Location Guide East London

The east of London is one of the most distinct areas of London. Through its cosmopolitan inhabitants to its colourful history, the identity of East London is formed. Some famous residents you may be familiar with include David Beckham who grew up and polished his skills in Chingford, Mahatma Gandhi resided in Kingsley Hall in Bow and the infamous Jack The Ripper who went on the prowl around Whitechapel.

If you’re reading this, it is most likely a place to live, work or play you are looking for among the other 1.5 Million inhabitants of the region. There are seven boroughs that constitute East London, these are Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Redbridge, Newham, Havering, Hackney and Barking and Dagenham. The majority of these boroughs have already seen the benefits of the 2012 Olympic games with house prices increasing ahead of the rest of England.

The Olympic games are a more recent development; there are of course other initiatives to improve the area. Schemes such as the East London line tube link that runs all the way from West Croydon to Highbury and Islington. Another scheme is theThames Gateway Redevelopment, which is hoping to bring a further 20,000 homes and 25,000 jobs to the London Riverside with £100m already invested since 2004. There is Stratford international that is to become a major transport hub, on top of its existing tube/train links, the Channel Tunnel rail link is being extended to run from here making East London that little bit closer to our continental cousins.

Some of the many existing places of interest in East London include Billingsgate Fish Market for your fish and chips, Brick lane for Britain’s favourite food – Curry, Canary Wharf for business and shopping needs, Colombia Road Market to buy flowers for your loved ones, ExCel Exhibition Centre to help promote your business, Hackney Empire to find Paradise Lost, London City Airport to escape for a weekend break, Lower Lea Valley for all your sporting needs, New Spitalfields Market for your horticultural goods, Romford Greyhound Stadium for a quick flutter, The Thames Barrier for a relaxing stroll in landscaped gardens, Theatre Royal in Startford for Plays, music, comedy and Jazz, University of East London to get your degree, Victoria Park for a wide open space and Whitechapel art gallery for contemporary works of art.

The above list is just a tip of the iceberg for one of the most vibrant places to live, work and play. East London has much to offer.