Living in Acton

Acton is often said to have more stations bearing its name than anywhere else in Britain, and that abundance defines the area. Acton Town has the District and Piccadilly lines, North and East Acton are on the Central line, Acton Central and South Acton are on the Overground, and Acton Main Line has the Elizabeth line to Paddington, Bond Street and the City. Few suburbs offer so many options.

The area is less polished than neighbouring Chiswick or Ealing, and its high street is practical rather than charming, with supermarkets, takeaways and cafés. It has a long-established Polish community and a significant Japanese presence, including the Japanese School in London. To the north, Park Royal and Old Oak Common form one of London's largest industrial areas and the site of a major regeneration scheme around the new high-speed rail interchange.

Acton has a good share of green space. Acton Park, Gunnersbury Park, with its museum and sports facilities, and Acton Green Common are within easy reach, and Bedford Park, a famous early garden suburb of red-brick houses, lies on the Acton-Chiswick border.

Housing includes Victorian and Edwardian terraces, particularly in the grid of streets known as the Poets' Corner, interwar semi-detached houses, large estates such as South Acton, which has been undergoing extensive regeneration, and new apartment blocks. Rents are generally below Ealing, Chiswick and Shepherd's Bush. The area is quiet in the evenings, with pubs and restaurants but limited nightlife. Acton suits people who want west London value, excellent transport across several lines and access to parks, and who do not mind a less picturesque town centre.