Photographs by Charles Ommanney
Interviews by Kalita al Swaidi
Since the 1800s, London’s gritty East End has been home to some of the city’s most strapped residents: immigrants, artists, and the poor. Notorious for its overcrowding and high incidence of crime, the neighborhood has been thrust into the spotlight this year as the location of the 2012 Olympic Games. (Click here for an interactive map that details the huge burst of construction in the area over the last several years.)
Will the massive crowds and influx of cash help the East End, or is it merely sacrificing its space—and sanity—for an event that will leave no lasting benefit? Kalita al Swaidi and photographer Charles Ommanney, on assignment for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, traveled to the area to talk to residents.