Safe areas to live in Acton / Ealing

[Sirine1708]

Hi! We are moving to London next month and I'm figuring out where to rent within 30-40 minutes commute to Hammersmith station.
Any help would be much appreciated because I've read heaps of mumsnet posts already but still didn't find the answer :)

Our budget is up to 3500 pcm for 3 br flat or house (epc b or c) , and I'm looking for a safe area (don't want my husband stabbed/robbed while coming home late or narcos wandering around me and our 6 yo son). Park with good playground within 20 minutes walk is highly desirable :)

Most likely we are not getting spot in any decent/"Good" school mid-Year 2, so we go private first and then look around. But it would be nice to have good primary schools in the area that are not grammar and take kids from non-religious families.

I was thinking Acton because within our budget it has more modern and warm (epc B) houses then Richmond/Chiswick/Hammersmith/Fulham.
Also Richmond schools seem mostly religious so they will not be taking our son I suppose.

But are Acton or Ealing really safe to live and walk at night? I was examining crime map on crystalroof and in Acton it's yellowish in most parts - not red but not green either

@onmywayamarillo please don't be offended, actually my family didn't "own" the flats we've been living at until I was 19 and I didn't have a posh upbringing either. But my father was in military and we lived safely within gated military towns.

@JustCakeInDrag looks like I've opened a box of spiders, but at least I'm geting honest feedback

Actually after taking a look at the crime map my first urge was to run away to st albans 😂but I do want to explore London, not only fields and sheeps.

I second Northfields, I really like the area & both my children survived their childhood here & are young adults 😂

Sorry to tease, OP, it is hard moving to a new area but remember some of us live here! It is an easy commute to Hammersmith & reasonably handy for the Elizabeth Line with a good schools at primary & secondary.

Acton is becoming increasingly gentrified but still has pockets of deprivation, although as a previous poster said it's practically on a street by street basis.

Good luck with your search.

Where are you currently living @Sirine1708 ?

No-one has been unkind but they are giving you honest explanations of London’s unique character. The very high degree of integration between communities is what people tend to love about the city but it is a major adjustment if you have been used to gated communities. You will have to revise some of your attitudes while you are living here. Equally it is not for everyone and there is no shame in deciding that you would rather live in St Albans and visit London frequently. St Albans is very nice!

St Albans has quite a nice little town centre so not just field and sheep. In fact I would prefer living there compared to zone 5/6 as you can live within walking distance of amenities and 20 minutes to central london on the fast train. The high street is also much more interesting!

BUT I would rather live in zone 3 because rail is much more unreliable than tube in general.

I live in East Finchley btw and am looking at ex council 3 bedroom flats in Highgate/Crouch End (the freehold has been bought by the residents for the flat in crouch end but it was originally run by the council) as an upgrade from my private 1930s flat. As ex council flats are often more spacious. The ex council flat in Highgate is on an estate but the flat was owned and occupied by a city lawyer and that is not uncommon in London. I am very paranoid about safety but have no issues with safety on my end.My DH stores his bike outside in the bomb shelter and nothing has been stolen yet. We don't even have a lock for our storage cupboard in the communal hallway (and the main door is never locked) and nothing has been taken. There is a council estate 15 minutes walk from where I live and I know for a fact and also a tower block 10 minutes walk from where I live. The local primary school is 30% free school meals and is very well rated by the community.

@MothershipG thanks for your kind words :)

@socialmedia23 and it will be easier to get a cab or drive to zone 3 after concert or other events. And it's also easier to get by car to windsor and other beautiful parks more farther in the west and south west.

you are much less likely to have a drive in zone 3. Many of the £1.4 million houses are terraced and don't have allocated parking. There are always parking wars. So if you want an electric car, that is an issue as no charging point. Ironically even though I live in a flat, we have our own parking. I think its one reason why people move further out.

@socialmedia23 we mostly use car on weekends, our car had mileage of 27000 miles in 8 years, it would be nice to own a car in London but not really necessary.

Ok I take it back and apologise too - I was mean. As a born and bred Londoner we can get defensive when people think of London as a big druggy crime pit. It's really not.

West is probably your best option. I'm sure you know that every borough / town has beautiful and not so beautiful areas - that's all part of the charm for me but isn't always for others.

It’s all as safe as you’d expect if you’re reasonably streetwise.

Northfields is lovely and has a great community feel. The area round Pitshanger Lane, north of Ealing Broadway, is even nicer and very popular with families. Several good schools as well. Boston Manor is cheaper but also pleasant. Hanwell is up and coming. Acton is a bit more mixed but Churchfield Road has a nice vibe.

The council is putting in more EV charging points so that is an option if you can’t charge from home.

There are loads of parks and green spaces in the borough and the Elizabeth line is amazing. Come to Ealing!!

You're right to discount Barnes. It is truly lovely, but transport to Hammersmith and local traffic is awful now that the Hammersmith Bridge is closed. It's open for cycles and pedestrians, but who knows for how long?

Central Ealing and Acton are still fairly urban. You'll find a degree of street crime and a certain amount of anti-social behaviour there, but nothing out of the ordinary for a city, and lower than many places. Ealing in particular would generally be considered 'nice'.

As with other posters, I would focus your search on Northfields, Pitzhanger and Hanwell - all good, family areas with good schools, good transport links and good amenities.

And also as other posters have said - London is an economically and culturally diverse city. That might feel scary at first, but it's the thing I value most about it. I hope you love it here as much as I do, and if you do, you'll be very happy here.