citylikeyou — Hoxton Street Monster Supplies

London / Shop

Inspired by Dave Eggers’ projects in the USA such as the Pirate Store in San Francisco and Superhero store in Brooklyn, The Monster Supplies Store in Hoxton is home to the Ministry of Stories: A volunteer run organization, founded by Nick Hornby, to help young people with creative writing of all kinds through workshops and free mentoring sessions. The store is the “Purveyor of quality goods for monsters of every kind” with fascinating bottles and tins containing everything from eyeballs to Zadie Smith’s short story Mortal Terror.

Website
monstersupplies.org

Address
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies, 159 Hoxton Street, London, United Kingdom

Creative Director

Current city: London

luminousbooks.co.uk

Louisa is the founder of Luminous Books in East London, an artist curated bookshop specializing in second hand fiction, philosophy, art and curiosities. Luminous also stocks a range of artists’ books, limited run zines and hosts regular literary events, combining music, films and readings alongside pop up projects throughout the city and two Luminous collections at the ICA Bookshop SW1 and Andor Bureau E8. Louisa studied Fine Art Sculpture at Brighton University before moving to London working in both new and antiquarian bookshops including Foyles and as Book Buyer for the ICA Bookshop. Luminous is a specialized bookshop full of personal preoccupations, a love of the object of the book, printed matter and of visual thinking.

More Places in London 471

London / Transport

Aside from the fact of the underground being the oldest running railway system in the world, I find the underground just an incredibly strange place. Sometimes it’s like I’ve entered an organised maze and just walk without even thinking. The photo is taken of the floor from one of the trains, it’s normally what you tend you look at when you’re on the train.

London / Park

London is blessed with many fine parks, but Brockwell is a real jewel in south London. A short walk or bus ride from Brixton, or right by Herne Hill overground station, the park includes large grassy areas, the fantastic Brockwell Lido (a vast open-air pool – hectic mid-summer unless you get in early - a 7am swim is utterly blissful), tennis courts, a bowling green, a BMX track, a mini-railway, a secret garden, and a few newly landscaped ponds. Perfect for a lazy summer day.

London / Cafe

If you are lucky enough to get a table at this tiny 6 table only Café you are in for a real treat. The coffee is great, the cakes are delicious and the staff is friendly in this traditional wifi free (meaning no wifi here) Café. On a quiet day this is the best place to delve into your favourite novel while being caressed by the easy listening aural pleasure of Classic FM. But the real reason I come here is to overhear the conversations of the other customers. More than once did I have to put my book aside to pay closer attention to the charming, wonderful and often nuts conversations going on around me. I've overheard all sorts of discussions varying from 'Psychoanalysis' to 'Proustian ideas', 'Science Fiction' to 'Greek Mythology' and 'African Studies' to 'the takeover of DC Comics'.

London / Restaurant

I really enjoy this vegetarian restaurant. It has everything from amazing healthy soups and salads to healthy dairy free desserts...my favourite is the raw chocolate tart with dairy free coconut ice cream!

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.