Area Guides
No longer up-and-coming, East London is now the capital’s trendiest centre for innovation and creativity.
From Shoreditch to Stratford, East London is made up of areas that have seen significant investment and growth over the last few decades. It’s transformed from an up-and-coming area to one that confidently attracts and retains some of the most exciting digital and tech start-ups in the UK. In fact, it’s one of the most popular tech hubs in the world.
It’s also home to a thriving creative and commercial scene, with high-street shopping, canal-side dining, and hundreds of other ways to fill your time out of the office. And it’s well-connected, too, served by a number of Underground lines, the DLR, and the Overground.
East London’s history begins with the expansion of London beyond its city walls in Medieval times. It was first referred to in John Strype’s ‘Survey of London’ in 1720, where it holds the moniker of ‘That Part beyond the Tower’. East London has seen an awful lot of development since Strype’s time, though.
After a period of decline following dock closures and loss of industry in the mid-20century, East London underwent an extensive regeneration. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Jubilee line were built in the late 20 century to accommodate increased transport capacity, Canary Wharf was entirely redeveloped in the 1990s, and Stratford got a new lease of life for the 2012 Olympics.
Throughout its history, East London has played its part in building the story of London. It was William Shakespeare’s stomping grounds when he moved to London, and home to the first playhouse to host his theatre company. It was also the primary inspiration for the setting of Eastenders’ fictional borough of Walford, immortalizing East London forever.
In terms of industry, East London is most well known for being a hub for tech businesses. Companies from the tech sector are vaguely clustered across the area between St Luke’s and Hackney Road, which is now known as Tech City or Silicon Roundabout.
This area was primarily developed in the years following the 2008 financial crisis. It’s now home to innovation and research projects from some of the most prominent tech companies in the world, including Cisco, Facebook, Google, and Intel. There are thought to be over 5,000 tech companies based out of the hub.
It’s not just tech businesses populating East London, though – it’s also popular with businesses in the banking, media, and legal sectors who draw from the area’s thriving professional workforce.
Although historically regarded as a harder-to-reach area, East London is now extremely well-connected to the rest of the capital and further afield. Notable Tube stations in the East include Whitechapel, Bethnal Green, Shoreditch High Street, Canary Wharf, and Stratford. There’s also Stratford International, for National Rail connections.
That opens up a variety of options for travelling East from elsewhere, including the Central, Jubilee, and District lines. And, of course, there are plenty of bus services that head out towards Stratford, for those not so fond of the Tube.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – Purpose-built for the 2012 Olympic Games, the Olympic Park is a stunning mix of sports facilities, public space, and inventive architecture.
XOYO – One of the best-known nightclubs in the world, XOYO is a two-floor space that has played host to some of the biggest electronic music artists over its 10+ years of operation.
Westfield Stratford City – The 4th-largest shopping centre in the UK by retail space, Westfield Stratford City is a one-stop destination for all things shopping.
Spitalfields Market – Originating from the 17th century, first operating just after the Great Fire of London, Spitalfields Market is a daily event full of retail and street-food delights.
Red Dog Saloon – One of the most iconic restaurants in Hoxton Square, Red Dog Saloon serves up some of the hottest wings and juiciest burgers known to man.
Gloria Trattoria – Gloria is a 70s style trattoria mixing Italian classics with fun new takes on the world’s favourite cuisine.
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