But an indefatigable community spirit was borne out of the poverty and harshness of East End life. These were the conditions that shaped the Kray twins, sustained their empire, and led to their idolisation as local boys done good, not bad.
Slum clearances gave way to the grim aesthetics of the tower block, but these days Bethnal Green is very much in the sights of the urban renovators. Gentrification is gathering pace, as developers piece together a magic formula of City proximity, a community feel, and the whiff of a dangerous past.
The Firm may have closed its books, and both brothers are pushing up daisies in Chingford, but in these vicarious times, a little gangster lore can do wonders for local appeal and property values.
Many older residents have cashed in on the inner city boom, and followed Ron and Reg to Essex. Moving in are artists, young professionals and couples, taking advantage of the comparatively cheap property here, and more affluent urbanites swapping trendy loft spaces and apartments in Clerkenwell for larger houses at knock down prices in Bethnal Green. Conversions abound, and council estates sit next to luxury apartment blocks. It's an intriguing mix, and there are few better places to witness the extraordinary demographic changes overtaking the capital.
Shoreditch, once home of lowly cobblers and carpenters, is now at the forefront of the loft living revival, and it creeps into the south west corner of E2. The Boundary estate, centred around the bandstand on Arnold Circus, contains some of the oldest council built housing in London. There are plenty of flats and the area borders the pretty St Leonard's Gardens, around Shoreditch Church. Look out for conversions to the north, in the small industrial area sandwiched between Hackney and Kingsland Roads, as residential developers move in.
Below Hackney Road is the Jesus Hospital Estate, a conservation area taking in the roads leading off Columbia Road. The Sunday flower market here is a huge draw and much of the produce ends up decorating the attractive Victorian houses lining the streets. Property here is sought after and sells quickly.
Bethnal Green Road is a vibrant cross-district thoroughfare with its own street market and shops. Weavers Fields to the south provides green space for the Victorian terraces immediately to its west, and the extensive Barratt flat conversions to its east. It's also within shouting distance of where the Krays' family pad stood on Vallance Road.
Defunct local industries and public buildings now house apartments. Along with the usual factory conversions, you can find a home in an old bakery, police station and even, on Dunbridge Street, the public baths! For more substantial properties, the four storey Georgian town houses on Paradise Row are the pick of this patch.
Across the Cambridge Heath Road sits Globe Town, where new apartment blocks and a few loft space conversions share space with more modest council housing. The former are prevalent near the canal, the latter follow the figure of eight Mace Street on the Cranbrook estate.
The London Buddhist Centre and any number of vege food suppliers give the area a worthy bohemian feel. Just to the north, Bethnal Green Gardens is another conservation area. A small walkway links the attractive Victoria Park Square with a coveted community of red brick terraces sitting between Roman Road and Old Ford Road.
Around Bethnal Green Hospital, ex-council properties are good value and sell like proverbial hotcakes. Refurbished council estates mark out the territory northwards towards Haggerston. Along the canal which delineates the north and east boundaries of E2 you'll find a few warehouse conversions and new apartment blocks. All tend to adopt the name Wharf, regardless of their history. The Victorian terrace conversions along Stewardstone Road add Victoria Park to their canalside outlook, and are understandably popular.
Bethnal Green Road has a Tesco Metro and a good selection of shops. Roman Road is a little more cosmopolitan, and the market here is the place to pick up high fashion at low prices. Around Columbia Road there are any number of specialist shops, from milliners to potters. Most are open Sundays to coincide with the flower market.
Increasing numbers of eateries will keep gastronomes well sated. From the award winning Thai Garden restaurant and vegetarian Cherry Orchard on Globe Road, to excellent Tapas bars around the flower market, menus reach to all corners of the globe. For a little local flavour, try the Kelly family's legendary pie and mash shops on Bethnal Green Road.
With one of the highest concentrations of London artists working locally, it's no surprise to find a ready supply of exhibition spaces. Worth mentioning are the long established Lamont Gallery, for contemporary British art, and Camerawork on Roman Road, for photography exhibitions. Nearby, Four Corners provide subsidised film-making facilities for cash strapped auteurs, and have educational resources and displays.
Along with a number of small green parks within Bethnal Green, the open spaces of Victoria Park, the city's first public park, stretches out to the east. The Grand Union canal affords good strolling and angling opportunities, or you can hop on a boat and float through the city. Those pursuing calm might also pop their heads around the door at Bodywise, connected to the London Buddhist Centre, where experts in everything from kinesiology to acupuncture promise to soothe away the stresses of urban life.
Lee Hurst's Backyard Comedy Club on Cambridge Heath Road has the same aim but deploys different therapeutic methods, with regular appearances by big name chuckle raisers. The lap-dancing club down the road offers therapy of a different order entirely.
Whilst Bethnal Green has all the facilities for kids growing up in the city, the poor performance of Tower Hamlets schools (wedged near the bottom of those league tables) still wards off parents who otherwise might consider moving in.
Transport connections are excellent, and in any case, the City is a short stroll or cycle away. Tube stations sit at Shoreditch (East London) and Bethnal Green (Central), and train stations at Cambridge Heath and Bethnal Green route the line from Liverpool St Station towards Essex and Hertfordshire.
Although sitting just outside the major congestions of the City, roads can get still clogged. Easy connections with the East Cross Route on the other side of Victoria Park speed up escape routes from London.
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