Ned Ingham, head of design at Bill Amberg Studio in Park Royal
(Picture: Matt Writtle)My wife, Linda, and I have lived just a short walk to the north of Park Royal in Harlesden with our two children, cat and now a dog for about 15 years.
I’m 43 and grew up around Portobello in the Eighties and Nineties and have witnessed both the positives and negatives of extreme gentrification, which is why I love Park Royal and the surrounding areas: it’s authentic.
I work as head of design for Bill Amberg Studio. We make leather products, interiors and furniture for the likes of the Royal Academy of Arts, Westminster Abbey and Harrods.
Best eating and drinking
Park Royal is a real treasure trove if you love food. We have a great Iraqi restaurant called Al Enam and the best (and the best value) Lebanese flatbread pizzas in London at Kamil Bakery.
The more upmarket Maroush has relocated to the area, too. We’ve also got our first brewery called the Roundwood Project based in the Excelsior creative studios and expect a tap room soon. For coffee and cake head to Coffeeology.
For a culture fix
This year Park Royal was London Design Festival’s newest design district. In September, more than 40 creatives came out of their studios and workshops to showcase everything from leather craft and dance to fashion.
A highlight was the Generation and Display gallery at the Queensrollahouse, where the Queen’s Rolls Royces were once housed, and now has a really cool rooftop bar.
Park Royal and Harlesden are very diverse. There’s a strong Jamaican contingent and due to our proximity to the Notting Hill Carnival there is always music playing from shops, cars and houses.
I run a sound system with my friend Andreas called Kommun Sound (@kommunsound) where we try to bring some of the different cultural and generational communities together through music events. Next year will see the launch of the Park Royal film festival and food festival.
To commune with nature
Walk up to Roundwood Park for one of the best small parks in west London. It has got a manicured garden, wilder meadow and cafe.
Grocery shopping
In Park Royal we have Hoo Hing, the oriental food specialist, and Cool Chile for fresh tortillas.
If you walk a few roads north into Harlesden there is a historic Irish and Jamaican community, as well as newer communities of Brazilians, Somalis and Eritreans, where there is definitely a culture of buying from local grocers rather than supermarkets.
Getting around
Park Royal is set to become the most connected place in London with the new transport hub where Crossrail and HS2 will intersect. There are seven Tube stations across Park Royal. But it is also close enough to central London to cycle along the canal or through Notting Hill and on to Hyde Park and beyond.
Dream street
I think One West Point will be popular with young buyers moving to the area. That’s the new apartment block that is going up. When finished it will be the tallest residential tower in London outside of Canary Wharf. There’s a soft play for kids, garden bar, yoga studio and streaming room for residents to video their products.
Something you only see in Park Royal
If you’re prepared to search, you’ll find warehouses teeming with creatives. From the Lebanese Centre (selling food and produce) to Blast Studio, run by Paola Garnousset and Pierre de Pingon, who create objects from recycled coffee cups by using 3D printing.
What’s the catch?
This part of London is so close to central and yet tucked away. It’s a diverse scene of art, food and culture. Let’s just hope the ripple effect of regeneration that will come with the creation of the new transport hub doesn’t deplete its soul.
In three words
Creative. Innovative. Raw.
Schools
West Twyford Primary School is rated Good by Ofsted. Montpelier Primary School in Ealing and Holy Family Catholic Primary and The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls (secondary) in Acton are rated Outstanding.
What it costs to live in Park Royal
Buying in Park Royal
Average flat price: £406,465
Average house price: £634,311
Renting in Park Royal
Average flat rent: £1,566 a month
Average house rent: £2,389 a month
