Areas NOT to stay in London
Feb 9th, 2004, 01:02 PM
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Areas NOT to stay in London
My Husband and I will be traveling to London in early May with our 1 year old daughter and my mother. We are planning on renting an apartment so that our daughter can have a bit more room to roam around when we are indoors. I was wondering if anyone can tell me of neighborhoods to stay away from. I would like to stay in a very safe neighborhood that has cafes, markets, and of course a tube station nearby. I am hoping someone can give me some advise soon as I would like to make my reservations before the end of the Feb. Thanks!
Feb 9th, 2004, 01:16 PM
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Most of London is safe, and it is unlikely that you'd be offered a tourist apartment in a crime-ridden or drug-infested area.
I'll suggest some popular and convenient neighborhoods in my own order of preference (I like to be able to walk to lots of places including at night):
Bloomsbury, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, St James, Trafalgar Square,Kensington and South Kensington,Covent Garden,
anywhere in Westminster area, South Bank, the City.
Look into Citadines apartments, especially Trafalgar Square location.
Apartments are quite basically furnished, but location is excellent. I was told by my sister recently that their apartment was very clean, front desk staffed 24 hours. Kitchen had basic appliances and utensils. You have to pay extra for extra towels, maid service, etc. The location is incredibly convenient.
I'll suggest some popular and convenient neighborhoods in my own order of preference (I like to be able to walk to lots of places including at night):
Bloomsbury, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, St James, Trafalgar Square,Kensington and South Kensington,Covent Garden,
anywhere in Westminster area, South Bank, the City.
Look into Citadines apartments, especially Trafalgar Square location.
Apartments are quite basically furnished, but location is excellent. I was told by my sister recently that their apartment was very clean, front desk staffed 24 hours. Kitchen had basic appliances and utensils. You have to pay extra for extra towels, maid service, etc. The location is incredibly convenient.
Feb 9th, 2004, 01:36 PM
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I don't have a lot of experience with this, but let me tell you about a couple of experiences. My family stayed in the King's Cross area at a nice B&B in the summer of 2002. While it was o.k. I kept noticing all these shabby looking people hanging out. They never bothered us, but it did leave me hesitant to be out alone after dark. At the end of our stay the B&B owner pointed out the 29(!) video cameras on their block that are monitored by the police. Turns out that all those people hanging out are there to buy their drugs. Of course, they never bothered us because we didn't exactly look like we were selling drugs! But I'm not sure I'd pick that as my first area to hang out. On our next stay in London we were at the Novotel near Waterloo station. Again, the walk to the closest tube station was just a little shaky - would not do it in a small group at night. But there were buses just outside the hotel and that worked out just fine. Problem is, many of the nicer areas are pricey. Good luck!
Feb 9th, 2004, 01:44 PM
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You can always count on Elaine to give wonderful advice.
Elaine, I have received files from you in the past for Paris & Italy which have been quite useful. Do you happen to have one on London?
Thanks
Elaine, I have received files from you in the past for Paris & Italy which have been quite useful. Do you happen to have one on London?
Thanks
Feb 10th, 2004, 03:18 PM
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Elaine, Could you also email me your London files? [email protected] Thanks in advance.
Mar 9th, 2004, 12:54 PM
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Elaine- I will be traveling to London this summer for the first time, and would love to receive a copy of your London file. Thanks in advance!!!
[email protected]
[email protected]
Mar 11th, 2004, 12:46 PM
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hi
just checking in for a moment, i'm in prague
please email me at
[email protected] and i'll send the file when i return home\thanks
just checking in for a moment, i'm in prague
please email me at
[email protected] and i'll send the file when i return home\thanks
Mar 20th, 2004, 08:18 PM
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gingergirl: Tacking your question about NICE onto an old thread about LONDON will not get much useful response. Try posting a new thread with "Citadines" and "Nice" in the title . . . .
Mar 20th, 2004, 11:36 PM
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If I take Elaine s useful list of her choices, and look within the oval of the Circle Line (for good communications) two places she misses are Paddington and Edgware Road. I agree with her, but that has nothing to do with safety. Rather, those two are beyond the great parks, so you spend 15 minutes extra each day going from and to and from your hotel.
She also misses Kings Cross, where Hoespin?s sketch of the scene was quite right two years ago. They are now digging for a big new Eurostar train terminus, and there is no pavement space for pushers to lurk in. Not that they meant anything to us when they were there.
I cycle with no problem late near Waterloo, where the last five years have seen a steady growth of hotels, many of them American chains. A block in from the river these roads lack shops and have few restaurants and pubs. I wonder whether some Americans take it as a yardstick that an area must be pretty full of people to be safe. That may be true in N Y or Chicago, but is not so in Waterloo. If it were, the market reviewers of the big chains would not have advised all that building. I agree with Hoespin in thinking Waterloo 50 to 200 yards south of the river is not good to stay, but that is because of dull streets and poor communications. Some chains say their place is in Waterloo when in fact it is in Lambeth, fully safe, fully dull, and poor on busses and tubes.
Central Soho, within the box Oxford Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, St Martin?s Lane, Trafalgar Square, and Regent Street, has clip joints in basements and on first floors, though usually not at street level. These are a problem only if we stop to admire the photos of underfed Lithuanians displayed at club doors, and agree to pay 100 USD for a bad whisky. Brothels and hotels in this area differ altogether.
[email protected]
She also misses Kings Cross, where Hoespin?s sketch of the scene was quite right two years ago. They are now digging for a big new Eurostar train terminus, and there is no pavement space for pushers to lurk in. Not that they meant anything to us when they were there.
I cycle with no problem late near Waterloo, where the last five years have seen a steady growth of hotels, many of them American chains. A block in from the river these roads lack shops and have few restaurants and pubs. I wonder whether some Americans take it as a yardstick that an area must be pretty full of people to be safe. That may be true in N Y or Chicago, but is not so in Waterloo. If it were, the market reviewers of the big chains would not have advised all that building. I agree with Hoespin in thinking Waterloo 50 to 200 yards south of the river is not good to stay, but that is because of dull streets and poor communications. Some chains say their place is in Waterloo when in fact it is in Lambeth, fully safe, fully dull, and poor on busses and tubes.
Central Soho, within the box Oxford Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, St Martin?s Lane, Trafalgar Square, and Regent Street, has clip joints in basements and on first floors, though usually not at street level. These are a problem only if we stop to admire the photos of underfed Lithuanians displayed at club doors, and agree to pay 100 USD for a bad whisky. Brothels and hotels in this area differ altogether.
[email protected]
Mar 21st, 2004, 07:41 AM
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Elizabeth,
Overall, I've found London to be safe and traveler friendly, but, as in any large city, some places are better than others.
Hoepsin mentioned the drug selling going on near the Kings Cross tube. I agree with the writer and would avoid that area. A bartender (pub tender?) advised me to not walk in a given direction at night. I'm sorry my memory cannot be more specific about which direction, but the fact that he offered the unsolicited advice to an obvious stranger emphasized his point. As a single guy, I didn't really fear for my safety at night, but I was a little creeped out and I certainly would not recommend it for a family.
Ben_Haines_London referred to the construction going on near the Kings Cross station. I remember that the men used to get quite an early start in the morning. It was common to hear jackhammers at 7:00 am, although perhaps they are done now.
Good luck and you'll love London!
Tim
Overall, I've found London to be safe and traveler friendly, but, as in any large city, some places are better than others.
Hoepsin mentioned the drug selling going on near the Kings Cross tube. I agree with the writer and would avoid that area. A bartender (pub tender?) advised me to not walk in a given direction at night. I'm sorry my memory cannot be more specific about which direction, but the fact that he offered the unsolicited advice to an obvious stranger emphasized his point. As a single guy, I didn't really fear for my safety at night, but I was a little creeped out and I certainly would not recommend it for a family.
Ben_Haines_London referred to the construction going on near the Kings Cross station. I remember that the men used to get quite an early start in the morning. It was common to hear jackhammers at 7:00 am, although perhaps they are done now.
Good luck and you'll love London!
Tim
