5 things you need to know about living in Stratford London

Stratford is in East London, around seven miles north-east of Central London and it has some of the capital’s best transport links which makes it feel close to almost everywhere! 

The 2012 London Olympic Games marked an extraordinary moment in time for Stratford, bringing in a transformation that has captured the buzz of the Olympic legacy and created a vibrant new neighbourhood and workplace destination at Stratford Cross.  Furthermore, with the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hackney Wick and East Bank on your doorstep, this is a truly unique place to live and work.  

In zone two, Stratford Station has been well served by the rail network since Victorian times.  However, today the travel choices have vastly increased with five different rail options to choose from to get here, making it one of the best connected destinations in London. These are: 

1.) Two tube lines - Central and Jubilee
2.) The Elizabeth Line
3.) DLR
4.) National Rail 
5.) London Overground

There are also multiple bus options to tap into and once you are here, getting to Stratford Cross and beyond is easy on foot, by bike, bus or taxi.

Originally set in the countryside, Stratford’s history goes back hundreds of years. Stratford Langthorne Abbey (sometimes known as West Ham Abbey) was founded in 1135 and was one of the largest and wealthiest churches in England. Around the abbey there developed a thriving centre for brewing, agriculture, in particular potato farming, and a centre for livestock. As corn from the mills on Stratford Marsh was easily accessible, Stratford also became known for baking bread with one of its bread mills giving its name to Pudding Mill Lane. Though the abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII in 1538, for many centuries Stratford maintained its reputation for sending good produce into London. It also had a proud industrial heritage, connected to the world by the Royal Docks, becoming a major manufacturing centre for pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and processed foods in the 1880s.

Thanks to the London 2012 Olympics and a regeneration that has been built on the legacy of the games, Stratford has been transformed and there is nowhere else quite like it to work, play and relax in London. Whilst there are so many places that Stratford is now famous for, including of course the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, here are five venues that we think are pretty special: 

1.) The London Aquatics Centre - a pool of champions and the world’s most technologically advanced swimming facility with, not one, but three Olympic standard pools
2.) Westfield Stratford - one of London’s largest and most lively shopping hubs
3.) Copper Box Arena - London’s third largest arena, a versatile and exciting events space but also open to the public with state of the art fitness and gym facilities
4.) The London Stadium - a world class, multi-use venue for music, sport and entertainment
5.) The ArcelorMittal Orbit - in the summer abseil down this extraordinary looping structure or try out the world’s longest tunnel slide and take in breathtaking London views.

1.) As one of the best-connected areas of London, journey times to for example Liverpool Street, Tottenham Court Road and Paddington are under 20 minutes and the Javelin train takes just seven minutes to get you from Stratford International to St Pancras.

2.) There are nice places to live including the Athletes’ Village (now known as East Village), and The Stratford – a 42 storey tower with 248 rental flats and a sky garden. If you need a school, two of the three newest schools in the area are rated as Ofsted “Outstanding”.

3.) Great places to eat, drink and shop. From cafes and restaurants to rooftop bars and a multitude of different shops – there’s something for everyone in Stratford.

4.) Looking for time away from your desk or for healthy activities in the evenings or weekends? From the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to the Hackney Marshes and the Wanstead Flats, explore miles of green spaces on foot, by bike or boat and if you have kids why not visit a city farm or visit one of the many playgrounds. 

5.)Stratford is a rising star of culture. Already home to great theatre and cinema including Stratford East, Yard Theatre and Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford will shortly see the arrival some of the UK’s biggest cultural institutions with two new V&A venues and Sadler’s Wells East.

Want to find out more and keep up with activities in and around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park? Download the Stratford Cross app and catch up with all things Stratford! The app is available on the App Store and the Google Play Store.