Neighborhood Spotlight - Acton Town

To the jungles of Zone 3, we go to Acton Town.  Officially located in Greater London, this western neighbourhood is part of Ealing Council.  So what's it like to live outside central London?  Former resident, Tisha (yea, that's me!) shares her story.




Name: Tisha
Age: 27
Acton Town Resident for: 6 mos
Last place you live before moving to London? DC via Maryland



Did you live in a flatshare or on your own?
I lived by myself.

What was your nearest Tube station?
Acton Town

How would you describe the neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
This very much was quite a suburban neighbourhood.  Its very quiet.  There are lots of families with kids.  People were constantly barbecuing or working in their gardens. There are a few high streets here and there.  But for the most part there are loads of houses and parks.  It was quite nice to be surrounded by so much greenery and still be in so close to London.


How safe was your neighbourhood?
Its quite interesting.  On one hand, I felt perfectly safe walking around late at night.  I would frequently walk from either the night bus or from the Tube station really late and never felt threatened or scared.  It was also extremely quiet.  I could hear the train at the Tube station at night or in the morning.  But at the same time, I lived extremely close to a massive council estate.  I would periodically see a police van parked nearby with a CCTV mounted on top of it.  Its presence alone made me think that perhaps this place isn't a safe as it seems.

What did you like most about where you live?
I loved all of the parks around.  Gunnersbury park is in walking distance.  Since its not as popular as Hyde Park or Regents park.  I could just sit out on a blanket is peace and either read, write or just soak up sun without worrying that a bunch of people coming to ruin my serenity.  I also liked that it was very quiet.  Its nice to leave the hustle and bustle of the city and return to silence.

You get more of your money.  My studio flat was also amazing.  I had my own kitchen, a massive living space and a really nice bathroom for a very reasonable price.  A comparable property in Central would cost and arm and a leg.

Also I used to work in Uxbridge.  So it was perfect to have the Piccadilly line right there to take me easily to work. 

What did you like least?
I hated that it was so far away.  Because its in Zone 3, it would take FOREVER if you caught a night bus home.  So I would frequently rush to catch the last train home but that always seemed to cut my night short.  Also as most of my friends live in central London, I wasn't able to entertain in my a flat which kind of defeated the purpose of having all that space.

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live?
I still am in love with the Angel/Islington area as well as Shoreditch.