The south western tip of the borough is adjacent to the City and close to the Broadgate development.

In this area some office development has taken place within the borough boundary.

Also in the south west is Hoxton and Shoreditch which are central to the London arts scene and home to numerous clubs, bars, shops and restaurants, much of which is centred on Hoxton Square.

The development of Shoreditch and Hoxton caused land value to increase in the area such that developers looked to other parts of the borough for development.

Much of Hackney is inner-city in character and in places like Dalston large housing estates now sit side-by-side with gated communities.