An olympic park anchors renewal

Once one of the city's poorest areas, Stratford has seen a resurgence with Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as its centerpiece.

Before London snagged the 2012 Olympic Games, Stratford - due east of Hackney, on the banks of the Lea River - was among the poorest areas of the capital, renowned mostly for its industrial pylons and its "fridge mountain," an imposing fortress of discarded appliances, along its waterfront. More than nine years and £9 billion (about $13 billion) later, the industrial wetlands have been transformed into a gleaming sports and shopping hub.

The centerpiece of Stratford's regeneration is the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the 560-acre tract where the Games took place. With refashioned venues and family-friendly activities, the park has attracted more than four million visitors since it opened a year and a half ago.