It's Motzei Shabbat, Saturday night in a house in Finchley, North London and a group of 14-year-old girls are primping. Between straightening hair and applying makeup, choosing outfits and deciding on jewellery, these girls are texting, using msn and calling their friends to arrange what to do that night. Hurriedly they argue; “Go to the cinema?” “Stay in?” “Go to Hampstead?” “Go to Solly's?” The scene is similar in many Jewish homes in North London. Deciding what to do on a Saturday night is fortunately one of Anglo-Jewry's teenage community's biggest problem.

Northwest London is home to the majority of the Jewish teenagers in the country. I would estimate there about 20,000 Jewish teenagers between the ages of 13-18 who live here. We are a diverse bunch, some ultra-Orthodox, others modern Orthodox, Masorti, Reform or totally secular. Here is a snapshot of what we're up to on a Saturday night.

London teenagers love the freedom to go out with their friends from the age of about 13 or 14. One place that is popular with all the Jewish teenagers is the restaurant Solly's which is known as the best place to eat a Kosher Shwarma in London. The restaurant is in the heart of the main Jewish area in London, Golders Green.

Each Saturday night Jewish teens get dressed up and walk up and down Golders Green road. It is a sort of rite of passage that is done by most Jewish teenagers at some point in their lives. Although seemingly unglamorous and admittedly dirty in some places, Golders Green is close to the heart of many Jewish teenagers. The other big pull to the area is food based: the Kosher deli, Carmelli's. The smell of freshly baked bagels as soon as you enter the shop warms you like a hug from an old friend on a blustery night. It is a popular stop for many older teenagers and those in their twenties who come in at 3 am after they've been out clubbing. The pastries are delicious.

Teenagers in Britain, like anywhere in the world, like to hang out with their friends. The other popular place for Jews to go to is Hampstead. Just a mile or so away from Golders Green Road is Hampstead High Street; here, groups of friends go to cafes, restaurants, Tinseltown (a funky 24-hour cafe) and milkshake bars.

Jewish teenagers from Northwest London spend a lot of time exclusively with other Jews. About half go to Jewish schools, and the majority are also members of youth groups such as Bnei Akiva, RSY (the Reform Jewish youth movement of the UK) and FZY (the Federation of Zionist Youth). This brings about the phenomenon of the Jewish house party. Friends invite friends, and a hundred or more teenagers cram into a house, dancing, partying, and generally just enjoying themselves. Music on full volume and British, American and Israeli bands blare out across the house.

The only difference between this and any other house party is that there is the potential for embarrassment within the tight-knit Jewish community when your school friends know your youth group friends who know your community friends. If there is any romance, everybody hears about it soon enough.

There is also a small but growing Jewish Indie Scene. Bands such as Cajun Dance Party and The Morning After have built up their fan bases in Jewish schools, Jewish youth groups, and MySpace Music. Many of these Jewish bands have small gigs in the pubs and gig venues of North London on Saturday nights, bringing in crowds of young Jews eager to hear good live music. Maybe in the future, you in the States will be listening to them, like we are listening to Fall Out Boy at the moment.

In London, like anywhere else in the world on a Saturday night, we know how to have a good time. Jewish teenagers aren't left out, enjoying the city for all it's worth. We make the most of living in what I think is the most exciting city in the world!

Josh wishes he could have a free ticket to travel the world; though admits he would miss life in London because it is the best place in the world, after Israel, of course.