THE CHARMING BRIXTON VILLAGE

Deciding to take my study in creative entrepreneurship has its perk: it is highly suggested that I go out of the class to see how creativity works in London. After ten months, I understood why this city is a haven for creative industry. Innovation, creativity, and intellectual property are the buzzword of the city and one can see them in almost every corner.

London becomes even so dear to me because it has a pinch of Jakarta, and how it could be if Jakarta’s potentials are fulfilled. The tale of two cities includes urban high paced lives, diverse culture, routines, and frugality. In London, the use of creativity as a tool to exploit these components is apparent when one goes to its market.

Take Brixton for an example. Brixton is a suburb in south part of London, about 45 minutes by bus from Central London. It is an emerging area popular with the mixture of rich culture and renowned music scene (try O2 Academy in Brixton where Manic Street Preachers just hit the stage for their latest album and Lauren Hill will perform this September), and of course there’s Brixton Village.

The Brixton Village & Market Row is like your traditional wet market, say Pasar Tebet, with a twist. People go here to get not only their dose of vegetables, meats, and fishes, or stock of snacks and colorful fresh drinks.

But then, if you go just in to the next alley, you would find hip international food galore – from Caribbean to Japanese to Korean culinary treat – and of course the coffee places to hang out.

I can go on forever with the vintage shops in the corner and African-inspired designer shop, Blaque Ribbon carrying their latest awesome design (see that slight Batik-ish element in their fabric?)

The Rachel and Malika’s shop carry eclectic mash up ethnic fabrics, accessories, and the like displayed with awful charm, then there’s also the rows of Makers Market where designers and artisans could get pop up stalls to display and sell their stuff like Jakarta’s street bazaars. I immediately felt at home.

This adorable market is a burst of color in the functionality of everyday errands. It’s everything: local charm, urban lives, and multicultural explosions surrounding and amplifying each other.

Tips: Get there in the morning for some vibrant grocery and running errands, and have lunch in one of the many restaurants they have. You can go strolling to the cute shops after or watch a movie at the nearby Ritzy Picturehouse. The site says it runs from 8 am – 11.30 pm, except on Monday when it closes at 6 pm; but the friendly meat seller say the early morning stalls usually closes at four. Tube Station: Brixton.

Rassi Narika was born and raised in Jakarta. By October 2013, she is based in London while attending a year MA program in Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths University of London. She could never find a way to describe her self other than that: she enjoys working with stories, she thinks alley is magical, and she finds night sky is mesmerising. Prior to London, she spend  two and a half years working with Tulisan as a brand strategist and creative writer. Check out her blog for more lovely posts! :)