Bow, London

Bow
Former Bryant and May match factory
Bow Location within Greater London
Population	27,720 (2011 census Bow East and Bow West wards)[1]
OS grid reference	TQ365825
• Charing Cross	4.6 mi (7.4 km) W
London borough	Tower Hamlets
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	E3
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Stratford and Bow
London Assembly	City and East
List of places UK England London 51°31′47″N 0°01′44″W / 51.5298°N 0.0288°W / 51.5298; -0.0288

Bow (/ˈboʊ/) is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is an inner-city suburb located 4.6 miles (7.4 km) east of Charing Cross.

Historically in Middlesex, it became part of the County of London in 1888. "Bow" is an abbreviation of the medieval name Stratford-at-Bow, in which "Bow" refers to the bow-shaped bridge built here in the early 12th century. Bow contains parts of both Victoria Park and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Old Ford and Fish Island are localities within Bow, but Bromley-by-Bow immediately to the south is a separate district. These distinctions have their roots in historic parish boundaries.

Bow underwent extensive urban regeneration including the replacement or improvement of council homes, with the impetus given by the staging of the 2012 Olympic Games at nearby Stratford.