Stratford

Stratford hosted the 2012 Olympics. This event transformed Stratford from a poor East London village into modern area with sky-scrapers and shopping malls. Surroundings are still fairly poor. Stratford is a peculiar piece of consumerism in East London. The place is constantly growing and it might actually soon be one of the most futuristic areas in London. A completely new area called East Village is being built next to the shopping centre and that promises to host many great independent shops and restaurants. There's not much there yet though.
Shopping:

• One of the largest shopping centres in the world, Westfield, is situated in the middle of Stratford. You can find almost anything in there, but be aware that the shopping centre is always crowded and most of the stores are the same boring chains that you can find elsewhere as well. 
• In the old side near the bus station, there are cheaper shops and poorer looking people. There's a place called Cex Entertainment Exchange, that buys and sells videogames and films on DVD and Blu-ray. If you're looking to buy, you might get some cheap bargains here.

 Cinema:

• There's a huge Vue arena in the Westfield shopping centre, but if you want cheaper prices and better film selection, you might want to go over to the bus station side of the tracks to the Stratford East Picturehouse. Great films, low prices and good cinema experience!

Parks:

• Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a huge park with all the 2012 olympic venues. Great for walks, jogging and sitting in the sun. Great stuff for both architecture and sports fans!

Sports:

• If you want to swim in a fancy place, the Olympic London Aquatics Centre is open to public with very reasonable prices. It's a great way to exercise while enjoying the Olympic feel. 

 Drinking:

• This is something you wouldn't expect from a huge shopping centre, but at the lowest floor of Westfield, there's a proper pub selling local microbrewery beers from around London. Tap East has even some of their own beers brewed on the site. the place is not the cozyest place, let's face it, we're in a shopping centre, but anyway, the selection is great for all you beer-lovers. 
• Right next to the shopping centre in a new neighbourhood, East Village, there's a pub called Neighbourhood. They have an excellent selection of craft beers and American style food. The place is not as nice as it could be with sports running on big screens, but if it's beer you're after, this is a good place.  

 Areas around Stratford: Leyton, Hackney Wick, Bow, West Ham