Living in Ealing

Ealing is a large west London borough of seven distinct towns: Ealing, Acton, Southall, Hanwell, Greenford, Northolt and Perivale. Together they range from affluent Victorian and Edwardian suburbs to industrial estates, busy multicultural high streets and interwar housing, and the borough has one of the largest populations in London.

The Elizabeth line runs through the borough, stopping at Acton Main Line, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell and Southall, and has made journeys to Paddington, the West End, the City and Heathrow much faster. The Central line serves Ealing Broadway, North Acton, Perivale, Greenford and Northolt, the District and Piccadilly lines serve Acton and Ealing Common, and the Overground runs through Acton.

Southall is home to one of the largest Punjabi communities outside India, and its Broadway is famous for South Asian restaurants, sweet shops, jewellers and textile stores. Hanwell has the Wharncliffe Viaduct, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and Perivale has the Hoover Building, one of London's best-known art deco landmarks. Ealing Studios has been making films for more than a century.

Green space is plentiful: Walpole Park, Gunnersbury Park, Horsenden Hill, Brent River Park and the Grand Union Canal all run through the borough. Hanwell, West Ealing and Southall sit on the same Elizabeth line corridor as Ealing Broadway and usually cost noticeably less, which makes them some of the better-value stops for anyone commuting to Paddington, the West End or Heathrow. Greenford and Northolt, on the Central line further north, are cheaper still and more suburban.