Acton

West London is usually quite prosperous, so the few exceptions really do seem very different from their surroundings. Acton is one of those poor areas. It's mainly populated by Eastern European and Afro-Caribbean communities which can be seen in the amount of Polish shops and Carribean chicken fast food joints. Acton isn't very cool in any meaning of the word, but there are a couple of places worth visiting here.

Parks:

• Gunnersbury Park is one of the great parks of London. It surrounds an old dilapidated mansion that functions as a museum. on the park grounds, you can also find old ruins that now surround a community garden. There's a cute pond with a small temple, some sports grounds, such as a small golf course, and a nice café.

Cafés:

• The Blend House is a cute little café with all kinds of bakery, good sandwiches and sweets in glass jars. The coffee is not particularly good here, but the staff is very nice and it's a great place to get a quick snack in a rustic atmosphere. 

Drinking:

• George & Dragon is the home to a fantastic microbrewery, Dragonfly Brewery, making tasty IPAs, red ales and stouts. It's located in the oldest building in Acton. It looks fantastic with its wood-panelled dark rooms, fireplace and melted candles on the tables. The bar itself is in the back room, where you can see the vats where the magic happens. There's also a pleasant beer garden.
• The Rocket is an old-school railway tavern with big windows, wooden plank floors and a nice terrace looking at a quiet street. They have a good selection of real ales.

Areas around Acton: Shepherd's Bush, Chiswick, Ealing, Park Royal, Brentford, Kew