Hip cheap area in London
Jan 29th, 2014, 02:06 PM
#4
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Some good online guides for such an audience are www.timeout.com and www.lonelyplanet.com.
Jan 29th, 2014, 03:15 PM
#6
We really do need to know the budget. Whether what they hope to get is even possible.
Covent Garden is not 'hip' but generally quite posh (I LOVE the area
)
Old Street/Hoxton/parts of Camden - definitely on the hipper/edgier side. but I haven't looked for 'hip' in decades.
Covent Garden is not 'hip' but generally quite posh (I LOVE the area
)Old Street/Hoxton/parts of Camden - definitely on the hipper/edgier side. but I haven't looked for 'hip' in decades.
Jan 29th, 2014, 03:34 PM
#7
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Have them take a look at the Travelodge Covent Garden. I stayed there 2 summers ago with DD and her friend (college students). We booked a few months in advance and lucked out with the rate, which was less the $50 US for our room. Yes it was basic, but it was clean and the location worked well for us.
Jan 29th, 2014, 04:30 PM
#8
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Hoxton is still on the hip list, but not sure it would be classed as cheap anymore - it was about 6 years ago, now it's popular and known so the restaurants and bars have upped their prices in many cases. Hoxton Square and Old Street are the epicentre, bu tell them to head to the latest and fun(est) bar just down the road in Shoreditch called The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town. Not sure about hotels, but there is a Holiday Inn Express (not technically cheap), a Premier Inn on Old Street and the RE Hotel over towards Hackney, which is heading into Eastenders territory (!) and may appeal more for price and nightlife.
Camden will always be Camden and there are, as mentioned, pockets of cool still to be found there. Camden was the magnet for all things music, and still is for undiscovered bands, so they can look at venues like Proud Camden, Camden Palace, Roundhouse, pubs like The Dublin Castle or Bull and Gate. It all depends on the music they are looking for. Or even a sunny (well, not raining/cold) afternoon spent on the roof top next to the canal on Camden Lock having a pint and listening to whoever is playing in the courtyard is an afternoon well spent.
Brixton, again has pockets, so you can still find a good night out, but they are few and far between now. B&Bs are the way to go in Brixton.
Clerkenwell is trendy, but not "hip" (in a skinny jeans-wearing way). The Zetter gets good reviews as a bar and hotel, is quirky (table tennis in the bar!), but isn't cheap. There is an EasyHotel (from the EasyJet chain) in Clerkenwell.
The above should suit the hipster, skinny jean-wearing, beard growing, alt-loving boyfriend, or at the very least get them out and exploring!
Covent Garden is not hip, but it has a few hidden treasures in amongst the known parts. Not sure your daughter and her bf will find it at all "happening" (although the odd trashy night at the Roadhouse never went astray!
).
Camden will always be Camden and there are, as mentioned, pockets of cool still to be found there. Camden was the magnet for all things music, and still is for undiscovered bands, so they can look at venues like Proud Camden, Camden Palace, Roundhouse, pubs like The Dublin Castle or Bull and Gate. It all depends on the music they are looking for. Or even a sunny (well, not raining/cold) afternoon spent on the roof top next to the canal on Camden Lock having a pint and listening to whoever is playing in the courtyard is an afternoon well spent.
Brixton, again has pockets, so you can still find a good night out, but they are few and far between now. B&Bs are the way to go in Brixton.
Clerkenwell is trendy, but not "hip" (in a skinny jeans-wearing way). The Zetter gets good reviews as a bar and hotel, is quirky (table tennis in the bar!), but isn't cheap. There is an EasyHotel (from the EasyJet chain) in Clerkenwell.
The above should suit the hipster, skinny jean-wearing, beard growing, alt-loving boyfriend, or at the very least get them out and exploring!
Covent Garden is not hip, but it has a few hidden treasures in amongst the known parts. Not sure your daughter and her bf will find it at all "happening" (although the odd trashy night at the Roadhouse never went astray!
).
Jan 29th, 2014, 10:34 PM
#9
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London may or may not be "hip" (do people use the word these days?). But next to no-one stays or lives anywhere "hip": a proper public transport system takes people from where they can afford to live or stay to where they can have fun.
That's why London's night bus network is so heavily patronised (and therefore frequent and safe, which is why there's no point in staying anywhere "hip") - and why young people care more about getting all the Tube lines to operate 24 hours a day than about peace in Syria or the future of the planet.
They might want advice on "hipness" - though no young person in history has ever taken any from a parent. If they really want your help on this: tell them to browse the Thorntree forum on the Lonely Planet website, though they're likely to have access to far more reliable sources of their own.
What this forum is good at is advising on tactics and resources for finding cheap ways to live in London. Those tactics are as useful for indigent 20 year olds as for equally indigent 70 yos with no interest in "hipness"
You might find that reposting, avoiding all references in your title to a subject no contributor here knows anything about, will yield a great deal more advice on cheap places to stay - and far fewer fond recollections of what was fashionable in the mid-1970s.
That's why London's night bus network is so heavily patronised (and therefore frequent and safe, which is why there's no point in staying anywhere "hip") - and why young people care more about getting all the Tube lines to operate 24 hours a day than about peace in Syria or the future of the planet.
They might want advice on "hipness" - though no young person in history has ever taken any from a parent. If they really want your help on this: tell them to browse the Thorntree forum on the Lonely Planet website, though they're likely to have access to far more reliable sources of their own.
What this forum is good at is advising on tactics and resources for finding cheap ways to live in London. Those tactics are as useful for indigent 20 year olds as for equally indigent 70 yos with no interest in "hipness"
You might find that reposting, avoiding all references in your title to a subject no contributor here knows anything about, will yield a great deal more advice on cheap places to stay - and far fewer fond recollections of what was fashionable in the mid-1970s.
Jan 30th, 2014, 12:46 AM
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When I think hip I think Shoreditch and Hoxton. The area around Liverpool street station and old street. There is a holiday inn express at old street just off a square called Hoxton market that may fit the bill. Or look for somewhere by Liverpool street station.
I would expect yo pay £100+ a night at least...
I would expect yo pay £100+ a night at least...
Jan 30th, 2014, 01:40 PM
#12
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They could look for a private room in a hostel. Have them check www.yha.org.uk, or Google Astor hostels or Generator.
Lee Ann
Lee Ann
Jan 30th, 2014, 01:47 PM
#13
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I think hip and hipster are used by lots of people still, it's a pretty acceptable term used by all ages, it seems to me. The Guardian uses it
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...ip-restaurants
this graphic is sort of interesting http://www.gadling.com/2012/06/16/wh...neighborhoods/
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...ip-restaurants
this graphic is sort of interesting http://www.gadling.com/2012/06/16/wh...neighborhoods/
Feb 2nd, 2014, 07:06 AM
#14
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Flanner has it right.
My daughter, who's 22 and currently studying in London, likes the Camden area for live music.
Recent airbnb.com search for apartments/private rooms yielded fairly inexpensive Brick Lane and Shoreditch possibilities where I think the word "hip" was thrown around. A young artist and musician couple I know very much enjoyed their airbnb London private room with a nonhip middle aged woman.
My daughter, who's 22 and currently studying in London, likes the Camden area for live music.
Recent airbnb.com search for apartments/private rooms yielded fairly inexpensive Brick Lane and Shoreditch possibilities where I think the word "hip" was thrown around. A young artist and musician couple I know very much enjoyed their airbnb London private room with a nonhip middle aged woman.
Feb 2nd, 2014, 12:51 PM
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Sure, jamikins. I am talking about what I'd call a B&B hotel. In my mind, several notches above a hostel, 2 and 3* hotels, not people's homes. Not fancy, but many include breakfast and many of them have basic rooms that share a bath among say 2-3 other rooms. (I've never had a problem with that last, always finding available clean facilities as needed and not being germphobe.) I've stayed in a couple and enjoyed the friendly feeling there.
For instance these all have good review averages on tripadvisor:
Celtic Hotel
Jesmond Hotel
Jesmond Dene
Arran House
St. Athans
Hotel Meridiana
Princess Hotel
Lincoln House
Macdonald Hotel
Central Hotel
I'm booked later this month at Princess Hotel, single basic room for £40 until my daughter joins me at Celtic Hotel for another week, £95 for a twin ensuite room on the first floor, for the higher ceilings. Both including breakfast and VAT. Last time I was in town, I peeked into a double room and the breakfast room at the Celtic to check them out, and my daughter's college recommends the Princess.
Certainly many on Fodors wouldn't touch these with barge pole, but I like to stay longer and cheaper, and don't need to impress anyone.
For instance these all have good review averages on tripadvisor:
Celtic Hotel
Jesmond Hotel
Jesmond Dene
Arran House
St. Athans
Hotel Meridiana
Princess Hotel
Lincoln House
Macdonald Hotel
Central Hotel
I'm booked later this month at Princess Hotel, single basic room for £40 until my daughter joins me at Celtic Hotel for another week, £95 for a twin ensuite room on the first floor, for the higher ceilings. Both including breakfast and VAT. Last time I was in town, I peeked into a double room and the breakfast room at the Celtic to check them out, and my daughter's college recommends the Princess.
Certainly many on Fodors wouldn't touch these with barge pole, but I like to stay longer and cheaper, and don't need to impress anyone.
