Stratford: For those who want to be at the heart of the Olympics

Stratford, located in the heart of East London in the E15 postcode, is a great place to live, especially if you're a sports fan eagerly awaiting the arrival of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The area, in the London borough of Newham, boasts the Olympic Stadium and as a result of this, numerous facilities will be made available to residents in the coming months and years.

Stratford is a very multi-ethnic area, which features many purpose-built estates, and it is fairly densely populated.

The demographic is quite young and, according to UpMyStreet.com's neighbourhood snapshot, there is a high number of people who are educated to degree level, with most having a very high interest in current affairs.

Transport

Very few people have cars in Stratford, as is the case with many inner-city parts of London, but this does not pose any problem, as the area boasts excellent public transport links.

The Underground station connects with the Jubilee and Central Lines, while there are also National Express East Anglia services to Liverpool Street, Essex and out to East Anglia.

As well as all of these routes, the London Overground operates from Stratford, meaning people can have easy access to stations leading to Richmond on the line.

There is also a number of local buses in the area which take people to other parts of East London, such as nearby West Ham, as well as into the heart of the city - perfect for people who enjoy a night out on the town every once in a while.

Schools

There are some very decent schools within the borough of Newham, many of which are within a one-mile radius of Stratford, making them extremely accessible for people with children.

John F Kennedy Special School caters for two to 19-year-olds, while there are plenty of primary facilities in the area, including West Ham Church Primary School, Park Primary School, St Francis' Catholic Primary School and Colegrave Primary School.

All of these boast Key Stage 2 SATs results which are extremely close to the national average in maths, English and science.

Those looking for secondary institutions will find all of those in the local area have GSCE results which are higher than the national average for five A* to C grades, with the Sarah Bonnell School, Education Links, Azhar Academy and Stratford School, among those on offer.

Things to do

In terms of activities on offer for those living in Stratford, there is an extremely wide range, which is only going to get bigger as the Olympic Games draws nearer.

Westgate Stratford City is opening in less than a month now and it is set to present an array of different shops and activities to residents in the area.

Everything from Marks & Spencer to Lacoste is on offer, with restaurants including Jamie's Italian set to appeal to foodies, while there will even be bowling and a cinema to boot.

There are also some great things to do already open in Stratford, as people could head to the Picture House to watch the latest release or they could pop to see a play at the Theatre Royal in the area.

People with children will find some great activities in Stratford, as well, with Discover - a fantastic interactive storytrail - set to appeal to youngsters.

The facility boasts an amazing outdoor garden, as well as plenty of fun exhibits inside, making it a great day out for any family living in Stratford.

If you run out of things to do in the immediate area, the best thing is you're only a stone's throw away from the heart of London, meaning even more entertainment is always close by.

Published 17th August, 2011

© 2011 Estates IT Limited