Estate & Letting Agents in Hackney Wick

Hackney Wick sits in the eastern corner of the London Borough of Hackney, with its boundary running into the London Borough of Newham along the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The name comes from the wick, or dairy farm, that once stood on the marshland here before the area was drained and built up through the nineteenth century. Once the Hertford Union Canal and the Lee Navigation reached the site, factories making everything from smoked fish and roasted peanuts to plastics and rubber goods moved in, and Hackney Wick grew into one of London’s busiest industrial corners.

That industry declined through the twentieth century, and by the 1980s many of the old warehouses stood empty. Artists and designers began renting the cheap floor space, and by the 1990s the area held one of the highest concentrations of working artists anywhere in Europe. Studio buildings such as those on White Post Lane and across Fish Island still house painters, sculptors and small design businesses today, and the area holds Creative Enterprise Zone status from the Mayor of London in recognition of this.

The 2012 Olympics changed Hackney Wick again. The Olympic Stadium and the London Aquatics Centre were built on its doorstep, and the Games brought new rail links, new roads and years of building work that continue today. New apartment blocks now stand alongside the old warehouses, and developments such as East Wick and Sweetwater are adding housing on the park’s western edge.

Hackney Wick is well placed for central London by rail, road and canal path, and its transport options are a large part of why so many buyers and tenants choose the area.

• Car & Road – The A12 Eastway runs along the southern edge of Hackney Wick, giving drivers a fast route out towards Redbridge and the M11 one way, and towards Bow, Canary Wharf and the Blackwall Tunnel the other. The A102 and A11 are both close by, and central London is around 25-30 minutes’ drive outside peak times, though traffic through Bow and Hackney can slow this considerably during rush hour.
• Bus – Routes all stop around Hackney Wick, running to Hackney Central, Stratford and Bethnal Green, with the night bus covering the same route after dark.
• Train – Hackney Wick station is served by London Overground’s Mildmay line, with trains to Stratford taking around 6 minutes and services running the other way towards Richmond. Change at Stratford for National Rail and high-speed trains that reach St Pancras International in under 10 minutes.

Everyday life in Hackney Wick still carries its industrial roots, with converted warehouses now holding independent shops, breweries and studios alongside the newer blocks near the station.

Shopping: Hackney Wick doesn’t have a high street of its own, and most people head to Westfield Stratford City, one of London’s largest shopping centres, a short bus or train ride away, for larger shops and a full supermarket. Locally, Wallis Road and Queen’s Yard hold a small cluster of independent shops, design studios and small food producers, and a Tesco Express on Wick Lane covers everyday essentials.

Eating & Drinking: Crate Brewery has brewed beer on the canal side since 2011 and remains one of the best-known names in the area, with a taproom that looks straight over the water. Barge East, a restaurant built into two converted Dutch barges moored on the Hertford Union Canal, and the bar at The Yard Theatre both draw regular crowds through the week.

Fish Island and White Post Lane also hold a growing number of small cafes set up inside former industrial units.

Property styles in Hackney Wick: Housing here is dominated by converted warehouses and new-build apartment blocks rather than the Victorian terraces found across much of the rest of Hackney. Many flats occupy former factory buildings with tall windows, exposed brick and open floor plans, particularly around Fish Island and White Post Lane. Alongside these sit purpose-built developments completed since the 2012 Olympics, offering one, two and three-bedroom flats with balconies and, in some blocks, direct canal or park views. Traditional houses are rare, and most buyers here are purchasing flats.

The best-regarded addresses tend to sit closest to the water or the park. Wallis Road and Prince Edward Road hold some of the area’s best-known warehouse conversions, with large loft-style flats that command a premium for their exposed brick and high ceilings.

Hackney Wick sits right on the edge of one of London’s largest regeneration projects, and its places of interest span Olympic venues, old industrial buildings and canal-side paths.

• Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – Just across the canal, the park built for the 2012 Games holds gardens, waterways and sports venues open to the public every day.
• London Stadium – Home to West Ham United and formerly the Olympic Stadium, this 60,000-seat venue hosts football, athletics and concerts.
• ArcelorMittal Orbit – The UK’s tallest sculpture stands 114.5 metres high and includes a viewing platform and the world’s longest tunnel slide.
• London Aquatics Centre – Designed by Zaha Hadid for the 2012 Games, the centre now operates as a public pool with two 50-metre pools.

Food

Lanterna – a canalside pizzeria, deli and bar on Fish Island, serving some of East London’s best pizzas, pasta and weekend brunch in a multipurpose neighbourhood space.

Barge East – an award winning floating restaurant and bar aboard a 125 year old Dutch barge on the River Lee, offering seasonal dining, riverside gardens and a waterfront terrace.

INIS – a canal towpath restaurant on Fish Island serving a seasonal menu of Irish and British food alongside cocktails, wine and coffee.

Lucia’s – a Hackney Wick spot serving tacos de trompo and mezcal in the heart of the neighbourhood.

Pubs

Crate Brewery – a Hackney Wick craft brewery and taproom serving stone baked pizzas and its own beers for an authentic East London night out.

Beer Merchants Tap – a craft beer bar, bottleshop and sour beer blendery in Hackney Wick, with 20 keg taps, cask ales and artisan cheese and meat platters.