Help with London vacation lodging

February 16, 2013 8:32 PM

Family of four adults spending ten days in London in June. We usually prefer apartments/flats and have used VRBO very successfully in the States. My first question (of many to come) concerns what part of the city to stay in.

Our family consists of four adults, mom-dad-daughter-son. Kids are 21 and 24, so we usually get a two or three bedroom flat. We like having a kitchen. We'll be in London from June 10 to 20, more or less. We usually like to stay in a flat, in a residential area close to public transit. We will not be renting a car. We like to mix the tourist hotspots with local flavor, and really enjoy wandering around and soaking up the flavor of a city. I don't really have a budget in mind, as every city is different. We're not high-end, but want to be safe, clean, comfortable and convenient. What part of the city should we focus on? Thanks!

posted by raisingsand to travel & transportation around London, England (13 answers total)

Covent Garden is always a good area, very central. Near Regents Park or Hyde Park are also good bets. If you don't already have sites which you plan on seeing in mind, a good way to find a desirable location in London is to look at a map of the London Underground, and look for flats which have an underground stop inside the central lines' (red lines') borders. That way, you can guarantee yourself a prime location in the center of the city, and are bound to have attractions nearby.

Price will vary greatly, but unless you want to shell out the big bucks, stay away from the Mayfair district, Kensington, and Knightsbridge, which will drain you dry.
posted by eldvno at 9:17 PM on February 16 [1 favorite]

Just about anywhere in Zone 1 or 2 should be fine. There are so many interesting neighbourhoods, it's kind of hard to narrow it down to just a handful. I'd be less inclined to stay beyond Zone 2, simply because you'll be farther from the central attractions, and will have to spend more time in transit.

To echo edlvno, around the parks is nice. You might find the neighborhoods surrounding Regent's Park will fit your criteria very well. Try Marylebone, Primrose Hill, Camden, and St. John's Wood for residential areas close to transit. Paddington, Bayswater, and Notting Hill are close to Hyde Park. But honestly, there are very few parts of central London that are not safe and interesting.

I think I've cautioned this before in similar questions, but be careful in securing London rentals. There are a lot of scammy listings. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I'm not sure how up-to-date this suburb profile is, but it might be helpful.
posted by amusebuche at 10:07 PM on February 16

Check out a London underground map. Zone 1 covers the major tourist spots. I'd recommend staying there. Also check out this previous question.
posted by xmts at 10:32 PM on February 16

Bloomsbury would be a good area. It's more of a residential neighbourhood than most in that part of London, but it's close enough to everything you'd want to see and has good transport connections. Much of central London isn't residential any more - except for the mega-rich. But Bloomsbury still has a fair amount of 'ordinary' people, and you'd get a feel for how people live if you stayed in that area.
posted by essexjan at 12:17 AM on February 17 [1 favorite]

I came in to say Islington. Lots of local restaurants and bars, walking distance to lots of areas (Dalston which is the major "hipster" area, the City, Camden, even under an hour walk to Bloomsbury and Oxford Street). Transport links are good - near Angel you have the tube, but more importantly loads of buses that go everywhere. I find getting around by bus in London much more pleasant and better for getting a feel for everything, and unless you are going far, not too much slower than tube.
posted by peanut butter milkshake at 3:08 AM on February 17 [2 favorites]

I think the Barbican Centre is cool if you could find a reasonably priced short term rental there.
posted by singingfish at 3:08 AM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Covent Garden is always a good area, very central.

Living in Covent Garden, I tend to agree. ;)

Covent Garden – Very touristy, lots of shops, asleep by 11pm. Easy access to Soho (all night bars). Flavour is that of central London as shopping capital / world-class foodie destination.

Notting Hill Gate – Nice American/European expat enclave. Easy to get into centre via Central Line. Decent local flavour (Portobello market).

South Kensington – Similar to Notting Hill, lots of local amenities, easy to get to centre (although not many other places). Some local flavour, but not representative of Greater London.

Green Park – Mayfair is upscale touristy. Great access to parks and tourist sites. Minimal local flavour (unless that flavour is posh spice)

King's Cross – Very good transport links; very cost-efficient. Not much to do immediately around, but good jumping off point.

Regent's Park / Marylebone – Village-y feel. Great High Street and good access to city centre. Decent local flavour.

Islington / Angel – Nice neighbourhood. Lots of options for food, drink, etc. Very local flavour. A bit disconnected from rest of city via tube. Transit relatively good via bus (a bit slower)

Shoreditch – The ultimate local flavour as the area is gentrifying quickly, and offers the best of traditional / local London, as well as NYCish neo-hipster London. Transport can range from very good (Old Street / Liverpool Street / Hoxton) to nightmare (Dalston)

Camden Town / Chalk Farm / Belsize Park – Traditional London. Great access to parks, and a real representation of old London.

London Bridge – Good jumping off point for Southbank, Borough Market, and East London. Huge redevelopment plan, so is quite in disarray, which is kind of cool.

Brixton – If you're going to go south, go to the heart of south London. Lots of activity and a huge mix of people. Great markets. Cost-efficient.

Richmond – A bit far out, but stunning in the summer time. Great access to parks and gardens. Relatively easy to get into the centre. This would be ideal for a relaxing vacation.

Just Say No: Canary Wharf (just, no), Soho (noisy), Earl's Court (tourist trap), Victoria/Pimlico (zzz...)

Transport:
Deep lines are fastest. As long as you are within reasonable range of a deep line, you have a very good reach into the city. (Until midnight)
Bakerloo (down with brown), Central (awesome), Piccadilly (I bleed purple), Jubilee (newest), Northern (ancient but effective).

Ancillary lines are quite pokey. Service is more infrequent/unreliable and they often involve changes.
Circle (useless), District (ughh...), DLR (blah), Hammersmith/City (when's the next one?), Metropolitan (where does this go?)

London Overground can be quite good if it connects directly to a deep line.
posted by nickrussell at 4:59 AM on February 17 [8 favorites]

I've had good luck looking around the southwest: places like West Kensington, West Brompton and Hammersmith. Underground stations very nearby, but lower prices for flats than in central London.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 6:50 AM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Per singingfish's suggestion, I stayed in the Barbican (housesitting) this summer - I would never have thought to stay in the City, much less the Barbican (which is like a CITY of the FUTURE of the 1960s) but I enjoyed it a lot. It was a little difficult to get out and forage for food when I was tired and hungry, though, and it took me the better part of two weeks to figure out how to navigate my way around the Barbican itself.
posted by mskyle at 7:43 AM on February 17

Maida Vale might be another option. Zone 2, leafy and generally pretty quiet: a good place to decompress. Buses and Bakerloo for transport into town, Paddington nearby if you want a day trip to Oxford or Bath or somewhere else westwards. If you can find somewhere cheapish and off the beaten track in Zone 1, though, fair play to you.

I think the Barbican Centre is cool if you could find a reasonably priced short term rental there.

The Barbican's an amazing place (I've stayed with friends) but Barbican residents aren't technically allowed to do short-term sublets (see comments here). And as mskyle says, it's a place where you could easily spend an hour trying to retrace your steps to the Waitrose.
posted by holgate at 10:52 AM on February 17

I'm heading over in March. I may need a place to stay so this thread is great.

What about Hackney? A young friend who likes to see bands and doesn't mind a dive bar lives there. So I've been considering it...
posted by Burgatron at 8:22 PM on February 17

The short answer is Bloomsbury.

I lived in Bloomsbury for 4 years - just moved out last year. You mention wanting to do the touristy things. What I loved about Bloomsbury (Bloomsbury square specifically) is that:

1) The British museum is in Bloomsbury. Entrance is free and so if you want to visit more than once it helps to be nearby.
2) Covent Garden is a few blocks south. Soho is a few blocks west. These are areas where tourists spend a lot of time walking around.
3) Easy to walk (or bus) down to Whitehall where Downing st is, Parade, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, etc. We'd often walk from our flat down to Trafalgar square as a post-dinner, evening walk.
4) One bus south takes you over the bridge and into the South Bank where the BFI, National Theatre is. We'd also like to take an evening walk through Covent Garden and over the bridge.
4) You can walk East to Clerkenwell and southeast to the Inns of Court. This is the fascinating old London from Dickens time. Exmouth Market is a nice area with more of a local feel.

To be honest, nearby Covent Garden fits many of the same requirements. These are basically the central areas. If you're a tourist you don't want to spend too much time commuting each day. Staying centrally means many things are a short walk or a short bus ride away.

In case it isn't obvious, I think to see London you should try to rely on buses. The tube is best if you're in a hurry and going across town but otherwise you miss a lot.
posted by vacapinta at 3:47 AM on February 18 [1 favorite]

Thanks everyone! Lots of different advice, which reinforces my idea that we have lots of options!
posted by raisingsand at 8:44 AM on February 20