Living in Bow

Bow sits on the eastern edge of inner London, where Tower Hamlets meets the River Lea and the Olympic Park, and it has two quite different sides. North of Bow Road, the streets around Roman Road — especially the conservation areas near Victoria Park — are lined with Victorian terraces, local cafés and shops, and a traditional street market. South of Bow Road, the area is dominated by larger estates, busy roads and industrial land along the river.

Green space is a major attraction. Victoria Park forms the area's north-western boundary, the Olympic Park lies across the Lea to the east, and the canal and river towpaths connect them. Mile End Park and the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, a wooded nature reserve, are also close. Three Mills, a historic tidal mill on the Lea, is at the southern edge.

Bow Quarter, a gated development in the former Bryant and May match factory where the famous matchgirls' strike took place in 1888, is one of the area's landmarks, and new-build flats near the river and Bow Church DLR station add to the rental supply. Many homes on the estates are social housing, and the area has a large Bangladeshi community.

Transport is good. Bow Road station has the District and Hammersmith & City lines into the City and beyond, and Bow Church on the DLR runs to Stratford and Canary Wharf. Mile End, a short walk west, adds the Central line. The A12 and the Bow Flyover roundabout are major barriers and sources of traffic noise on the eastern side. Bow suits people who want east London value, parks on several sides and straightforward connections to both the City and Stratford.