In London there are many great areas with %26#39;trendy%26#39; restaurants and dozens of art galleries and bars that aren%26#39;t that familiar even to most Londoners and remain sort of alternative and known only to insiders (such as Shoreditch, Bethnal Green etc). I find this a real shame, because a lot of locals miss out on these great areas, and they are even more impossible for tourists to find- I%26#39;m sure most of them never venture into these parts of town.
My question, then, is: are there any areas like that in Brussels? I have read a couple of guide books but these areas probably wouldn%26#39;t be included (The London ones are never mentioned in London guides). I%26#39;m looking for more %26#39;alternative%26#39; areas, maybe with young art galleries that aren%26#39;t that well-known, or with for example, independent design or fashion boutiques, vinatge shops and so on. I%26#39;d hate to miss out on these places when I go to Brussels- does anyone have any tips? Thank you
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Brussels (pop. 1 million) is less than 1/10 the size of London so the possibility of having interesting areas not mentioned by guidebooks is somewhat reduced! The avant-garde fashion area is around rue Dansaert and there are also some places in the nearby Saint Jacques area, a few blocks bounded by rue Lombard and rue du Midi. But I%26#39;m afraid these are both very well-known.
The rue du Bailli (93/94 tram down Avenue Louise to Lesbroussart, also 54 bus and 81 tram) is perhaps not generally mentioned in guidebooks but offers some quirky shopping and at least one art gallery. However it%26#39;s hardly unknown as there are a lot of restaurants in the nearby Place du Châtelain.
The only vintage shop I know of is in rue de la Paix off ch. d%26#39;Ixelles, near Place St. Boniface (another restaurant area). It%26#39;s about 10 minutes%26#39; walk from Porte de Namur.
An area where few tourists venture but which is very well-known to locals for Sunday shopping is the rue de Brabant behind the North Station but this is for cheap Moroccan and Turkish shops, nothing arty or designerish. If it appeals, it would be best to approach from Place Rogier to the right of the big tower block (by the Hilton Hotel) or else get a tram to Place Liedts and start from that end; rather than going under the railway bridge from the rue du Progrès near the station - it%26#39;s is a bit smelly!
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