Sister cities of Hackney (London borough)

The London Borough of Hackney /ˈhækni/ is a London borough located in East London and north of the City of London. It is currently part of the East subregion, though was included in the North subregion from 2008 to 2011. It is one of the Inner London boroughs. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council.

Hackney's southwestern boundary is adjacent to the City of London and Broadgate. Also in the southwest are Hoxton and Shoreditch which are at the heart of the London arts scene and home to many clubs, bars, shops and restaurants; Hoxton Square is Hoxton's central point. The Borough of Hackney has attracted some office development and the development of Shoreditch and Hoxton has caused land values to rise, thus expanding the range for prospective development. Much of Hackney maintains its inner-city character and in places like Dalston large housing estates now sit side-by-side with gated communities.

The historical and administrative heart of Hackney is the area roughly extending north from Mare Street and surrounding the Church of St John-at-Hackney; known as Hackney Central. Hackney Town Hall Square has been funded to develop as a new 'creative quarter'. Surrounding the public square itself is the now bankrupt Ocean music venue [being refurbished as a four screen cinema complex in late 2011], a new library, technology and learning centre, Hackney Museum and the refurbished Hackney Empire. A new town hall complex has been built out of public funds behind the original building. South Hackney abuts Victoria Park (which is in neighbouring Tower Hamlets) and terraced Victorian and Edwardian housing has survived to this day.

To the north of the borough are Upper and Lower Clapton, Stamford Hill and Stoke Newington. To the east is the large open space of the Hackney Marshes and the districts of Hackney Wick and Homerton. Light industries employing over 3,000 people have been designated in this area to allow the land around the River Lea (the eastern boundary) to be used for the 2012 Summer Olympics, thus making the area one of the host boroughs of the London 2012 Games.

There are 1,300 listed buildings in Hackney, including the iconic Grade II* Hackney Empire, Tudor Sutton House, and the Grade I medieval St Augustine's Tower. The Borough contains 25 conservation areas including Clapton Square, and many urban open-spaces including Clapton Common and Clissold Park. Conservation areas also protect large areas of Georgian and Victorian housing, and areas of industrial heritage.