Bethnal Green Area Guide

This traditional East End neighbourhood is changing fast with an influx of young City and tech residents, and a steady stream of new cafes, bars and shops. Hot on the heels of the gentrification of London Fields, Bethnal Green is fast becoming another East London property hotspot. Due to extensive WWII bombing and subsequent redevelopment there is a hotch-potch of property styles, from elegant Georgian townhouses and cosy Victorian terraces, to a variety of apartments in listed tower blocks, converted industrial buildings and exciting new build developments.

Bethnal Green traditionally provided goods and services to the City, but as these industries declined so did the built environment, and by the early 20th century the area was synonymous with slums and urban deprivation. Over the last couple of decades the area has seen accelerating gentrification and nowadays is home to an interesting mix, from long-term resident East End families, to a large Bangladeshi community and the newly arrived young tech and media crowd.

The heart of Bethnal Green is the junction of Cambridge Heath Road and Bethnal Green Road. Both are busy high streets with a selection of local stores and national supermarket chains as well as cafes, bars and restaurants.

Bethnal Green tube station is on the Central Line, connecting directly to Stratford in the east and the City and West End to the west. The Overground stations at Bethnal Green and Cambridge Heath offer 7-10 minute journeys to Liverpool Street. The City boundary is less than a mile from the tube station, so many commuters cycle or walk to work.