Situated in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, Bethnal Green is in the heart of London’s East End. It is bounded by the borough of Hackney and includes Shoreditch, Mile End and Whitechapel. Attractions close to or within Bethnal Green include the large area of open space called Victoria park where many events are held including colourful festivals, concerts, fetes, rallies and meetings. The popular Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood houses one of the country’s largest collections of children’s toys such as dolls, trains, games and teddy bears. On Sundays the Columbia Road Market is also very popular and is famous amongst gardeners for its huge selection of house and garden plants and trees.
Bethnal Green is also well-known amongst Boxing enthusiasts because of the long succession of great boxers who have trained here and been involved in boxing bouts presented by the York Hall centre. Most notably, a boxer called Daniel Mendoza who lived in Bethnal Green was the champion of England from 1792 to 1795, long before the ‘Queensbury Rules’ were written in 1865.
Bethnal Green has seen several changes in its history. The area is well known for its association with the infamous ‘Jack the Ripper’ and equally infamous gangsters, the Kray twins who lived and ‘worked’ in the area. Early in the nineteenth century people there lived in large houses with equally large gardens but then it became a thriving area, with industries such as market gardening and silk weaving being the predominant areas of employment. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the houses became ramshackle and overcrowded and by the end of the century it was an area full of slums and desperately poor people. The world’s first ‘council’ estate was built here in 1900 when streets were demolished to make way for the ‘Boundary’ estate near to Shoreditch.
The area was much bombed during the Second World War and has suffered from the low quality of building that was prevalent during the post war years. Now, however, the whole area is undergoing urban gentrification wherein the formally low cost housing is being bought up by property speculators who see profits in renovating their properties and re-selling them to wealthier owners.
Generally, Bethnal Green, in common with other inner city London areas, is on an upward trend. Its location and the transport links that it enjoys make it an increasingly desirable place to live and work.
Property to Rent in Bethnal Green
If you are looking to rent a property in Bethnal Green then there are lots of houses, flats and apartments suitable for all budgets. As stated the area is in an excellent location to get into the centre of London on the Buses or Underground. To find letting agents with property then simply click the link below to the Bethnal Green Letting Agents page and begin your property search.
Bethnal Green Letting Agents