citylikeyou — Chinatown — London by Jan Enkelmann

London / Area

I’ve been photographing the chefs of London’s Chinatown for the past three years – both in the kitchen and in their breaks, smoking a quick cigarette. Most people come here for the many Chinese restaurants, but it’s really the hub for the vibrant Chinese community in London.

Website
enkelmann.co.uk

Address
Chinatown, Gerrard Street, London, United Kingdom

Photographer Creative Director

Current city: London

enkelmann.co.uk

I’m a London-based documentary and travel photographer, dividing my time between commercial commissions and personal projects.

More Places in London 471

London / Park

I go to the Heath every weekend (often via the wonderful Waterlow Park which skirts Highgate Cemetery) and during the week too if I’m working from home; it helps to put things in perspective when I’m thinking about my work. It’s great in the summer for obvious reasons but I love it the most in autumn and on those rare days it snows so much London grinds to a halt (which doesn’t take much). Everyone heads up there to make giant snowballs/cats/creatures and surf down Parliament Hill on anything they can get their hands on. Grown ups turn into kids for the day. My husband and I made this snow yeti last year, it was sad to leave him behind but he soon made friends and even made it into the Camden New Journal.

London / Shop

A beautiful old school bookshop, floor to ceiling photo books. Heaven.

London / Music Venue

The tunnels are a Crane.tv favourite. We have used the space as a backdrop for several films including a music session with The Civil Wars. The tunnels have a great story behind them and feature one of the only legal graffiti walls in London on their Leake Street side which was championed by Banksy back in 2008.

London / School

Having spent many years studying there, I have a soft spot for Central Saint Martins, which finally closed in September 2011 when the college relocated to Kings Cross. Despite being such a dive, the old building had such history and character and I grew very fond of its tatty charms. As plans for its take over by Foyles bookshop go ahead, I look forward to having a coffee in the new building's cafe when it re-opens.

London / Bar

Netil360 is a great roof terrace bar near London Fields in East London. It is situated on top of an ex-Hackney Council Building. We were one of the first design studios to move into the building while it was still being converted into a creative hub. It is great to see that this place is still vibrant. It definitely has one of the best all around views of East London. I took this picture (facing South) in the summer of 2018. It shows the gasworks near The Oval Space in the mid-ground and the Shard as part of the London skyline.