Spitalfields

Spitalfields () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in East London and situated in the East End. Spitalfields is formed around Commercial Street and Brick Lane. It has several markets, including Spitalfields Market, the historic Old Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane Market and Petticoat Lane Market. The area has long attracted migrants from overseas; in the 19th century this included many Jews, whose presence gained for the area at that time the nickname of Little Jerusalem. Since the second half of the 20th century it has been home to a large Bangladeshi community. Spitalfields lies just outside the City of London; it was a hamlet (autonomous area) of the large ancient parish of Stepney in Middlesex, and became an independent parish in 1729. It formed part of the County of London from 1889 and was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney from 1900. It was abolished as a civil parish in 1921.