Now the post-2012 London Olympic Games hangover has abated, Olympic Park has been dubbed Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and set to reopen in the summer of 2013. As London's newest urban park located in vibrant East London, it will offer residential and indoor and outdoor lifestyle options for locals and visitors alike.
The North Park of the complex and the Copper Box venue is set to open from July 2013 and will offer up to 8,000 new homes, five new neighbourhoods and 91,000sqm of commercial space. The North Park contains green parklands and waterways as well as the CBD section of Press and Broadcast centres and will make up the majority of the green spaces of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.The North Park Hub will also offer a large-scale adventure playground and community features, whereas the venue known as the Copper Box during the 2012 Games will provide the opportunity to enjoy or watch a variety of sports as well as onsite facilities for events. Other iconic sites set to reopen after the Games include the Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Eton Manor and Velopark.
In the meantime, there is a Park in Progress visit for a sneak peek at the park's transformation from sporting venue to a brand-new tourist and lifestyle destination. The tour costs from £15 for adults and from £7 for children, and you'll need to don workwear to visit the site. The visit includes a bus journey into the park and a trip up Britain's tallest art structure – ArcelorMittal Orbit – for views over the stadium, park and London. The striking 115m Orbit, which is set to reopen in late 2013, is a spiralling red structure with an elevator that takes 30 seconds to reach the 85m-viewing platform through the twisting form. Take in the views and then descend via the spiral staircase.
To visit Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, access is via the Underground, National Rail or Docklands Light Rail (DLR) to Stratford station. From here, it's a 15-minute walk to the park. The Park in Progress Visit begins at Pudding Mill Lane DLR station – one station before Stratford.
