Ealing, or ‘The Queen of the Suburbs’ as it’s fondly known, is a happy balance between city and countryside living. Train and tube stations offer fantastic connections to the heart of the capital, as well as this it has retained a rural, characterful look and feel. The borough has numerous parks (Gunnersbury, Brent Lodge Park and Walpole are three of the best), a 40-something acre common, and quiet, leafy avenues. Read on to discover the developments that are rated as the best places to live in Ealing and to see reviews from residents who own or rent in Ealing.
Apartments are lovely but the area leaves a lot to be desired.
There is nothing here. Greenford Quay is situated adjacent to an industrial estate. The Central Line is a 10 minute walk away, and the Piccadilly Line is 15-20 minute walk away (depending whether you’re in Lyon’s Dock or Tillermans), but if you want anything on your doorstep other than an overpriced Co-Op or Starbucks then you’re out of luck. The nearest Aldi is a 35 minute walk away. There is a retail park about 15 minutes away but that is only a compact Lidl and M&S Food.
There is private parking available at something extortionate like £150 a month. There is no free parking for visitors or guests and street parking does not exist within/around the development without a permit.
There is absolutely nothing to do nearby for residents wishing to be social. No bars, no restaurants – nothing. The development itself has many vacant commercial units but these have been unoccupied since the site opened a few years ago. There is supposed to be a bar opening soon on site, but this has been ‘Coming Soon’ for c.12 months now – they’ve actually managed to build another huge residential block sooner than open this new bar.
As this is a site under construction, it’s near impossible to have the windows open during the day as it’s a building site from 7am-7pm daily (even some Sunday’s).
Please review your development:
The building and apartments themselves are very nice, they are high spec with premium SMEG appliances. There’s not really anything negative to say about the design or facilities. I will say that the bin chutes are often out of order/blocked (likely due to a lack of rotation of the bins on the ground floor) – this causes residents to leave bin bags next to the bin chutes (rightly so in my opinion). The management try to issue fines (unenforceable) if you don’t do things like take your rubbish down (which is as a result of their faulty chute system).
The communal areas are designed well. The gym is adequate, I would prefer there to be more free weights (squat rack/free bench), but understand for safety they use fixed machines. It’s nice though that this is included in the rent.
I will say that some things were sold to us incorrectly by the estate agents, or since moving in policies have changed. We were told the communal areas such as the games room/dining kitchen/cinema would be free to book – but after 9 months of living here they decided that for exclusive use, you would need to pay.
I am now in my second year living here (it will be my last). Rent increased 9% vs the previous year, despite supply of vacant units increasing and no additional amenities have appeared on site – property prices are also in a downward trend across the country. The leasing team will not negotiate, and if you don’t agree with their renewal price – it’s goodbye. It seems they would rather have people move out and have units vacant for multiple months, than offer a slight discount for guaranteed residency and income. I can see other apartments that have moved out after 1 year and their unit has been vacant for 3+ months… not sure how they’re going to fill the current building under construction.
Greenford Quay has lots of potential, but until there are things for residents to do nearby without having to travel via to Ealing, Notting Hill, White City, Central London etc – I can see this being a poor investment for Greystar.
Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:
I wish I’d know how hot it would get in the summer. I have never put the heating on once, because during the winter the temperate within the flat is at a minimum 19 degrees, and in the summer it reaches 33 degrees. There is no air conditioning in the flats, and the flats trap the heat. The summer months here are unbearable.
How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:
Maintenance issues are sorted quickly and the building management team are responsive when it comes to complaints/queries.
4
Facilities
5
Design
3
Location
3
Value
3
Management
Manager Response
Dear Miles
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your experience at Lyons Dock. We appreciate your positive comments about the building, apartments, and communal areas. We also acknowledge your concerns, particularly regarding the bin chutes, changes in amenities policies, and the leasing negotiations.
Our team is actively working to improve the overall experience for residents.
Regarding the miscommunication from the external estate agents, we apologize for any confusion. Your feedback helps us identify areas for improvement, and we will strive to enhance communication to prevent such discrepancies in the future.
We sincerely apologize for the challenges you’ve faced and appreciate your patience as we work towards creating a better living experience for all residents.
If you have any further concerns or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to our concierge team.
Thank you for being a part of Greenford Quay.
Best regards,
Greenford Quay Team
