitechapel and Aldgate are chock-full of food options – from grabbing one of the best Philly Cheesesteaks you’ll find in London on the market stalls of the historic Petticoat Lane Market, to tapas that evokes a taste of the Basque country at Copita del Mercado on Commercial Street, mouth-watering lunch and dinner options are never more than a five-minute walk from any point of each district.
AVERAGE
£502
Private office
£505
Fixed desks
£355
Hot desks
Want to see what the wider neighbourhood has to offer? Why not read our guides for the nearby areas.
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