When you’re moving to London (or around London), it’s hard to know where you should go. If you’re not from the area, you really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into when you jump into a lease to a new neighbourhood. As many Americans do, we started looking in the familiar sounding South Kensington and Notting Hill when we arrived… but have now moved on to more obscure-sounding pastures after finding ourselves with a bit more lay of the proverbial land here in London.

I often get asked by future residents about what areas work best and for what reasons- and while I know from my own experience, I thought it might be helpful for people to hear from locals in those areas. There’s no better way to hear about what life is like in a particular areas.

So here we go, I’m kicking it off with a little guide to our home here in West London, Shepherds Bush. Follow along with the series to hear from some very cool (and very normal) friends of mine as we share our little views of London living with you.

SHEPHERDS BUSH | W12

1. TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD.

I live in Shepherds Bush, which is in West London. While sits next to Notting Hill and Holland Park, it’s a bit grittier and less glossy than the others. It was the home of the BBC for decades and the impact on the neighbourhood is that the production team that lived nearby gave it a cool, smart artistic feel… yet it is blended well with endless other ethnicities beyond British. (It actually has more people fro more places than another other neighbourhood in London!) There are fantastic State schools (free!), there are great local churches, and there is the largest shopping mall in Europe here, too. I will say, it’s not a great kept secret. The fact that there are great state schools and affordable housing are making it boom quickly.

2. ON A SCALE FROM 1-10, HOW CONNECTED WOULD YOU SAY WHERE YOU LIVE IS? WHAT ARE THE MAJOR LINES THAT RUN TO/FROM YOU?

I’d give where we live an 8, because we are close to both the Central Line and the Hammersmith & City line. However, further west in the neighbourhood is a bit more remote from the tube stations. If you live deeper in the neighbourhood, you’ll likely hop a bus a few stops to get into the tube stations.

3. IN A DREAM WORLD, WHAT WOULD BE THE PERFECT STREET OR AREA TO LIVE IN WITHIN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD? WHY?

I think I’d opt for the pretty Easter egg coloured houses along Wingate Street in Brackenbury Village (because you’d also get into Brackenbury Primary) or somewhere just off the playground from St. Stephens to get into the catchment from there and be really close to the underground connections.

4. ON A SCALE FROM 1-10, HOW WOULD YOU SAY THE VALUE FOR SQUARE FOOTAGE IS? DO YOU PAY A PREMIUM FOR WHERE YOU LIVE OR WOULD YOU SAY IT IS A BETTER VALUE THAN OTHER AREAS IN LONDON?

Compared to Notting Hill (where we were before), I’d give is a 7/8. It’s going up quickly, even from when we moved here a year ago…. But still- we have a house for about 20% more than we paid for a TINY two bedroom in Notting Hill. And it’s a 7-8 minute uber ride away from that house.

5. WHAT IS THE GENERAL VIBE OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD? GIVE US THREE TYPES OF PEOPLE WE MEET SEE ON YOUR HIGH STREET?

Oh man, if you come to the W12- get ready to rub elbows with all walks of life. Three people that I saw today: 1. A fit Austrian mum headed to the pool with her kids in their Jaguar station wagon. 2. The manager of the local Syrian bakery we go to for pizzas. 3. Our older neighbours who have lived on this street for about 20 years who stopped by to meet our new baby on their way out to get groceries.

6. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO GET COFFEE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

This used to be a dismal answer… but it’s getting a bit better. Swallow Coffee just opened on the Goldhawk Road. Proud Mary’s is a local favourite…. And to be honest, that’s about it. We need better coffee shops in the area. I typically head to somewhere generic like Starbucks or Costa if I need to get some work done in a coffee shop around here.

7. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO GET DINNER IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We love Thai food at the Crown & Sceptre pub, curry from Nepalese Tandoori or, our staple, is Damascene food from Ayam Zaman. We go there at least once a week and the staff treat us like family.

8. HOW WOULD YOU SPEND A SATURDAY IN SHEPHERDS BUSH AS A LOCAL?

Ravenscourt Park is a gem of the area. We go there a ton as a family, get ice cream at Bears, or head to Westfield for some shopping. Tyler may catch a match at the QPR stadium or we may go to friends homes for lunch/dinner. (Remember- we have more square footage here in W12! We can actually have friends over and enjoy it!)