You've seen me post recently about London at Christmas and now I have a dilemma:

Our hotel is the Rushmore in Earls Court. It looks great for a 3-star, and we have a super deal on a 6-night triple. The problem is that in researching the area, a lot of posters in past strands seem to think the Earls Court area is shabby, or let me quote, "on the edge..." and now I'm worried that on Christmas day, when my travel companions (hubby and sis) and I want to walk on our own or get to convenient restaurants which are open on the 25th, we won't be able to get around. Is the tube shut down or what? Will it be dangerous to walk long distances from Earls Court? I live in Chicago, so I'm not sure what constitutes edgy to some posters. HELP! Is there a 3-star in a downtown area which anyone recommends?

I've stayed in Earl's Court before, but it was several years ago, and it didn't appear too shabby to me, but on the edge in terms of it being far from the center of London. There were places to eat nearby, I recall, but I wasn't there at Christmas either, so I don't know if they would be open. Sorry I'm not much help....

Earls Court is one of the main hotel areas of London. There's nothing dangerous about it. There are no tubes or buses on Christmas Day, so you'll need to find restaurants in the Earls Court area. It's too far to walk to the West End when you bear in mind that it's likely to be cold or wet at Christmas.

Hi teach,

Without the full context of "on the edge..." I can't be certain, but you are certainly on the edge of London.

See www.multimap.com for your location.

The hotel seems quite nice.

Earls Court is definitely not a dangerous area. It is "on the edge or shabby" in comparison with other central neighborhoods -- South Kensington, Knightsbridge, etc.

It isn't terrible - just not wonderful. It is an area with a lot of low to moderate cost hotels near the two major London Exhibition halls - Earls Court and Olympia.

You will be within a reasonable walk of Cromwell, Old Brompton and Fulham roads, and not that far from Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and the Museums. if the weater is decent you can walk east into S. Kens, Hyde Park, Chelsea or other nice areas.

Earl's Court isn't exactly out in the middle of nowhere..most areas that are "edgy" usually aren't but you'd need to take the Tube or a taxi to get to the "major" tourist sites.
Let's be very honest here..there is a significant Gay population in Earl's Court and a lot of people have difficulty with that. Used to be that the area was loaded with bedsitters and cheap hotels (I stayed there for a pound a day back in the early 70's) and also back then there was a signifcant "ethnic" population living there but suppose a lot of that has changed.
I hope someone from London can elaborate further and in an honest and upfront manner.

That should be "weather"

one other thing - Earls Court is not on the outskirts of London - it is on the edge of zone 1. Zone 1 is the central area of London. It is just on the outer bit of zone one - but you won't be "out in the boonies".

Thanks, I get the picture that it's probably a lot like where I live right now in the U.S. I will call the travel agent today and see if our package will still work out if we stay in the Gresham Hyde Park hotel, which was an option a few weeks ago when we were first researching through the perameters of our deal with the consolidator. If not, I think the Rushmore won't be that bad. I could care less about the "gay" or "ethnic" situations, although if it is anything like the gay areas of Chicago, it's often hipper and chic. If Hyde Park is in walking distance (3 KM), then we just will have to put up with the cold. The only thing that is making me ponder change now is the fact that we'll be out of luck for transportation on the 25th and not close enough to walk to anything. Keep responses coming if anyone has better ideas.

It is my understanding that the tube is shut down on the 25th, as well as the 26th. I wouldn't worry about being on the edge, or close to, a "bad neighborhood". The police in London don't carry guns- that tells me a lot about the general level of safety there. Can you imagine a policeman in Chicago without a gun? (I live in the suburbs of Detroit, and the idea of an unarmed police force is terrifying to me!)

You are fortunately getting some good feedback here. For future reference, it is preferable to create a title that explains the nature of your question and the city/country to which it pertains, such as: "Feedback Needed re Rushmore Hotel & Earl's Court Area, London".

Thanks, and have a great time!

Buses and tubes don't run on Dec 25. They DO run, though with a reduced frequency, on Dec 26.
Earl's Court is OK but nondescript. Its gay population makes for a few gay pubs and clubs, but does nothing to make the area chic.
The walk into the tourist centre is pretty glum. Not remotely dangerous or ugly. Just a long - say mile and a half - featureless, urban street.
The ethnic history does mean the area has a wide range of (frankly not very good, but not poisonous) restaurants: many owned by nationalities that have small-ish Christian populations. So there's a good chance many will be open on Dec 26, but this inevitably changes from year to year.
Make sure you buy the Christmas/New Year Time Out, which traditionally carries a "surviving Christmas Day in London" section. As do the previous Sunday's Sunday Times and Observer.

Incidentally, many London police are now armed, and chances of assault in some parts of town are increasing. This has nothing to do with Earl's Court, or the stretch from there to the centre.

But London is no fantasy land, and it's worth staying on your guard, as in any other big city.

Try this for restaraunts:
http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/

Perhaps you can contact them directly to see if they will be open on the Christmas holiday!

PW