East London Guide 

East London, like pretty much of the rest of London is very mixed. Some of the rougher parts of London are here (Canning Town, large parts of Hackney) but it is also home to one of the richest areas on the planet: Canary wharf which houses some of the world's largest financial institutions. You get unbelievable contrasts here. Billions of pounds has been ploughed into the area beside the Thames in the form of beautiful apartment buildings - cross the A13 and it's rough as guts. I once read that Hackney Wick - still a no-man's land of industrial decay - is the most deprived area of Europe.

East London starts somewhere around Aldgate. This, believe it or not, is pretty much the epi-centre for all things trendy in London - in particular the areas of Shoreditch (E2) and Hoxton. There is a large South-Asian population in the area - particularly around Whitechapel (E1) and Bethnal Green (E2). You can see this in the colour, great food and lively markets - particularly around Brick Lane.

Bethnal Green is a large and popular area to live. It's generally quite cheap, very colourful and close to the trendy parts of town. As you head East you're into Bow (E3) which is probably my favourite part of East London. It's down to earth, clean, leafy and right next to the beautiful Victoria Park. Still relatively close to Central London (as well as Canary Wharf), there is a lot of development going on here and it's unlikely to remain affordable for very long.

Moving right along we come to Stratford (E15) and West Ham. Stratford is quite a nice area except the maniac seventies town planners decided to put in yet another gyratory. Stratford has become the HQ for all things Olympics 2012 so expect huge changes in the area. Still going East, the feeling is still down to earth, slightly rough around the edges, but pleasant enough all the same. Plaistow (E13), Forest Gate (E7) and East Ham (E6) are all up and coming and, I think, quite nice. It's getting a little bit out of town but Chingford (E4) is a lovely place. Ditto Clapton (E5).

Some people like Walthamstow (E17) and there are some lovely new apartment buildings here, but its reputation is a bit rough. If it were me, I'd be inclined to stay in nearby Wanstead (E18) which is a much greener, more villagey place. Leyton (E10) and Leytonstone (E11) are ok (the Leyton high road is lovely).

Now we head back to Hackney... Affectionately known as 'Crackney' and recently voted worst place to live in London, Hackney could certainly be said to suffer from a bit of an image problem. Parts of Hackney are a bit dire (I mean this in the same sense that parts of the area around Chernobyl are a bit dire). But it's not all bad! Stoke Newington (E8) is popular and trendy. The Columbia road is lovely and I really like the Broadway Market. Homerton elicits nightmarish visions in the minds of many londoners but the part next to Victoria Park is lovely...

Canning Town is right next to the docklands. There are (optimistic) developers piling money into the place but it remains one of London's roughest areas. North Woolwich (which is North of the river as opposed to Woolwich, which is South) is similarly rough although billions of pounds are being poured into the area in the form of beautiful new apartment buildings and development and it is well connected by the DLR. If people actually move here it could well emulate the success of the docklands.

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