An Olympic legacy in Stratford
Stratford lies in the famous East End of London within the London Borough of Newham and is part of the Lower Lea Valley. Its origin is from the 11th century when it was known as Strætforda-'ford on a Roman road' in Old English. Historically Stratford was only a settlement in Essex and remained so for a few centuries.
However, it slowly started to expand in the 18th century, similar to nearby Bow, and eventually became an industrial suburb following the introduction of the railway in 1893. The 20th century was a period of decline for the area, and many people thought that Stratford would remain derelict. However, over time fortunes reversed, and Stratford became a primary location for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The residual benefits and investment opportunities live on today.
Stratford transformed into a buzzing shopping and leisure hub after the Games. With an investment of almost £10bln, East London became the world's focus as host of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The event's principal venue was Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, producing the largest green space area in the capital for over 100 years and one of the largest parks in Europe. In addition, a new postcode was explicitly created for the Olympic Village and the 2012 London Olympic Games, adding E20 to the capital's map. E20 is also the postcode for Walford, a fictional location used in the soap opera EastEnders. After the Olympics, E20 became a part of the Olympic Legacy.
Athlete's Village became East Village, and the surroundings developed into a modern residential housing hub with thousands of new homes. It also brought various industries to the area, like arts, architecture, shops, restaurants, bars, creative engineering, and new outposts for universities, museums, and international institutions. In addition, Stratford hosts many retail and leisure facilities, from the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre to Velodrome, CopperBox Arena and Aquatics Centre, available to experience all. The world's tallest tunnel slide - ArcelorMittal Orbit, is located here and is an icon of the area with its distinctive steel tube structure.
The former Olympic Stadium has been renamed the London Stadium and is now the home of West Ham United football club, who moved here from their former home at the Boleyn Ground in 2016. Over the last decade, Stratford has become East London's primary retail, cultural and leisure centre and hosts the second most crucial business site in East London after Canary Wharf. Almost 6,000 people are now living there. It's home to 35 acres of open space, and the V&A Museum, Sadler's Wells and the London College of Fashion are due to move into the International Quarter.
Stratford is exceptionally well connected, offering many connections from Stratford Station and Stratford International Station utilising DLR, Jubilee, Central Line, London Overground, and National Rail services. Stratford Station will also benefit from the new Crossrail Elizabeth Line service, significantly reducing journey times and providing more transport options. There's a plentiful supply of Victorian terrace houses and new flats in the Stratford area. At the same time, a mixture of standard residential, social, and intermediate housing is in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park development projects attracting residents of all ages.
Written by Alex Neil Estate Agents
Share This Properties for sale Request valuation Contact us More news