Brief Focus on Stratford and E20 - An Olympic Legacy
Stratford lays in the famous East End of London within London Borough of Newham and is part of the Lower Lea Valley. Its origin reaches back to 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. It slowly started to expand in the 18th century, similar to nearby Bow, and eventually became an industrial suburb following the introduction of railway in 1893.
The 20th century was a period of decline for the area and many people thought that Stratford would remain derelict. Over time fortunes reversed and Stratford was chosen to be a main location for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and the development benefits live on today.
The area was completely revamped, and Stratford transformed into a buzzing shopping and leisure hub in the aftermath of the Games. With an investment of almost £10bln, East London became a focus of the world as a host to 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 more than 100 years and one of largest parks in Europe.
Additionally, a new postcode was created specifically for the Olympic Village and 2012 London Olympic Games, adding E20 onto 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” got a new name – ‘’East Village’’ and along with its surroundings has been converted 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 along with new outposts for universities, museums and international institutions.
Stratford hosts many retail and leisure facilities from the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre to Velodrome, CopperBox Arena and Aquatics Centre, available to experience by all. World’s tallest tunnel slide - ArcelorMittal Orbit is located here as well and is an icon of the area with its distinctive steel tube structure.
Former Olympic Stadium has been renamed to the London Stadium and is now a 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 important 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 likes of 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 a rich amount of 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 Elizabeth Line service which will significantly reduce journey times and provide more transport options.
There’s a plentiful supply of Victorian terrace houses and new flats in the Stratford area, while a mixture of standard residential, social, intermediate and shared-ownership housing is included in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park development projects attracting residents of all ages.
If you’re looking to establish the sales or rental value of your property, or wish to purchase or rent a property then Alex Neil Estate Agents are here to help.
Source David
