Stratford – the shiny, post-Olympic enclave of east London, is still going strong after its boost in 2012, with plenty of Londoners buying up flats in its swishy new apartment blocks or packing out the Westfield mall’s All Star Lanes bowling alley, cinema, shops and restaurants. And then there’s the Olympic legacy: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has a sandy beach in its 111 acres of open space during summer, and hosts live music, theatre and dance events.
Hungry? Try Randy’s Wing Bar for excellent chicken at Here East or trendy café Sawmill for cake and jam-jar cocktails (and pay in Bitcoin). Access to the rest of London is easy, with pretty much every form of travel available: DLR, tube (Central line), Overground, rail and numerous buses, and all the best hotels in Stratford are within easy walking distance of everything.
Looking for more options? Check out London’s best Airbnbs