When looking for a place to live in West London, expats may tend to go for well-known areas such as Hammersmith, Shepherd’s Bush and Notting Hill – this one, thanks to Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, of course. But for those in search of a new home, Ealing might be just the spot to settle with its beautiful parks, great restaurants, convenient supermarkets, and well-connected transport options, including the Elizabeth Line.
Ealing is a neighbourhood, or rather, a district in the London Borough of Ealing. Divided into Ealing Broadway (the town centre), Ealing Common, South Ealing, and West Ealing, it has a lot to offer residents seeking a pleasant living experience:
- Supermarkets
- Shopping centre
- Restaurants, pubs and cafés
- Nurseries and schools
- Parks and green areas
- Underground stations
Housing options in Ealing
Although the average monthly rent has increased in recent years to £1,972 for a two-bedroom property, the council is working on one of the largest home building programmes in London. Buyers have also discovered opportunities in Ealing, with the average price of a home bought with a mortgage of £580,000.
The closer to Ealing Broadway, the more expensive a flat or house tends to be. But the district also offers several bus lines, as well as parks and green areas, that make walking fairly easy and beautiful, such as:
- Ealing Green
- Ealing Common
- Walpole Park
- Lammas Park
Underground lines in Ealing
East Londoners will probably say Ealing is “too far,” but they are surprised to hear the area is part of Zone 3 and well-connected to central London, especially since the Elizabeth Line opened in 2023. From Ealing Broadway, it can now take less than 15 minutes to Paddington. Another improvement the line brought to Ealing locals was an alternative to Heathrow Airport, reached within 20 minutes.
Other Underground options in Ealing include:
- District Line (Ealing Broadway and Ealing Common stations)
- Central Line (Ealing Broadway station)
- Piccadilly Line (Northfields and South Ealing stations)
- Elizabeth Line (Ealing Broadway and West Ealing stations)
Shopping and supermarkets in Ealing
With many high street shops and a shopping centre, Ealing Broadway does feel like a busy town centre, meaning there’s barely any need to leave the district for essentials.
And unlike many areas in London where residents struggle to find more than one supermarket chain, Ealing offers a few, including:
- Morrisons (Ealing Broadway)
- Tesco (Ealing Broadway)
- M&S (Ealing Broadway)
- Sainsbury’s (West Ealing)
- Waitrose (West Ealing)
- Lidl (West Ealing)
There’s also a food market in Dicken’s Yard in Ealing Broadway and the traditional Farmers Market every Saturday in Leeland Road in West Ealing, so locals are all set for fresh fruit and vegetables, and other goodies.
Education in Ealing
For migrants/expats coming to study or with school-age children, there are nurseries, schools, colleges and, of course, the University of West London (UWL) in Ealing.
Nurseries, Primary and Secondary schools in the borough include:
- Jumpers! Nursery
- Corner House Day Nursery
- Montpelier Primary School
- Grange Primary School
- Ealing Fields High School
- Greenford High School
- Brentside High School
A question that often comes to mind when searching for a place to live in London, especially for those with children, is safety. Although numbers show an increase in the overall crime rate in Ealing in 2025 – 79 crimes per 1,000 people – the area still feels generally safe compared to other parts of London. The most recent London-wide crime rate was 106.4 offenses per 1,000 people for the 2024/25 year, according to Statista.
Restaurants, pubs and cafés in Ealing
London is the expat’s playground when it comes to food. With 40 percent of its residents born abroad, there will always be an option for even the most picky eaters. Ealing Borough doesn’t fall behind in its vast gastronomy, with its nearly 370,000 inhabitants from diverse backgrounds (43 percent White; 30 percent Asian, Asian British, or Asian Welsh; 11 percent black, black British, black Welsh, Caribbean or African; 11 percent Arab or any other ethnic group).
Besides the usual chains, such as Nero, Starbucks, Five Guys, Itsu, Nando’s and Pizza Express, the neighbourhood offers a wide range of local and international cuisine, including:
- Santa Maria (award-winning pizzeria Neapolitana)
- Tony’s Pita (Greek street food style)
- Tonkotsu (modern Japanese ramen bar)
- La Rueda Tapas Bar (traditional Spanish food)
- Molana (traditional Persian food)
- Teatro Hall (cocktails and food)
- Pulp (home to the famous scrollsant)
- The Owl & The Pussycat (microbrewery)
- The Rose & Crown
- The Drapers Arms
- The Grove
- The Grosvenor
- The Forester
- The Old Hat
Other fun things to do
If the name “Ealing” doesn’t sound strange to you, it must be due to the famous Ealing Studios, the oldest continuously working film studio in the world. For film lovers, Ealing Picturehouse showcases classic to new films across its eight screens. If not in the mood for the movies, the café and Sarv’s Slice Detroit-inspired pizza are already worth the visit.
Still in the acting vibe, the Questors Theatre in Ealing is the right place to watch for new and popular plays. For a bit more action, right next to the cinema, the Boom Battle Bar is all about the fun with axe throwing, crazy golf, shuffleboard and other games.
One of the best things to do in the borough is to enjoy the Ealing Summer Festivals. As mentioned before, the parks do make the neighbourhood extra special, and attractions in Walpole Park, featuring jazz and blues, comedy shows and other performances, turn Ealing into a great cultural stage.
This all makes it worthwhile to choose Ealing as home.
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See more about London here in Dispatches’ archives.
Andrea Juste is a writer and editor covering health, psychology, travel, productivity, thought leadership, and more. Andrea was born and raised in Brazil, where she worked for a decade as a journalist before moving to Italy in search of her roots, then the UK, to connect with different cultures. Based in London, she manages content marketing projects for clients worldwide.
