progol

My husband and I are planning a weeklong trip to London at the end of September 2018 and I'm looking to rent a flat. I've been searching far and wide, and am finding it very challenging to find a place that appeals. Ideally, the flat is convenient, comfortable, not tripping over tourists as we walk out the door, yet easily accessible to the major sights. I like a little character -- am less taken by the western parts of the city (I'd say we're more drawn to a "bohemian" style than a posh style, if that helps!), and I found this flat. It really appeals and I wondered what you thought about staying in Southwark:

https://www.flipkey.com/properties/3186195/

Feedback most welcome!

jamikins

It is close to Borough Market and walking distance to London Bridge and Southwark station.

The thing that stands out to me is that it is right next to a VERY busy overhead rail line. Trains on that track go by from pre-dawn to after mid-night and you may hear the clicking of the tracks. May be something to look for in reviews.

progol

Thanks, Jamikins, your feedback is most appreciated!

The only comment I saw was one person saying that the street was quiet but it's "a bit noisy at night" so they heard the cars and fire engines go by. No comments about a train. I live in NYC and am very used to hearing cars and fire engines go by!! The reviews were good.

kmowatt

The flat looks great and very well priced. Both local tube stations are on the Jubilee line which gets you quickly to Westminster or Green Park for more central west London outings. I love that area around Borough and the walk along the South Bank. As long as the company reviews are good too I wouldn't hesitate to take it.

progol

Thanks! I found it for even less through Sabbatical Homes. It's through a rental agency, not a private owner, but I don't think that should be an issue. The reviews on Flipkey range from very good to excellent, so I think it looks like it should be good.

Many thanks!

loncall

Looks a lovely flat but I think it might be stretching it a bit to describe this part of Southwark as Bohemian ! It is alongside one of the main arterial routes into London from the South of the City and is very 'mixed' in terms of social demography.

There are some really interesting restaurants etc as you get nearer to Borough market/Guys hospital or if going a little to the West towards the Cut and Waterloo. I would however check on google street view that you understand the types of streets you would be walking through. [Going South towards Elephant and Castle would probably reap less reward].

progol

Hi, ioncall,
Many thanks for your comments! I didn’t mean that this stretch was necessarily “bohemian” - rather, I was describing our style.

I’m getting a little overwhelmed by the process of searching out flats in London and we are thinking of this as an area that has really become an interesting one with the development of the Tate Modern, the Shard, and so on. I understand that it’s on a busy road - just trying to suss out what the character is like in the general vicinity. I’ve been doing google map searches and it seems like it’s close to a lot of decent restaurants and shops, so we wouldn’t go too far wrong.

Another place I saw and liked a lot is on AirBnB, although I think this might be even noisier. It does get excellent reviews:

https://abnb.me/EVmg/9wiFYbCDZH

I’m not wedded to these places though I do like the idea of this area, but are there areas that any of you would recommend? I don’t particularly want to be in the further west areas of the city although there are certainly a lot more apartments available as they are more residential. It’s been 25 years since we’ve been to London and I don’t have a clear sense of the different parts of the city.

loncall

Hi Progol

I would think that this area would be a good choice. Much, much better value for money than West London but still very central on the underground or buses. We live further out in South East London but often drive to this area, park our car, and then hop in a cab we flag down in street there when visiting central London. It also has the advantage of being in walking distance of some great places [Tate modern, Globe, Borough market. Florence Nightingale museum, Imperial War Museum, South bank area etc] as well as being very near on tube or bus or taxi to those areas North of the River.

I guess the thing to be mindful of is that this is not a 'twee' area of London where every second address is a restaurant or coffee shop. En route to restaurants you will pass many petrol stations, office blocks, betting shops etc as you walk. For some people this would be an advantage and for others a disadvantage so worth just checking out that it meets your particular requirements.

I worked very near here in Lower Marsh behind Waterloo station [incidentally a street that has a great street food set up some days of week] a couple of years ago and always felt entirely comfortable walking along main roads which will be busy and well lit until circa 11-11.30 ish at night after which I would probably take a cab.

progol

Many thanks, Ioncall,
Your description confirms my sense of the place - at the moment, I’m very inclined to stay here, though I think I will sit with it a little longer before making a final decision. I’m not looking for “twee” - and I know this is definitely not!

massimop

One way to add to your understanding of the area is to take the address of the apartment, plug it into google maps, and then use the "Nearby" option o google maps to find what hotels are "Nearby". Then take the names of those hotels and look for reviews of them on Tripadvisor or Booking.com.

Reviewers who have stayed in hotels right in that neighborhood will be quick to say if they felt unsafe, or if it is a desert for restaurants, or some other big negative. Of course many travelers are always so happy to be traveling they gush about all their choices -- but you sound like an experienced travel who knows how to discount for that.

massimop

Also, for what it's worth, when I travel to London I look to stay in Southwark and other places on that side of the river, largely because I prefer the restaurant scene over there, and I can't stand taking the tube after dinner. Would rather walk back to where I am staying.

progol

massimop,
Thanks for your comments. I've been using Google maps and getting a better idea of the areas of the 2 flats. At the moment, my feeling is that both are convenient and fit many of my needs. They both both have easy access to transportation and are in an interesting part of town.

I'm trying to decide whether this is what we want or, as Ioncall terms it, a more "twee" part of town. There is a part of me that likes that idea, too, so I'm checking out other flats in other parts of the city before making a final decision, but it is a lot of work to sort though them all! I'm looking to keep the place easily accessible to the center by tube, and making sure that the tube is a close walk from wherever we stay.

I do like the idea of Southwark more and more and your comments about the restaurants definitely tilt the decision in its favor!

janisj

I have stayed in every corner of central (and just outside central) London and there are great neighborhoods all over.

>>I do like the idea of Southwark more and more and your comments about the restaurants definitely tilt the decision in its favor!<<

Do realize there are terrific restaurants in almost every area and some world class places in some surprising neighborhoods. No matter where you finally choose (say inside the Central Line or just south of it on the Southbank/Southwark) we can tell you about lots of restaurants w/i walking distance of your location.

progol

Thanks, janisj! I haven’t actually made a decision about where we will stay, so when I do, I’ll definitely be asking for recommendations.

massimop

The thing about the neighborhood you are considering is that it is creative space and the restaurant scene refects it, as does the fact that Borough Market drives the traffic for food interest and exploration. So when I posted I liked the restaurant scene, that is what I was pointing at. Other than the market itself, I'm not sure there are any "world class" restaurants in that corner of London, so if that is what you are looking for, go to the posher and more well established neighborhoods with money.

I used to stay in Marylebone to have access to a more open restaurant scene, but it's sort of ossified as the moneyed crowd has snapped up more and more of the neighborhood. It's not cheap to live on the South Bank by world standards, or anywhere around the heart of London. But there's an understanding that crossing the river lands you in a more eclectic, vivacious food scene, markets and restaurants. So if you've got an apartment, and tend to do most of your sightseeing during the day and not go to the theater non-stop, it can work out well.

massimop

Even if you end up staying elsewhere you might end up visiting that side of the river and want to include the Borough Market. This isn't a bad recent guide

https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/...-a3557376.html

and if you can tune out the irritating tone of this, and sift through what's being touted for trendiness v quality, this can be useful too if you do end up staying there

https://www.theinfatuation.com/londo...estaurant-bars

progol

Thanks massimop, you are providing a lot of wonderful information on London!

Much appreciated!