Having a chat with... Megan

Who best to tell you how diverse the local area is than some of the people that make its fabric?

Megan has been working at Here East – the renowned Hackney Wick business campus for innovators and locals – for almost two years.

As digital content manager, she oversees Here East’s social media channels and website, alongside other marketing channels including the newsletters and digital screens found on campus.

With almost 4,500 people working or studying on campus, and more than 50,000 visitors in 2019, it’s a job she truly loves.

We caught up with her to get more insight on what life on campus looks like and what it’s like to work in the area…

So, what’s Here East all about?

Here East is something you can’t grasp until you get there yourself. It’s a thriving ecosystem, where everyone is bought together by a shared vision for collaboration and innovations. The 1.2 million sqft campus is not just home to universities and students, but also entrepreneurial and creative businesses, as well as a bustling Canalside.

It has a very communal atmosphere, with central meeting points that are similar to a university campus.

It’s home to an eclectic range of businesses here, from universities, to nimble startups and global corporate companies like BT Sport, alongside cultural institutions like Studio Wayne McGregor. The community we have here functions as an ecosystem, with knowledge sharing and opportunities for growth brought about by the environment we’ve curated.

We’ve got a range of business spaces to suit different needs, including 21 low-cost studios on the Gantry that each have exteriors designed to pay homage to Hackney Wick’s industry heritage, from smoked salmon to Matchbox Toys.

Hackney Wick has always been a community of creatives, so we wanted a range of accessible and affordable workspaces for local people to use, meaning they can contribute to the wider community.

What’s it like working in this part of London?

I love it. Most people arrive via Stratford which is so well connected, although Hackney Wick Overground is even closer.

In the summer you can walk across the park to work, and it’s full of so many nods to the legacy of the 2012 Olympics. You’re then by the canal where it’s so picturesque and heaving with independent cafes, restaurants and bars.

You feel like you’re outside the hustle and bustle of central London, but yet you’ve got so much happening right on your doorstep. Everyone knows everyone and no business need is ever too far away – there’s always someone who has the skills to help at the last-minute if needed.

What’s the must see?

You have to walk down the canal at Here East we’ve got Canalside, with hotspots like the Breakfast Club and F45 gym. A little further down the canal you’ve got the likes of Crate Brewery which does great craft beers, and no-waste restaurant Silo is a firm favourite. You definitely need to make the most of the area being such a big green space, alongside the amazing eating and drinking scenes we’re lucky to have around here.

There are pockets that are best on certain days of the week and you quickly plan your week around where’s hot that day.

How do you think the area will continue to evolve?

If you look across the park there is so much going on and so much yet to arrive.

I recognise more and more people on campus, and now our tenants are forming their own social hubs which is fantastic. It’s so exciting having a new branch of the V&A arriving here too when such a large cultural institution comes to town it will bring a whole new range of visitors to the area.

You’ll love living here if you like innovation, you’re creative and interested in tech someone future thinking. East Wick & Sweetwater is in a very enviable location, I’d love to live somewhere like that!