Formerly one of London’s industrial epicentres, Hackney has come a long way in recent years. Nowadays, it’s a chic hipster hub cultivating a playfully artistic ambience that permeates the borough.

 With everything from parks and canals to murals, street food and a host of great pubs and bars, is it any wonder Hackney is so popular with millennials?

Technically only bordering Hackney, Victoria Park is the emerald jewel in the crown of the London’s East End. 

Hire a pedalo or rowing boat to fully experience the West Boating Lake, and be sure to check out the Chinese Pagoda.

The Victoria Park market is open from 10am to 4pm on Sundays and offers all kinds of delicious street food, like these tasty pick-and-mix salads…

Time for a digestive stroll. Head to the western edge of Victoria Park to find Regent’s Canal bordering the parkland – few places in London offer a more picturesque place to walk.

Check out the old gasworks – again, technically Tower Hamlets is only on the edge of Hackney. In bygone days it stored gas for the local area. Nowadays it’s been repurposed as Oval Space, which is a versatile spot that triples as a function and events venue, an exhibition gallery and, occasionally, a TV and film location.

This is London so, of course, anyone wandering the streets of Hackney will stumble across some great watering holes like the Market Café, formerly The Sir Walter Scott.

Check out Hackney City Farm, a quaint little slice of the countryside in the big city. Oh, and it’s free entry.

Check out the Columbia Road Flower Market, where the street traders can be as bright and colourful as the flowers they sell. Top sales tip: BE your product.

Whether it’s for commemorations, commiserations, a gesture of love or an apology, Columbia Road has got it sorted.