MeganMiami

Looking for assistance from travelers who have been there or London residents who can help clarify for me. Trying to find and choose 3BR/2+ bath apartment in London for Nov. Among other options, considering 3 rentals at addresses below in Kennington:
103 Kennington Park Road, SE11 4JJ - Kennington B&B
135 Kennington Park Road, SE11 4JJ** - Johnny's Place
**One at this address (of 2) has fabulous reviews and is #1 at TripAdvisor under London Vacation Rentals. Is it true or too good to be true? All reports are glowing and 'verified by FlipKey'...part of TripAdvisor.. Therefore, I would like to consider this option because the apartment looks quite appealing and is a good fit. Unfortunately, no one really specifically addresses the location in their reviews.
My concern is being on the south side of the Thames and away from main tourist points of interest...altho site states 10 minutes via tube (correct?). Also, wondering about restaurants and grocery shopping in this area. Some reports imply that Kennington might be sketchy in some ways. Is the tube station @ Kennington OK? Not sure from the picture. Then there are a few positive comments such as: "Many MP's therefore live within the area, which boasts many Georgian squares, houses and architecture." Is this an area that is being renovated? Could one safely jog in the AM?
I have info on other areas on the north so am really just looking for specific feedback about this Kennington (or is it Lambeth?) area. Thank you so much for your help.

janisj

I know exactly where both of those are but have not been in the area for about 30 years (when going to Cricket at the Oval) so I won't be of much help. Before you book, hopefully C_W or one of the other Londoners will see your post. They'll know what the street/neighborhood is like.

PatrickLondon

It looks to be pretty close to Kennington underground station and with reasonably good bus services:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaro...noval-2143.pdf

In general, this is an area that has moved upmarket over the last few decades - being close to Westminster, it's quite popular with MPs. I don't know it in detail myself. I can't see that it would be any less safe than most other parts of London. A search around on www.yell.com does suggest you'd have to walk a bit to find a supermarket and restaurants. There might be traffic noise along Kennington Park Road.

KayF

You should be able to do a street view on Google maps. Put in the address, or Kennington Underground Station if you don't have the address,then fiddle around on the map until you find the street view - I think it's the little man at the end of the zoom in/out bar. You can see the streets as if you were there, it's amazing.

I live in London but don't know Kennington at all. For tube travel, I have read to calculate 3 mins between each station to give you an idea of the time it takes to get somewhere. And of course you can easily check on Transport for London www.tfl.gov.uk

Kay

jamikins

Kennington tube is actually well connected, the Northern Line runs into London Bridge (for borough market/jubilee line)/ Bank / Moorgate and the other Northern Line runs from Kennington into Waterloo (london eye, across river from westminster) and West End (Leicester Sq, Charing Cross (trafalgar square).

Be aware though that the northern line is going through maintenance works and may be closed during the weekends so you may need to use the bus if this impacts you.

I havent spent a lot of time there, but its a basic residential neighbourhood, not really interesting and not very well off in general. Not my favourite by any means, but ok I guess, just not very interesting from a tourist perspective. The tube station is fine. There are restaurants around and grocery stores of course. whether they are any good or not I dont know. Sainsbury's or Tescos should be fine for your needs and there is boung to be one by you - ask the rental agency or owner how far.

You will be able to jog in the mornings, the area will be busy with commuters everywhere heading to the tube, or driving.

suegs

I would definitely recommend staying at JOHNNY'S PLACE Kennington.I also has reservations but decided to go ahead an book on the strength of the reviews . Everything written about the apartment was true!The accommodation was perfect for my husband and 2 sons and Johnny delightful. I also was wary of the area coming from Australia, previously staying at the Strand hotel but found it very safe and convenient. The tube station is only 2 minutes away and links to other lines. Yes you can be anywhere within 10 minutes and we appreciated returning to the apartment and it pretty garden after sightseeing. The commuters and people living in the area seemed to be young professionals .There were no problems with the tube station.Walking at night to the restaurants was pleasant. There were a few good Italian restaurants, A Thai restaurant and 2 English pubs nearby which we frequented and the supermarket close by.the South Bank of London is is accessible and very trendy.The street the apartment is on a main road and is fairly busy but we heard no noise and had the added advantage of having a bus stop nearby. Houses seem to in the process of being renovated in the area.There is a square close by which is suitable for running and also Kennington Park. I hope this helps you in making your decision. We stayed at the apartment for 3 days and would happily stay again for longer if we had the opportunity. we felt it was part of the reason we enjoyed London so much.