Having lived in East London all of my life, it’s fair to say it has utterly transformed. The area became a sort of mini-city since hosting the 2012 Olympics.
Huge skyscrapers, a hub of transport links and a frankly massive shopping centre leading it to now being comparable to the likes of Waterloo or Bond Street. While I learned about the gentrification of my own neighbourhood in geography classes, I witnessed the construction of the ever imposing Westfield in real time. So many young people probably don’t even remember how quiet Stratford used to be.
Some may look back with rose-tinted glasses, but I have to say that quite a few of the sharp changes have been made for the better. So here are the three striking changes to Stratford that have made the most difference in my lifetime so far.
Westfield Shopping Centre
It would be difficult to talk about the changes in Stratford without talking about the biggest - literally - of them all. The largest urban shopping centre in the UK by land area and the fourth-largest shopping centre in the UK spanning 1,910,000 square feet (177,000 m2) of head to toe shopping action. Westfield is truly a feat!
But, right opposite the now iconic Westfield Stairs, lies a relic of Stratford’s past, locally known as “Old Stratford”. During my childhood, Stratford PictureHouse, was the peak of entertainment.
The first film I had ever watched was in that building and with a pizza parlour right next to the screenings, it was always a hit with young children. But, the Vue having 20 screens compared to the Picturehouses’ 10, it struggled to compete and closed its doors on the 28th of July 2024. A sad ending to an iconic Stratford landmark.
Transport
Oh Stratford... A commuter’s paradise and a driver's nightmare! Stratford is full of regularly running buses and smooth-running trains. It has a major railway station housing the Central Line, Jubilee Line, the DLR and now also the newest edition - the Elizabeth Line.
Along with trains from outside the capital, such as the SouthEastern and the C2C. With the 2012 Olympics there was an aim to make the area as accessible as possible and this aim was definitely achieved. On the other hand, congestion in Stratford is commonplace. If you drive in East London, it’s likely that you have the phrase “Stratford Traffic News” in your recent searches.
As someone learning to drive, the thought of regularly passing through Stratford is an unsettling one. Just walking through the area you’ll see plenty of pedestrians sprinting down the busy crossing while cars narrowly whizz past them. Running red lights and jumping queues are common occurrences in Stratford.
And with the overlapping cycle lanes, bus lanes, and pedestrian crossings, all drivers are constantly on their toes (or foot brakes) when driving through the area.
Noise
One of the key pieces of advice any local can give is to make sure you have a pair of headphones on you at all times. Everywhere in Stratford is loud.
You attempt to talk to a friend in a shop and you can feel yourself screaming above a bunch of other people attempting to do the same thing. It’s hard to think back to the times where the now populous Stratford East was a Brownfield.
As for more than a decade it has been a densely populated area full of perfect picnic spots and spaced out play areas as opposed to the mostly abandoned buildings it housed prior.
In my time, Stratford has undergone such a noticeable transformation. From once being empty and neglected to now being bustling and busy, the town has broken from its cocoon and evolved into one of the best places to be in London.
This change has even encouraged parts of Stratford to evolve, with things like a mini-food court being created in the Stratford Centre, full of diverse menu options. But there has been a lot of talk surrounding how there was a stronger focus on creating the new E20, and less attention on helping develop the existing area with the “Focus E15” Campaign.
Personally, while I understand the criticisms of the new changes, this is the Stratford that I and many young people are most familiar with and generally prefer. I have vague memories of when Westfield was being built, as I was only 5 when it was finished, this giant box of concrete that seemed out of place with the plainness of the surrounding area.
But now, it is hard to imagine Stratford without it. New memories of getting lost in shops, sliding down the orbit and having picnics in the Queen Elizabeth Park are much stronger than the pre-gentrification ones. It became a local hangout spot and gave the town a cultural presence and like many natives, it is hard to imagine Stratford without the great transport links making it much easier to travel around.
And while there has been changes, to locals, Stratford has been and will continue to be a staple community in London.
Keep up with the latest East London news. Sign up to our MyEastLondon newsletter HERE for daily updates and more.
