please empty your brain below
The question is ... is Westfield Stratford the sign of ghettoisation or gentrification. What is certain is that house prices will rise.

Rick Berej | 13.09.11 - 7:35 a.m. | #

Small correction here. The M&S at Canary Wharf, which is in Tower Hamlets, is primarily an M&S Food but it does sell a few clothing essentials, which I think includes socks.

dg writes: Ah, sorry, small correction made.

Mike Scott | 13.09.11 - 8:10 a.m. | #

I was under the impression that Westfield have bought the old shopping center and that it will be demolished...

Peter | Homepage | 13.09.11 - 8:34 a.m. | #

I remember when I was growing up there where not even supermarkets in every town, let alone shopping Malls. It's a sign of the times Shopping has become a way of life.

Michael | 13.09.11 - 9:09 a.m. | #

Curious that when Westfield opened in White City, they made a big thing about how all their food outlets would be upmarket - no disposable plates and plastic forks, thankyouverymuch; whereas they're making no bones about Stratford City's McDonald's from the outset. Is that what Olympic sponsorship gets you?

(I know there's now a Burger King at White City, but that opened a little later, and it's tucked away at the 'cheap' end of the mall where they're hoping nobody will notice)

martin | 13.09.11 - 9:47 a.m. | #

I grew up in Stepney and we used to go to Stratford shopping centre at the start of every new school year to buy pens and things at WH Smiths. It seemed very new and shiny to me (especially compared to Watney Market). Now I live in Stratford and cannot believe that a ten minute walk from my front door will bring me to John Lewis and Marks and Spencers. I don't think anyone need worry too much about the existing Stratford shopping centre - although I do wonder about the duplication of Boots, Clarks, the Body Shop and Smiths. Most of us will still be walking through there to get to the station and use it out of convenience. The place I worry about is Ilford - I know from years standing at the school gates that many of us are used to jumping on the overground out to Ilford to get to Marks and end up doing other shopping there. Disappointed looking at the store directory of Westfield that there doesn't appear to be a bookshop there.

pbmum | 13.09.11 - 10:12 a.m. | #

"Coxes and tomatoes"
The name of the apple is 'Cox's Orange Pippin' so perhaps the proper plural is difficult to work out...
And being a market surely it should be tomatoe's?

fruitypop | 13.09.11 - 10:24 a.m. | #

I'm just about to leave home to go to Stratford's Westfield Mall.
I also went to the opening day at Westfield Shepherds Bush and have only been inside again once since then (to use the toilet) although I pass through Shepherds Bush at least once a week.
I expect Stratford will be the same for me, I shall visit Wesfields just the once.
While at Stratford I shall also go to the old shopping mall you get some lovely oranges their, and also go into Poundland and Morrison!.
Many years back before the old shopping mall at Stratford had a roof, there was a semi submerged subway from the station to the shops, and a friend of mine would busk there and once he had enough cash we would go into Percy Ingles for tea and snacks.
At Shepherds Bush, the old Mall across the Green is still open, that's where you find your regular priced shops, and a Morrison supermarket.

John | 13.09.11 - 10:45 a.m. | #

No loss to see the back of the existing Stratford Mall. Since I moved to Bow, I've seen all the record/CD shops go, Woolworth's go, and the Co-Op go (the latter now Wilkinson's and Peaccock's). M&S had already shut up shop before then, part of its retreat from east London that saw Barking and East Ham close too. It's now just chav-city with a bit of eastern Europe thrown in. Yes, the Inshops area is interesting, you neglected to mention the 'drug shop' selling hooka pipes and tobacco tins bearing cannabis leaf logos. It was my understanding that KFC, McDonalds, Burger King etc were excluded from Westfields (Shepherd's Bush) but it appears will be welcome at Stratford City. Still, I won't miss the lack of a 'luxury area' with Prada and Loius Vuitton.

Kim | 13.09.11 - 12:43 p.m. | #

Funny, only yesterday I was reminiscing at work about the old subway entrance to Stratford station. This led from the old gloomy covered LT bus station (with multi-storey car park above) and also from the shopping mall and passed under the gyratory road (I think) and always seemed to be flooded! I wonder if parts are still there or have been backfilled? The station was run by BR will no LT staff on site, but did at least have a licensed staton buffet!

Kim | 13.09.11 - 12:56 p.m. | #

Hi DG :)

I've been reading your site for donkey's now... ta for the traffic!

I've heard that Westfield is planning to extend further in 2012/2013 (unsure which) to cover the old mall, and I've heard of compulsory purchase orders being placed on some of the nearby residential streets for the same reason also.

Who else remembers the green shield stamp place, next to mothercare?

I'll miss the In-Shops in particular. I have a great fondness for post-apocalyptic covered markets :)

Mervyn Day | Homepage | 13.09.11 - 2:41 p.m. | #

pbmum - there will be a Foyles in the new Westfield, though it hasn't opened yet. It'll be near Waitrose - the store front is marked to show where it will be.

Couldn't resist popping along to have a look. My word - the whole place was absolutely mobbed.

You do get a few different vistas over the 2012 site - for those interested in that sort of thing (which we know DG is!)

IslandDweller | 13.09.11 - 4:20 p.m. | #

Not sure about the Mall, but Westfield have announced they are looking at expanding their Stratford development by 400,000 sq foot of retail and leisure. I think it will be to the West towards the Aquatic centre. Westfield plan at least another 1 million in office space and then all the flats as well.

Rational Plan | 13.09.11 - 4:27 p.m. | #

Good to see that there is a Foyles bookshop in the new Stratford Westfield.

Richard | Homepage | 13.09.11 - 4:46 p.m. | #

I was there before 10am, and left with a new suit! This won't be affecting the cheap shops along the Roman Road, but it will be sucking in money from elsewhere. It is very well connected to Essex and Kent by mainline trains.

Roman Road resident | Homepage | 13.09.11 - 4:49 p.m. | #

DG, I'm looking forward to an update on the DLR extension traffic levels, sure you must be off to Westfield today!

NLW | 13.09.11 - 5:57 p.m. | #

Knowing him (well, I've not actually met him but you know what I mean ;) ), he's probably there right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he's going for a ride on the now-obsolete shuttle bus either.

Edvid | 13.09.11 - 6:37 p.m. | #

Having now returned from Westfield at Stratford, it seems they are catering for a slightly less wealthy crowd than at West Londons Shepherds Bush.
I did not see a Tiffany Jewelery shop at Stratford, I did see Primart, KFC Subway and McDonalds.
Currys electrical have moved over from the old shoppimg centre.-and Sky!
The 17 screen cinema has some large screens and auditoriums and not a reel of film to be seen - as it is entirely digital projection.

John | 13.09.11 - 7:05 p.m. | #

DG, your tweet made the DM..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2036469/Westfield-Stratford-City-Europes-largest-shopping-centre-lands-east-London.html

John2 | 13.09.11 - 8:03 p.m. | #

I'm sat in Westfield right now typing this, using their free wifi. I cant help but think they have a Greggs and a Primark - something that also isn't there in the one at Shepherds Bush. East vs West ...

geofftech | 13.09.11 - 8:08 p.m. | #

8am: lovely and quiet.
6pm: sheer bloody madness.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 13.09.11 - 8:19 p.m. | #

Once in St Ives, Cambs, I saw a shut-down Woolworths; some of the letters had disappeared from the front so that it read sadly "WOO WO "

Vivien | 13.09.11 - 10:29 p.m. | #

Couldn't get the free wifi to work yesterday and it was jam-packed with canny East Londoners after free stuff (like myself).

It was more 8am: nice and quiet. 9:30am: madness.

The fabled 1180 cycle stands are back in Car Park A apparently (had to ask at concierge desk) so I just used the new ones out front of new Stratford station exit. Cycle entrance is not signposted. You aren't supposed to use the entrance on Leyton Road, E15 but they waved me though yesterday.

Usefully the 97 bus has been extended to Stratford City along with 241, 339 and D8.

I can't see myself using many shops in Westfield. I like to go to Waitrose for late-night bargains and E20 is closer than E18 and my friend is excited about Lego shop. Apart form that a better cinema and the bowling alley tempt us for fun.

I like the market stalls for fruit/veg bargains and I use Applejacks health shop for Ecover refills and other products. A nice independent store, with friendly staff so will continue using the old Centre as much as usual.

I think the new Westfield improves the shopping choice in some ways but I like my cheap card shops, market stalls

Vicki | 14.09.11 - 2:26 p.m. | #

Ah, the old Stratford HMV. My 80s Saturday job as a teenager was next door, and I used to spend some of my seven pounds fifty wages on an LP almost every week. I feel old! I can't imagine what it's like there now.

Aunty Doris | 15.09.11 - 10:10 a.m. | #











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