I've been living in London for 6 years, but I never experienced its real multicultural society until I decided to move to Hackney. Now I can't imagine any longer to spend my time in boring and pretentious South Ken or Chelsea, virtually a colony of trendy rich and terribly boring Italian and French people. Here you have the real flavour of the huge reality the British Empire must have been in order to attract so many different cultures and peoples from around the all world - Here you can find virtually any sort of foodshop, music, bookshop, hairdresser, clothshop, restaurant. Where else in Europe??

So if you think of a big modern multicultural Capital, think of Hackney, and do not be afraid of what you hear - of course it is not for the fainthearted, for the Ladies-who-lunch, for the My-God-South-of-the-Park-only sort of person, but I promise you you'll never get bored. People are kind, life is easy, last but not least, less expensive (you can have a very good dinner for two with wine for something more than £ 20 - yes, twentypoundsonly!), and such places like Ridley Road Market are really unique, a bit of Africa, West Indies, Far East all-in-1.

Art is also doing well in Hackney and lots of artists and “Off” Art Galleries are moving or establishing here. Broadway Market is a lovely little enclave for connoisseurs and a cappuccino at Tony's is the best you can get in London.

And the don'ts: you can't find TOURISTS, STARBUCK CAFES, BENETTON, LAURA ASHLEY and all the High Street stuff, hardly one McDonald's, the stinky Tube, pretentious expensive restaurants, boring trendy bars.

Instead you'll find a fantastic brand new Library in Mare Street and in a few months one of the best preserved Edwardian Theatre - the Empire - will be open again to the public. But please, do not tell around to everybody. Only if you are seriously committed!