A Rough Guide to the East End
....or how not to spend 2.30p on a coke! Yup, 2 pounds fucking 30p for a bottle of coke that would cost exactly half that in any local shop. And 4.30p for a beer! In fact everything inside an Olympic venue is double what it should be. I think this is gross profiteering so if you agree here's a rough guide.
Remembering that there is no re admission to the Park, you can't take in fluids and food is at the discretion of the people at security, there are 5 local places to circumvent the nonsense if you time it right.
1)Stratford: If you arrive in enough time before your event, don't follow the herd into the venue. Duck left into the Westfield and, although overpriced, it will be significantly less. All the shops are selling 2012 stuff including Primark and Next so you don't have to spend 27.00p on a hoodie for a child.
If you leave Westfield via the bridge, down the steps and turn left across the road you come to the Stratford Centre or the old shopping centre. There you can buy genuine 2012 pins for 2 pound less than the 2012 shop and large flags of most nations at half the price that is 5 pounds instead of 10.
I would also buy a drink at a sensible price and drink it. You can then take the empty bottle into the park and fill it from the drinking fountains for free. There's even a Sainsbury's in the centre, 99p stores and a Poundland. Don't pay Westfield prices if you don't have to. You can then enter the Olympic Park following the signs - it's easy - from that side.
2) Forest Gate: If you have an Olympic travel cards and significant gaps between events leave the park and get the train from platform 8 to Forest Gate. There isn't much there but it is only 1 stop at the moment so good for a tight time schedule. Turning right out of the station there is a small coop supermarket with meal deals on their sandwiches or for something filling and basic the Forest Gate Cafe.
Further down there is the Nur Turkish Restaurant and on the other side of the road a new Afghan and Persian one where you can sit on the floor surrounded by red silk. It's lovely. In the evening, if you turn right and cross the road there is the Siam. Yum yum Thai, one of the best around. They don't have an alcohol licence but you are allowed to bring your own.
3) Ilford: For longer gaps or in the evening there is Ilford. Same train as Forest Gate just stay on 2 more stops. There is a large mall with plenty of shops, and Mexican food, plus Frankie and Benny's and an all you can eat Chinese for 7 pounds at lunch and 9 in the evenings. Better than being charged 7 pounds for a small portion of noodles in the Park. If you go before your event then take a look along the Cranbrook Road where there are plenty of charity shops to pick up scrummy bargains.
If you have time to travel further afield then get a bus up the Cranbrook to Valentines Park, one of the homes of Essex County cricket, a beautiful mansion with little artist's workshops in the attics and a great kiddie's playground.
4) East Ham: Tougher to get to from Stratford, probably better by bus. the 104 will take you there on a very circuitous route, or you could get the central line to Mile End and then the district line out again to East Ham. Very ordinary High Street but with all the usuals - remember there is only the overpriced food stalls and McDonald's in the Park and the high streets with the exception of Forest Gate have Burger King, Pizza Hut, Nando's and they all have fried chicken by the bucket load. East Ham also has a nice covered market and a huge Primark.
5) Further into town is Whitechapel. This may be better at the end of your session in the Park. One stop west on the central line to Mile End and then 2 on the District to Whitechapel. As you come out of the station you are greeted by an amazing market full of clothes for you are now at the centre of the rag trade. Turn right and continue up until you reach Brick Lane. If Indian (Bangladeshi really) food is your thing, you can't do better, there's so much to choose from. There's also a great Syrian and a bowling alley!
If you turn left you get to The Blind Beggar, once notorious as a hang out for the Crays, but now extremely nice and does good pub grub.
One warning - we are in Ramadan - some food places may be closed for the month.
One more thing, may I say Weatherspoons. This pub chain does the best in real ales and cheap food. We paid the same price for 3 full dinners, one with steak and 3 drinks, two of which were alcoholic, as we would have paid for 3 snacks and 3 cokes in the Olympic Park.
the Weatherspoons for the local places are as follows:
Stratford - The Golden Grove
Forest Gate - The Hudson Bay
Ilford - The Great Spoon Of Ilford
East Ham - The Miller's Well
Whitechapel - The Half Moon (Probably closer to Mile End)
Enjoy East London, stay safe and don't get robbed - especially by Coca Cola and Mackie Dees!
XP
Remembering that there is no re admission to the Park, you can't take in fluids and food is at the discretion of the people at security, there are 5 local places to circumvent the nonsense if you time it right.
1)Stratford: If you arrive in enough time before your event, don't follow the herd into the venue. Duck left into the Westfield and, although overpriced, it will be significantly less. All the shops are selling 2012 stuff including Primark and Next so you don't have to spend 27.00p on a hoodie for a child.
If you leave Westfield via the bridge, down the steps and turn left across the road you come to the Stratford Centre or the old shopping centre. There you can buy genuine 2012 pins for 2 pound less than the 2012 shop and large flags of most nations at half the price that is 5 pounds instead of 10.
I would also buy a drink at a sensible price and drink it. You can then take the empty bottle into the park and fill it from the drinking fountains for free. There's even a Sainsbury's in the centre, 99p stores and a Poundland. Don't pay Westfield prices if you don't have to. You can then enter the Olympic Park following the signs - it's easy - from that side.
2) Forest Gate: If you have an Olympic travel cards and significant gaps between events leave the park and get the train from platform 8 to Forest Gate. There isn't much there but it is only 1 stop at the moment so good for a tight time schedule. Turning right out of the station there is a small coop supermarket with meal deals on their sandwiches or for something filling and basic the Forest Gate Cafe.
Further down there is the Nur Turkish Restaurant and on the other side of the road a new Afghan and Persian one where you can sit on the floor surrounded by red silk. It's lovely. In the evening, if you turn right and cross the road there is the Siam. Yum yum Thai, one of the best around. They don't have an alcohol licence but you are allowed to bring your own.
3) Ilford: For longer gaps or in the evening there is Ilford. Same train as Forest Gate just stay on 2 more stops. There is a large mall with plenty of shops, and Mexican food, plus Frankie and Benny's and an all you can eat Chinese for 7 pounds at lunch and 9 in the evenings. Better than being charged 7 pounds for a small portion of noodles in the Park. If you go before your event then take a look along the Cranbrook Road where there are plenty of charity shops to pick up scrummy bargains.
If you have time to travel further afield then get a bus up the Cranbrook to Valentines Park, one of the homes of Essex County cricket, a beautiful mansion with little artist's workshops in the attics and a great kiddie's playground.
4) East Ham: Tougher to get to from Stratford, probably better by bus. the 104 will take you there on a very circuitous route, or you could get the central line to Mile End and then the district line out again to East Ham. Very ordinary High Street but with all the usuals - remember there is only the overpriced food stalls and McDonald's in the Park and the high streets with the exception of Forest Gate have Burger King, Pizza Hut, Nando's and they all have fried chicken by the bucket load. East Ham also has a nice covered market and a huge Primark.
5) Further into town is Whitechapel. This may be better at the end of your session in the Park. One stop west on the central line to Mile End and then 2 on the District to Whitechapel. As you come out of the station you are greeted by an amazing market full of clothes for you are now at the centre of the rag trade. Turn right and continue up until you reach Brick Lane. If Indian (Bangladeshi really) food is your thing, you can't do better, there's so much to choose from. There's also a great Syrian and a bowling alley!
If you turn left you get to The Blind Beggar, once notorious as a hang out for the Crays, but now extremely nice and does good pub grub.
One warning - we are in Ramadan - some food places may be closed for the month.
One more thing, may I say Weatherspoons. This pub chain does the best in real ales and cheap food. We paid the same price for 3 full dinners, one with steak and 3 drinks, two of which were alcoholic, as we would have paid for 3 snacks and 3 cokes in the Olympic Park.
the Weatherspoons for the local places are as follows:
Stratford - The Golden Grove
Forest Gate - The Hudson Bay
Ilford - The Great Spoon Of Ilford
East Ham - The Miller's Well
Whitechapel - The Half Moon (Probably closer to Mile End)
Enjoy East London, stay safe and don't get robbed - especially by Coca Cola and Mackie Dees!
XP