Young trailblazers and families have flocked to the area making its pubs, parks - and playgrounds, among the most diverse and exciting in London. More than 100 languages are spoken in the borough by people from six continents.
Property ranges from sweet Victorian to slick new apartments. Clapton at the north-eastern edge of Hackney has great Victorian family houses and the charming Clapton Pond. From Dalston in the north to Victoria Park in the south, Hackney has far more than its fair share of lip-smacking ethnic restaurants and cafés.
In 2009/10 Hackney's schools were the most improved in the country at GCSE level.