The Neighborhoods of London…. So Much to Choose From!

There are many areas in which to stay in London and most of the following I would recommend to anyone when it comes to safety and the general “niceness” of the area. However, these are very different neighborhoods that would be enjoyed more by different types of people so I’ve broken them down to two major areas of central London divided by many smaller districts.

First, there’s the West End. Most of this area is within walking distance of most sights and easily accessible by the tube. On the West (duh) side of the river, this area has many different personalities that are all entertaining in different ways:

1. Soho, the ever-popular district, has many bars, pubs, nightclubs and includes Chinatown. This area is also gay-friendly.
2. Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Charing Cross make up a large area that includes Theatreland (the Broadway of London) and Trafalgar Square. This area is highly-loved and very “touristy”.
3. Mayfair is a very rich and exclusive neighborhood with great shopping and luxurious hotels.
4. Bloomsbury is a district with many colleges and universities and also holds the British Museum right next to……
5. Maryleborne (pronounced Mar-le-bon by locals and a million other ways) is home to Madam Tussaud’s and the great investigator, Sherlock Holmes.
6. St. James and Westminster contain great parks, Westminster Abbey and Parliament and is about as central as you can get.
7. Belgravia, Victoria and Pimlico is a nice area with many embassies and aristocrats.




Next, Central London is a more developed, commercial area but just as convenient as far as distances to all the sights:

1. Knight’s Bridge and Chelsea are fashionable residential and shopping areas. Home to Harrod’s, these neighborhoods are artsy and trendy.
2. Kensington and South Kensington are residential but do have some hotels and restaurants. They also boast Hyde’s Park and multiple museums.
3. Earl’s Court is a great place to stay if you are a traveler on a budget. Also, this area is gay-friendly.
4. Bayswater and Paddington also have some budget hotels but are very commercialized.
5. Southbank has many sights like the London Eye, Globe Theatre and Tower Bridge, but no places to stay.
6. Shoreditch is an up-and-coming trendy zone. An interesting place to stay if you are adventurous.
7. “The City” doesn’t have accommodation either, but does have the Tower of London, the “Wall Street” of Europe and St. Paul’s Cathedral.


I know this sounds like there’s a lot of places to stay. That’s because THERE IS. What’s great about London is you can stay in one of these districts that suits your wants and needs and they’re all within a relatively small area. All are within a couple tube stops of everything else so don’t worry! Have fun in London and remember the Olympics are here in 2012!