Stratford

Stratford (113)

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A living example of urban transformation, Stratford, a formerly dilapidated East London district, shines today as one of the models of contemporary, successful coexistence of which the city is so proud. No trace remains of the ramshackle neighbourhood formerly frequented by the less fortunate elements of society. A dishevelled Cinderella transformed into a beautiful, elegant young lady, the Fairy Godmother (personified in the 2012 Olympics) has not forgotten Stratford and, with the aid of her magic wand, has transformed this neighbourhood into what it is today, an icon of modernity.

No longer does Stratford have the appearance of an industrial or tenement housing estate with "For Sale" signs hanging from the windows. Quite the opposite. Stratford now has more green spaces than the rest of the city, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park boasts 226 hectares of bike lanes and cafes overlooking the river in addition to a series of more alternative, hipster-style venues. It goes without saying that the Games have also left their legacy of first-rate sports facilities, such as the Olympic Stadium or the Copper Box Arena, which are used by the new residents to keep in shape. Neither should we ignore the inevitable commercial aspect, an aspect that has materialized in the form of the largest shopping centre in Europe, Westfield Stratford City, home to some 300 shops in addition to cinemas, bowling alleys, restaurants, hotels and the country's largest casino. Today the streets are buzzing with life and the house prices are rocketing. And that's not the only thing that has been taking off - the influx of visitors since the Olympic Games averages about 700,000 weekly. It would appear that this once humble and half-forgotten district has finally been put back on the map.

The Games also gave rise to a new district, the East Village, which during the Games housed some 17,000 athletes and has now been converted into 2818 homes, and the number is rising.

In addition to the Olympic Village, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is home to most of the other sporting venues built specifically for the 2012 Olympic Games.

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The Red Phone Boxes (84)

Changing the Guards Buckingham Palace (28)

The Yeomen Warders (21)

History of the city (1)

Saint Martin-in-the-Fields - Art (65A)

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Chinatown (41)

Leicester Square (43)

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Queen Victoria Memorial (68)

The Crown Jewels (20)

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Big Ben (42)

Covent Garden (39)

London City Hall (107)

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Regent Street (6)

The Shard (117)

Westminster Abbey (79)

Buckingham Palace (27)

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London Eye (18)

Parliament Hill (16)

Saint Paul’s Cathedral (29)

The Yeomen Warders (21)

Westminster Abbey - Chapel Edward the Confessor - Chapel of Henry VII (80)

Changing the Guards Buckingham Palace (28)

Hyde Park (23)

London Tower (19)

Picadilly Circus (8)

Soho (7)

Tower Bridge (22)

Westminster Abbey as Necropolis (81)

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10 Downing Street (46)

Admiralty Arch (69)

Battersea Park (73)

Camden Market (78)

Columbia Road Flower Market (10)

Greenwich (108)

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Leadenhall Building (109)

Millenium Bridge (111)

Parliament Square (83)

Richmond Park (13)

Royal Hospital Chelsea (72)

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Smithfield Market (100)

St Mary-le-Bow (45)

The Barbican Estate (116)

The Old Vic (85)

Victoria Park (119)

Wembley Stadium (15)

20 Fenchurch Street (118)

Albert Memorial (74)

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Carnaby Street (106)

County Hall (62)

Guildhall and the Lord Mayor of the City (54)

Kensington Gardens (76)

Leadenhall Market (110)

Neal's Yard (112)

Petticoat Lane Market (97)

Royal Albert Hall (48)

Royal National Theatre (91)

Saint Martin-in-the-Fields (65)

Southbank Centre (63)

Stratford (113)

The Dome (50)

The Routemaster (90)

Wallace Collection (51)

Westminster Cathedral (67)

30 St Mary Axe - The Gherkin (2)

Alexandra Palace (17)

Borough Market (105)

Charing Cross (47)

Dr. Johnson's House (120)

Harrods Department Store (77)

Kensington Palace (75)

Madame Tussaud’s (38)

Notting Hill (11)

Portobello Road Market (12)

Royal Courts of Justice (57)

Royal Opera House (89)

Saint Pancras Station (92)

Southwark Cathedral (59)

Stratford - ArcelorMittal Orbit Center (115)

The Monument (82)

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Waterloo Station (88)

Winsor Castle (30)

Abbey Road (104)

Apsley House (102)

British Library (53)

Cleopatra’s Needle (64)

Globe Theatre (86)

HMS Belfast (99)

Lambeth Palace (61)

Marble Arch (71)

One Canada Square (3)

Regent’s Park (25)

Royal Exchange (56)

Saint Jame’s Palace (93)

Shepherd’s Bush (14)

Speaker’s Corner (24)

Stratford Sports Facilities (114)

The Old Curiosity Shop (58)

Tower 42 (103)

Wellington Arch (70)

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British Museum (31)

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Natural History Museum (33)

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Sherlock Holmes Museum (87)

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London Zoo (44)

National Portrait Gallery (96)

Sir John Soane’s Museum (52)

Victoria and Albert Museum (37)