Hackney Central Put on The Map

Hackney Central has now been put on the map through the Greeters programme, which used to take place all over London but now Hackney Central has been added to the list. Less than a year before the Olympics, the initiative was inspired by the overwhelming success of a similar programme in New York. This was set up in 1992 to take people off the well worn tourist trails and show them something they might not usually see. It was also motivated by the desire to show people that New York wasn't the dangerous place it was perceived to be and now offered in cities such as Paris, Berlin and Tokyo. They are not professional guides, but knowledgable locals who can show visitors the best their neighbourhood has to offer – for free.