Statia

I am looking at renting an apartment five minutes walk from Nishi-Ogikubo station in Suginami. I've read good reviews from other tourists who have stayed there, but am wondering if it's too far outside the city center for touring the main sites. Any advise?

mrwunrfl

City center?

Well, JR Nishiogikubo station is on the JR Chuo Line (central line) which is the main JR line through the city.

It would take 16 minutes to get to Shinjuku which is a very major transportation hub.

It would be another 11 minutes on the same train to get from Shinjuku to JR Tokyo station.

So it would cost you an extra 32 minutes per day to go touring since Shinjuku would be a good are to stay in when visiting Tokyo.

mrwunrfl

I wrote Nishiogikubo as one word because that is what you would use at hyperdia.com to check the train schedules to/from Nishi Ogikubo.

Statia

Thank you very much for the info mrwunrfl. I have been studying maps of the city, but having not been there before it's a bit hard to understand just how big it is, or how long it takes to get from one area to another.

I have found a really great deal on a nice apartment five minutes walk from the Nishi-Ogikubo station which has great reviews, so I guess we will go with it. After walking around all day long, a half hour off our feet on the train might be a nice reprieve when returning home at the end of the day.

Thanks again. Any other comments are also welcome.

Mara

Statia - is that on VRBO? If so, it looks very nice. I don't know how long you are going to be in Tokyo - personally I wouldn't bother with an apartment if it's just a couple of days. But that location seems convenient enough.

I do think a residential neighborhood will be nice. When I was in Tokyo I stayed in the Yanaka area not far from Ueno which was also quite residential.

Enjoy!

Statia

Mara, yes, it's the one on VRBO, as well as liveinasia.com. We were originally going to stay at Tokyu Stay Hotel / Apartments near Gotanda Station, but then found a better deal with this apartment, not to mention more space.

Alec

While transport links are good (as they usually are in Tokyo), I wouldn't opt to stay in Ogikubo - which is a featureless post-war commuter suburb. I normally stay within Yamanote loop line or just outside, like Asakusa. And you don't necessarily pay more for more central locations. When you stay out past midnight, you have no option but to take a very expensive taxi ride to Ogikubo (Nishi means West). If you don't require separate living room but somewhere with a kitchenette, Weekly Mansions provide several central locations for 7-9000 yen a day, with a fridge, sink and microwave.

mrwunrfl

Good point about late night travel. The last Chuo Line train departs Shinjuku station at 1:01 AM. You absolutely would want to be on it (only 210 yen vs $$$ for a taxi).

Mansions at Roppongi is another place that others on this forum have used. Oakwood Apartments also has a property in Tokyo.

Alec

Late-night taxi fare from Shinjuku would be around 4,300 yen or $40.

Statia

That is exactly what was part of my concern....as in being "too far from the city center." We don't necessarily stay out that late...up late, but not "out" late...so I will continue doing more research before I book to see if this area is suitable for us.

We aren't big nightlife people being from a small island and all, but do like to hang for a bit at a smaller scale local place or two before heading in for the night. Would that be possible near Nishi-Ogikubo? We like to get "close to home" before dinner time and hang out in the local area thereafter. It seems from reviews of this apartment that there is plenty of that in the area...or am I mistaken?

Thanks so much for the further info. I know I can always count on my fellow Fodorites.

Alec

Sure, there will be enough local restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes etc to satisfy local needs. But what you need to remember is that Nishi Ogikubo is a typical, featureless, suburb built up in the last 30 years purely for commuters into Central Tokyo, and shops, restaurants etc cater exclusively for their everyday needs. So there will be enough grocery stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, hardware stores etc satisfy demands, but nothing more. For anything more stylish, memorable, geared more to the needs of greater range of consumers, you need to head for Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza etc. It doesn't mean that Nishi Ogikubo doesn't have any good shops or restaurants - it does but you need to search them out. If you are happy just to mingle with suburban commuters, it's perfectly fine. But for my money, I'd rather stay in the centre and being on the doorstep of interesting, unusual or memorable places and experiences.
YMMV, of course.

Statia

Thanks for the further info, Alec.

W9London

Another drawback of Ogikubo is that downtown-bound Chuo Line and subway would be very packed in the morning rush hour (say 7:30-9:00).