Whitechapel 1888

Little did anyone suspect when the body of prostitute Mary Ann Nichols turned up on the streets of Whitechapel at 3:40 a.m. on August 31, 1888 that it was anything more than a random—although extraordinarily violent—killing. The seedy, impovershed neighborhood in the East End of London was a tough place that only the most downtrodden called home. But the knife that slashed through Mary Ann Nichols's throat and abdomen quickly found a string of other victims, murders all attributed to the unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper.

Mr. Spooks Whitechapel (a.k.a. Spooks Blackburn) has given life to this place in his great creation, Whitechapel 1888. Here you'll see each of Jack's victims—discreetly covered by bloodied sheets—along with information about them and their unfortunate ends. The streets and shops are peppered with informational signs that describe the life, people and history of Whitechapel. You can see, for example, The Ten Bells, a pub many of Jack's victims seemed to have patronized, at the corner of Goulston and Commercial (which is not quite historically accurate, as in real life the two streets didn't quite intersect—the original Whitechapel was a maze of narrow alleyways—but Spooks would have needed several sims to recreate it literally, and this is a pretty impressive place, brilliantly done).

Also here can learn about another famous Whitechapel resident, Joseph Merrick, who sadly became known as the Elephant Man. The poor guy was actually exhibited here at a shop.

So ... go have fun at Whitechapel 1888, but keep a eye over your shoulder. And don't forget to leave a tip! ;)