Once a true East End haunt for gangsters and rife with poverty, Bethnal Green has undergone a dramatic regeneration influenced by its wealthy neighbours, the City and Docklands. Ugly council blocks still lurk around most corners, although many have been demolished to make way for new apartment blocks and a rash of live / work units. Former Victorian workers cottages, now smart, cosy two and three bedroom houses, can be found in the streets between Hackney Road and Columbia Road. Houses and flats overlooking Victoria Park and the canal remain very popular. Newcomers are mainly city workers, people who are priced out of Islington and Shoreditch, and those seeking more space for their money