A guide to living in North West London

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Do not move here under any circumstances. This development is sold on a fantasy, not the reality. The area is dead, depressing and poorly served, with almost nothing open except a small Co-op. Reaching the shopping centre or Tesco means walking through underpasses and surrounding areas that feel unsafe and neglected. There is ongoing anti-social behaviour in the park, yet security seem completely ineffective. Transport is awful: trains to Brent Cross West are constantly cancelled, making commuting miserable, and the only fallback is a 20-minute walk to the Northern line through a rough and unwelcoming estate. The most offensive part is how aggressively this place is marketed to people who do not know London, as if this is “central London” and somehow acceptable. It is not. On top of that, residents have been strung along with empty promises about amenities that still have not opened. This place is misleading, overpriced and deeply disappointing. After speaking to multiple people, leasing is heavily to blame. *Name Removed* and *Name Removed* will say anything to close a deal.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Building management will listen and acknowledge concerns, but the main problem is that very little meaningful action follows. Issues are noted without being properly resolved, whether that is problems with the gym temperature, the parcel room chaos, poor internet in the work-from-home space, or the way shared amenities are managed. The overall pattern is one of polite but ineffective management, where residents raise the same complaints repeatedly without seeing real improvement.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had known how much of the development is style over substance. It looks impressive when you first view it, but the reality is cheap finishes, poor management, weak transport links, underwhelming local amenities and shared spaces that come with restrictions and extra charges. I also wish I had known how heavily the place is marketed in a way that makes the area and lifestyle sound far better than they really are. Also, the utility bills are incredibly high! You can not get out of them and there is a standing charge of £40 per month for heating. This is before you've even used anything.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Beaufort Park is a lovely area in Colindale, with a lot of different shops and restaurants within walking distance. The area is quiet and modern, and there are nice green spaces too. At the same time, it is only a short walk to the tube station for the northern line, allowing for good connection to central London and other areas. Would 100% recommend living in this area

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

They have always responded quickly and professionally. They kindly take into consideration any issue that we raise and work hard to fix it quickly and efficiently. Shoutout to Matt and Cameron for their great work again!

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

That renting doesn't have to be stressful! Living here is honestly the best!

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The local area has very limited shops — only a small corner shop nearby, otherwise a 15+ min walk to small supermarkets. There is one bus stop in front of the building, but buses are often crowded and sometimes skip the stop during peak hours. Roadworks over the past two years have affected bus and walking routes, with overground stations a 15–20 min walk and the underground about 30 min. The overground often experiences delays. Parking is difficult, though there is a car park across the street. Traffic noise is low, but the train track right across the building causes vibrations and noise despite good insulation. On the positive side, there’s a nice park 10 min away and Westfield is about a 30 min walk.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Management at ILA (iLiveAround) has mostly ignored emails and requests, rarely providing updates or support when problems arise

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had known how unresponsive the building management (ILA/iLiveAround) can be. Emails and requests are often ignored, and during past issues like power outages or heating problems, residents had to manage much of the inconvenience themselves. Also, the area has limited shops nearby, and transport can be crowded or delayed. It’s worth knowing that while the flats and insulation are good, day-to-day support and communication from management can be very frustrating.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The shops nearby are very good, you have a range of different ones to chose from. The tube connection to central London is also very convenient.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Yes, Ken has always been very responsive and helpful.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The move went very smoothly, very convenient to have a gym, reception and mantainance in one place. It removes quite a lot of hustle

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The local area is absolutely dull! As others mentioned, massively mislead by leasing about how quickly the build up would take place (among other lies *Name Removed* is more than happy to share to close a deal). The area is generally on the unsafe side, it's a nightmare to commute to/from, and generally has nothing to do. Insult to injury, when the square opens, its first shops will be the shops that are already down the street, which in themselves are not that great (a bakery and a pizza shop). Overall, pretty dull area that can't command the price range they are asking for the flats. The park also attracts an anti-social crowd. Even though we were told it has on site security (which it does), the security guys themselves do nothing in terms of policing other than walking aimlessly up and down the park. Drug exchanges literally happening in the corner and the smell of weed in the air.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

They have responded but done exactly nothing to address it. If they want to it's now here in black and white. I'd start with concierge behaviour, sorting out the mail room mess, and gym lack of equipment.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

How superficial everything is. Just not worth the price tag.