WHY THE WHITECHAPEL OF 1888 WAS THE IDEAL HUNTING GROUND FOR JACK THE RIPPER The East End was nicknamed Darkest London. The crime-ridden streets and the buildings that lined them were black with soot from the factories that dominated the skyline. The air was thick with smog, blocking the moonlight and dimming the street lamps' glow. Fallen women plied their trade in shadowy corners at all hours. Their desperation to earn enough money for shelter and drink caused them to make decisions against their welfare. These circumstances made it relatively easy for the murderer to mutilate bodies and evade capture.

The dark, foggy streets of Whitechapel are featured prominently in the serialized Victorian gothic murder mystery novel The Ripper Lives.