How it rates:
Stratford's importance has always come from its location by the River Lea. Lying in the London Borough of Newham,it takes its name from the ‘street' to Cambridge that forded the river here. Today its location is still key: it is a major transport hub, as High Speed 1, the fast railway link to Europe, stops here; and the 2012 Olympic site is on its doorstep, being built in the Lea Valley. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, this week trumpeted the importance of long-term goals to ensure the Olympics' positive legacy, which would be good news for Stratford. What would its most famous son, the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, make of it?
Architectural gems:
The Theatre Royal is a brilliant example of ornate Victoriana, with its red and gold auditorium. The Abbey Mills pumping station was built in 1865 in a Byzantine style; as one of London's first sewage plants it is now known as the Cathedral of Sewage. A number of the planned Olympic buildings will undoubtedly qualify as architectural triumphs: examples include Zaha Hadid's Aquatic Centre.
What's new:
The Olympics are only part of the the regeneration of Stratford. In January 2007 the plans for Stratford City were submitted to the council; this proposed 180-acre business district has been dubbed the second Canary Wharf and .
Travel:
Transport has always been vital to Stratford, and its links will get even better. High Speed 1 will run its Javelin service, taking people from St Pancras to the Olympic park in seven minutes; and London's Crossrail will stop here.
Upside:
With increasing housing stock and improved transport Stratford will be the place to get on the
Stratford property ladder. Following the Mayor's comments the Olympic organisers will no doubt pay careful attention to the legacy of the Games; a park the size of Hyde Park could be created and the top-class swimming pools and athletics tracks could be open to local schools and sports clubs.
Focus on property in Stratford - 2012 behind the Olympic hype 
Linear Mode
