This neighbourhood of Park Royal is located in the North-West in the London Borough of Brent. The River Brent and its canal winds through much of this neighbourhood. The area is residential, but also has a large business park occupying space here as well. Residents and professionals have a wide variety of cuisines to choose from in this neighbourhood including Caribbean, Lebanese, and the Indian street food at Spice Shack. There is also the famously gigantic Asda Superstore and nearby Royal Leisure Park which offers a variety of entertainment options, including a movie theatre, bowling alley, seven restaurants, and a nightclub. Residents of this neighbourhood are also walking distance to nearby bustling Kensal Green and Harlesden which have excellent transportation options into central London.

This neighbourhood was formerly the village of Twyford, but its present name derives from the Royal Agricultural Society exhibitions that were held here from 1903 to 1905. With its road, rail and canal links, Park Royal was quickly developed for industrial use. Munitions factories were built on the site during the First World War, and it developed as an important industrial estate after hostilities ended. However, contrary to the general trend towards exclusively high-tech business parks, manufacturing industry continues to play a role here.

This neighbourhood is home to the famous Ace Café. Ace Café has been a biker hangout and diner since 1938!

One of the neighbourhood’s downsides is that the crime rate is 3.22, which is a little bit higher than the London’s overall rate of 2.16, with violence against a person the being the highest reported crime. Fortunately, the number of crimes decreased by almost 10% the following year.

The local council has identified the neighbourhood as an area with substantial significance and growth potential and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) was established to capitalise on the significant HS2 and Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) investment at Old Oak Common. The OPDC is in charge of the redevelopment and regeneration of over 640 hectares of land, including Park Royal industrial estate, the Old Oak development area around the new HS2 Old Oak Common Station, and the protected land at Wormwood Scrubs. It is the OPDC’s ambition to create approximately 26,500 new homes and 36,500 new jobs along with new open spaces and supporting infrastructure.

Old Oak Common, just next door, has been designated a new super-hub set to be the best-connected and largest new railway station ever built in the UK. Development prospects around the station, which is expected to become one of the country’s busiest following the completion of HS2-related works for the station, are anticipated to have high returns and an area immediately to the southwest of the proposed station has already been identified for commercial development. Residents of this neighbourhood area can expect to see more improvements in this area in the next few years. Stonebridge Place, the name by which this development in known, will have 35% of its units allocated for affordable housing comprised of 57 shared ownership and 117 affordable rent homes.