Happy Brixtmas Eve: Brixton Village

This weekend it was Christmas in my house in Brixton. Or Brixtmas, as my housemates and I christened our festive celebrations before we all went back to our various homes for the holiday.

I had agreed to cook a Christmas dinner for my housemates on Sunday. On Saturday as well as buying a turkey and an ample supply of vegetables (eight varieties in total) I headed to Brixton Village for some Christmas shopping.

The undercover market is one of the many highlights of living in Brixton (for somewhere with such a bad reputation, there are a huge number of these). As Jay Rayner recently attested in a review for the Observer, it would be impossible to mention all of the gems situated in Brixton Village. As well as gift shops, African fabric emporiums and the general market stalls where you can buy anything from bathroom scales to religious figurines, Brixton Village is home to some of the best restaurants and cafés in London. And not just a few of them, but so many that eating out there is as much heavenly as it is a decision-making nightmare.

Many of the restaurants aren't licensed so work on a 'bring your own' basis and food is affordable (even for a student like me). To give you a sample of the breadth of food available at Brixton Village, under the one roof you will find both the best (arguably) burger and pizza restaurants in London, a vegan cupcake shop, a café with toasters at each table for you to toast your own bread, an amazing Thai restaurant and a café that serves street-food from Pakistan.

If it sounds too good to be true, there are a few drawbacks to Brixton Village. The variety does make choosing where to eat or have a coffee nearly impossible, so be prepared to wander around in an overwhelmed daze for half an hour or so before deciding. The opening times are somewhat limited (Monday - Wednesday: 10am to 6pm, Thursday - Saturday: 10am - 10pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm) which makes the whole place pretty busy during its open hours. And many of the restaurants look onto fresh meat or fish stalls which doesn't help a hangover on a Saturday morning (I have heard).

Nonetheless, I love Brixton Village, and it is a testament to the diversity and general buzz of Brixton itself. And it was a perfect place to spend the afternoon on Brixtmas Eve.

Libby

Brixton's Best View

When my nine year old step brother found out I was moving to Brixton, he was more than a little concerned.

"Isn't that where the riots were?" He sounded frightened.

"No. There have never been riots in Brixton. Ever."

It is wrong to lie to children.

When I moved here a week ago I didn't know much about Brixton beyond its bad reputation. All I knew was that after months of searching I had found a nice house on a nice street that wasn't on a motorway or over a railway line and with friendly house mates who didn't have rules pinned to their fridge ("No visitors for more than one night in a row. No noise after 9pm"). Frankly I was so relieved to have found a roof for my head that the location wasn't that important.

I have already fallen in love with Brixton. The bustling market is full of life, as well as lots of great restaurants, cafés and a vegan cupcake shop. Brixton's pubs are what I think of as proper pubs (and I come from pub country down South), and I plan to make it my business to visit as many as possible. A few nights ago I went to a reggae night called the 'Reggae Train' that was by far the best train I have ever been on. This morning I went to a Caribbean aerobics class. I have never smiled so much whilst exercising.

One of my favourite things so far in Brixton is Brockwell Park, which is a five minute walk from my house and also home to Brockwell Lido which I tried out last week. (I am not quite sure that I am hard core enough to be a regular swimmer there. It is open air and unheated and everyone else seemed to be wearing body suits, swimming caps and goggles. I felt somewhat out of place doing a lazy breast stroke in my pink ruffle bikini.) In the middle of the park there is Brockwell Hall, which has a cute café and ice cream shop and is the perfect place for sitting and admiring Brixton's best view (which I did).

Yesterday I spent the entire day sat in the sunshine at Brockwell Park, scribbling away in my notebook and snoozing on the grass. I am definitely enjoying my new home and the last few days of freedom before the start of my next term at university. But I was far from the only one enjoying the sunshine.

It is time to change Brixton's bad reputation.

Libby