Stratford is much more than just an Olympic Site, in our below area guide we tell you all you need to know.
About Stratford
Stratford is a in the heart of East London, within the London Borough of Newham.
It is around 6 miles northeast of central London.
Stratford is a vibrant and diverse community. It is home to a large number of businesses.
These include the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, one of the largest urban shopping centres in Europe.
But more on that later.
Of course when mentioning Stratford as a Londoner it is impossible not to mention the 2012 Olympics.
Whilst that was over ten years ago the games legacy still lives on in the area.
In terms of trivia, the Stratford Picture Palace, was one of the first cinemas in the United Kingdom.
Stratford Area Guide – Transport Links
I am going to make a big claim now. Outside of central London itself I can’t think of an area with better transport links than Stratford.
Starting with the obvious in that Stratford International Station has got incredible links at its disposal.
Taking a deep breath you have the following lines at your disposal; National Rail, Elizabeth Line, Central Line, Jubilee Line, DLR and Overground Lines.
You quite simply can get to wherever you want in London (or the South East) quickly and easily from Stratford.
Then you have the bus services. Now busses are not for everyone but even someone who doesn’t regularly use the services would be impressed.
There is a HUGE bus terminus right outside Stratford Station where you can get a ride to anywhere in East London.
Finally in terms of road links, the area is undoubtedly congested, despite the mayor’s best intentions.
But it must be noted with access to the A12 and subsequent onwards journeys, road is another viable option.
Stratford Area Guide – Crime
There is no way to sugarcoat the fact that crime is a factor in Stratford.
It must be noted however that there is a huge factor which plays a part in the high rate.
Westfield Shopping Centre is the biggest shopping centre in Europe. Whilst that is great for residents, it is bad for the crime rates.
A shopping centre of that size will have hundreds of incidents of shoplifting every day.
So like another retail hub like Romford, Stratford is battered by this additional crime type.
All that said, the crime rate for Stratford is 242 crimes per 1,000 residents. That blows the London average of 95 out of the water.
But again, in Stratford’s defence we are not always comparing apples with apples.
A residential only area will almost always have comparatively low rates.
Stratford Area Guide – Demographics
According to 2021 census data there are 15,700 residents in Stratford.
The most common ethnic groups in Stratford are White (42.4%), Black (25.8%), Asian (18.4%), and Other White (7.5%).
In terms of religion, Stratford is Christianity (56.4%), followed by Islam (10.6%), Hinduism (4.3%), and Buddhism (1.8%).
The median household income in Stratford is £31,000, which is slightly lower than the median household income in Newham as a whole (£33,000).
Stratford Area Guide – House Prices
Back when the 2012 Olympics was announced, an expected boom in local property prices was celebrated.
Whilst there has been a solid increase over time to say that the Olympics had a massive impact would be misleading.
Overall Properties in Stratford had an average price of £460,468 over the last year.
Flats sold for an average price of £416,181.
Terraced properties sold for an average of £540,885, with semi-detached properties fetching £651,938.
In terms of a trend, sold prices in Stratford over the last year were 8% down on the previous year and 6% down on the 2019 peak of £488,272.
Things to do in Stratford
Compared to some surrounding areas such as Forest Gate, Stratford has an avalanche of options.
It does however present a conundrum of not wanting to be too predictable. Nevertheless, here are some options.
Stratford Westfield
So much for not being predictable!
All that aside it is impossible to ignore the impressiveness of the Westfield Shopping Centre. As mentioned above, it is the largest of its kind in Europe.
What I like about the shops is the breadth of options.
You have the Primark’s and H&M’s of the retail space but you also have Breitling, Omega and Kurt Geiger.
The food court has a wide array of choices and there are plenty of upmarket bars if you fancied a drink.
Olympic Park
Predictable suggestion number 2.
Like the Westfield it is almost impossible to not be impressed by the Olympic Site itself.
What is equally impressive is how it’s been adapted to provide a range of entertainment options.
Obviously you can watch world class sport at West Ham’s new home but there are also basketball games to catch.
There are various trails and tours which can be taken, with options available here.
But just in general the Olympic park is a lovely place to spend some time and reminiss on what a wonderful time 2012 was.
Verdict – Is Stratford a nice place to live?
After spending a couple of days in the area we came to the conclusion for the right people it is great.
If you’re looking for an affordable area which is a stones throw from Central London then it is an appealing option.
As we detailed above the transport links are staggeringly good and having the Westfield as well as a Morrison’s supermarket on your doorstep is handy.
But crime has long been associated with Stratford and it remains the case.
Walking around we didn’t feel unsafe but we were only out during the daytime.
Another point of note is quite how busy the area is.
Just walking through the town centre is a stressful endeavour, with packed pavements and street preachers a plenty.
The ‘old’ shopping mall (The Stratford Centre) is scruffy and overdue a refurbishment. The sheen of fresh paint from the Olympics has long since worn off.
There are however multiple developments all over the area with some which wouldn’t look out of place in Docklands.
I’m sure many offer impressive views of the London skyline.
Taking everything into account we certainly wouldn’t disregard Stratford as an option.
If you can live with the negatives it is a surprisingly compelling package for the right people.
