10 Reasons we love East Village

The former Athletes' Village that's still winning

Ten years ago, Olympic champions called it home. Today, it is a thriving community home to more than 6,000 people, 30 independent businesses, groups, clubs and a silverback gorilla named Victor… Welcome to E20!

Set within 67 acres, 25 of which are wetlands and parklands, East Village neighbours the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and is within easy reach of Hackney Wick and Stratford. It is an ideal place for exploring all that East London has to offer, while having it’s own quaint village feel.

Here’s another 10 reasons why we love it here…

1. East London is one of the best connected neighbourhoods in Europe

Stratford is one of the best connected neighbourhoods in Europe with Stratford International and Stratford stations providing unrivalled transport links to the West End in just 20-minutes; St Pancras International in seven minutes (by High Speed 1); Canary Wharf in 10-minutes and London airports within an hour. The world really IS your oyster.

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2. You are at one with nature

East Village alone has 25-acres of parklands and green spaces, while the Olympic Park covers a whopping 560-acres. To illustrate, that is the equivalent of around 300 football pitches, and it’s bigger than Hyde Park. There are 6.5km of picturesque canal-ways and approximately 26-acres of woods with over 13,000 trees in the Park. That’s a lot of exploring…

 

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3. It’s child and pet friendly

This super-hip postcode, with its abundance of green spaces and outdoor play areas, is as appealing to singles as it is to those with little-uns. If you’re a parent to a fur-baby, our sites are all pet-friendly too. Happy days. Who wouldn’t want to bring up children/dogs in a buzzing area where you can still be true to you, whilst still allowing said offspring to have access to the great, green outdoors?

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4. It has a community that looks out for one another

East Village has a dedicated community team that actively works to bring people together through groups and events. 

There are regular meetups including a book club, weekly football, cycling and basketball groups. For staying active, there are free weekly workouts ran by our partner Our Parks.

Not only that, East Village feels safe and secure, with a dedicated 24/7 Security team and Get Living’s neighbourhood team has their Welcome Office door open for you six days a week, whether you need a hand, or simply want to say hi!

 

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5. Slice of heaven for the foodies

With 30 independent retailers including several food and drinks establishments in East Village alone, there’s plenty to whet one’s appetite. Whether the plan is a laidback brunch, group lunch, or organic groceries shop to take home or enjoy al fresco, you will find it within a 15 minutes walk.

Local faves include: 

• Darkhorse Restaurant & Bar serves up dishes with Northern Italian influences and boasts an impressive wine list and cocktail menu 
• They say you can never go wrong with pizza, and we say, you can never go wrong with Santi Restaurant & Pizzeria 
• Nutella hot chocolates, freshly baked foccacia toasties and the best Italian marble cake you’ve ever tasted – it can only be Signorelli. This family run bakery was born in East Village, where all of their baked goods are made from scratch. Learn more about the master bakers behind the Signorelli brand

 

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For more foodie & neighbourhood recommendations, check what our local resident and foodie @yourdailytreats shared with us in our 17 Question series:

6. Happy place for all the beer lovers

East London has become a mecca for beer aficionados with a hive of hipster breweries and microbreweries. Urban legend has it that Pale Ale was actually invented here, after a batch of lighter beer, brewed in East London, left for India and matured past its intended maturation point. Moreover, there’s Tap East Located in The Great Eastern Market at Westfield Stratford City, Crate Brewery in Hackney Wick and Howling Hops. But that’s not all! Sup on the very best craft ales at East Village’s Neighbourhood pub and Mother Kellys tap room.  

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7. It’s ready for you, culture vultures

Is that a pop-up gallery space-slash-book sale aboard a canal boat? But, it must be the new interactive tech-expo at Here East? We overheard amazing tunes coming from live music festivals at the infamous Victoria Park… However, it might have also been a game at West Ham’s ground? The truth is, East London has it all.

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8. The Olympic Park is (literally) in your backyard

Active types are spoilt for choice with the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park being home to the Copperbox Arena, Lee Valley VeloPark, London Aquatics Centre and the London Stadium. More importantly, anyone can have access to these world class facilities! In fact, do you fancy a spin class where the Olympic athletes trained? Truly, it doesn’t get much more motivational than that. 

 

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9. It's a significant business location in the East London

East London’s primary retail, cultural and leisure centre, Stratford is now the second most significant business location in the East. The new East Bank welcomes the V&A, BBC studios, and Saddlers Wells theatre putting Stratford on the map as a cultural hotspot.

 

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10. It celebrates positive fashion

Calling all the creatives, fashionistas, and tech wizards who are ready to reclaim the future of fashion together… did you know the London College of Fashion and UCL Campus will also be a major part of the upcoming East Bank?

For those with passion for fashion, what could be more exciting than surrounding yourself with innovators and changemakers within the Fashion District, which brings together the likes of Westfield Stratford City, British Fashion Council, Fashion Revolution, The Fashion School and many more.

 

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