Bow NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE

Bow is a neighborhood in East London that has a long history, even by English standards, since the first settlement was established here in the 1100s. Unlike other East End neighborhoods, the 2012 Olympics didn't have the same transformational impact here. But its recent history has witnessed a very gradual improvement to what has been a rough-around-the-edges area and nowadays this is morphing into a desirable place to live. 

Affluent young professionals are moving into the new apartment complexes and warehouses-turned-lofts, creating a mixed population with the working class families and students already here. Georgian townhouses and cottages on quiet, tree-lined streets, and refurbished council estates round out the affordable housing options here. 

While there are plenty of pubs here to grab a pint or some casual food, there isn't a buzzy nightlife scene here so you'll need to head elsewhere (like Bethnal Green) if that's what you want outside your front door.

On a sunny day Victoria Park is a great place to lounge around in the grass or have a game of frisbee.

This is Cockney territory, that rhyming English dialect barely intelligle to outsiders, so you'll likely pick up a few new phrases you can try on your friends and family.

Bow is bordered on the north by Hackney, on the east by Stratford and Canning Town, on the south by Poplar and Limehouse, and on the west by Stepney and Bethnal Green.

Commute:
The City: 3.5 miles / 20-40 minutes by car / 25 minutes by transit / 20 minutes by bike
Canary Wharf: 2.5 miles / 10-20 minutes by car / 20-25 minutes by transit / 15 minutes by bike
Southwark: 5.3 miles / 25-45 minutes by car / 30-35 minutes by transit / 25-30 minutes by bike
Westminster: 6.4 miles / 30-70 minutes by car / 40 minutes by transit 
Shoreditch: 3 miles / 15-25 minutes by car / 40 minutes by transit / 20 minutes by bike