EC1V 7NS Neighborhood (Friend Street)

south of the Angel, just east of Sadler's Wells for those wondering where the postcode is

Between St John Street and Goswell Road

What "stats" are you concerned about? Have you looked at Friend Street on Google Street View? The street appears almost entirely residential with modernized flats and permit only parking. Seems expensive and quiet. Not sure how far you will have to go to find stores ore restaurants.

Not a safety concern in the slightest. I like it around there. One of the best chippys in London (Kennedy's) on Goswell Road. Angel is great. It's a very civilised area to stay, without being swamped by the super-rich or a lot of other tourists.

Sigh.

This fear of London really needs to fall off a cliff now.

Even the dodgier parts of town like Croydon would be considered very safe in the US. This location, which is a rich little enclave of Clerkenwell, is absolutely fine. In fact it's round the corner from The Tamil Crown, probably the best Indian pub in London, which makes it even more attractive in my opinion.

One bedroom flats in that postcode are going for North of £1.5 million. London is not the hell hole that certain American “news” outlets would want you to believe.

As someone who's been around the forum for a while now, I'd ask you both Olivia and Trelawney not to let it upset you too much.

It's just the way our cousins from across the pond think in a lot of cases. It's a question that is forefront on many people's mind because of how they're raised culturally. I don't want to get into a big sociological discussion of why that is. It's not just with London that safety comes up regularly.

I find one needs to cut people a little slack and not think it's a silly question when you're speaking to people with an attempt at grace on here. Particularly in the case of the OP here, as they have two young people in their care and they're looking out for them.

I dismissed the safety issue in one short line in my original reply because it wouldn't have even crossed my mind if it hadn't been mentioned. I know this area well enough to say that because I live in the neighbouring borough.

OP, it's a very safe area. People pay a lot to live around this area as Trelawney points out, as it's desirable.

I like to take a pragmatic view of safety in London. You can walk the streets anywhere. London is a city of around 10 million people according to census. Probably many, many more than that in reality.

Looking at you guys' location, I may have been around the inner London boroughs, including in the dead of night, more than than you. That's an assumption I'm making. I know that around Hackney, safety isn't a worry for me, but it's a consideration. It's going to be more so for women and young people. There's always going to be a dodgy person or two around. The likelihood of you meeting them on vacation is actually very slim, and they're probably not going to be engaging in behaviours that are actually dangerous. There's nothing to worry about in London if we put safety in perspective, but don't ignore it.

When asking questions like this it helps if you are clearer about you are actually worried about.

You say you are ‘concerned with certain stats’. What stats? We are all assuming your concern is with safety, based on how often the issue is raised on the forum, but who knows? It could be concerns about road safety or air quality? If you let us know what you are actually worried about we can give you a much more helpful answer.

If it is about safety, as with all the other replies I would have no real concerns about walking in the area, applying usual common sense.

Yes, as others have said, this is a very nice, and extremely desirable location (I certainly couldn't afford to live there!). You're very close to Sadler's Wells, if you're interested in dance performance at all, and all the restaurants on nearby Upper Street just north. One of the best vegetarian restaurants in London (The Gate) was also just there although Google tells me that branch closed two years ago which is too bad (tho you can still visit the Hammersmith location).

The brand new Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration will be opening in May and is very close by, as is the Postal Museum (where you can ride an old mail rail train underground, which is quite fun) and Charles Dickens' house.

If you want more recommendations for the area let us know.

It's only a short walk to The Barbican too.

St Paul's Cathedral and The Millennium Bridge aren't that much further on if you're walking ably.

I worked at a big modern art gallery on the other side of the river for years so I was walking around this area or taking the bus through it a lot for a time.

In terms of buses, the 56 goes down Goswell Road towards St. Paul's, or up towards Angel and Hackney.

If you look at your map, you'll see Roseberry Avenue. You can walk to there to catch a 38 to the west end theatres, Piccadilly and Victoria, or Angel and Hackney in the other direction.

It's maybe not the absolute best spot for a tube station. Up to Angel or down to Barbican? I'm not sure which I would use, depending on where the apartment is on the street. Others may prefer another station from there.

Like I said, Kennedy's is good for fish and chips, without it being just for visitors like you'd see in central London.

You're never going to be far away from a small store to buy groceries. Tesco Express, Sainsbury's Local etc are ten a penny around parts of London like this. This store always made me question the spelling of "Jubilee" in my head when I was going past, but it is correct.

Thank you all for the responses - certainly did not mean to offend anyone/Londoners. I am a London-phile myself and having never been there I am looking forward to this and want this to be the best trip possible.

There is a lot of good information in some of your comments. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

GerryM mentions the 38 bus on Rosebery Avenue.. It also stops just north of Friend Street on St John Street, "St John Street / Goswell Road stop M" as well as the one mentioned, which is called "Sadler's Wells Theatre stop UC" - UC into town and UB out of town. Note that stop "M" is closed for 2 more days, and then will be as normal.

38 which runs to Victoria has a stablemate, number 19 (note exactly half the number). 19 runs along much of the same route as the 38 (including Sadler's Wells) but starts at Finsbury Park station instead of Clapton Pond, and goes to Battersea Bridge South Side instead of Victoria.

They both go through Chinatown.

They divide at Hyde Park Corner where the 38 turns left for the short run to Victoria and the 19 continues on to Knightsbridge and turns down around Harrods to Sloane Square and then through Chelsea before crossing Battersea Bridge over the Thames.

It may not be obvious, but 19/38 are two of my favourite runs, especially the 19.

Gerrym I didn't mean to be impolite and hope I wasn't.

The issue I have is, you go back to the pre covid days, and travel forums were asking about things to see, how to get around, visas and so on. Safety really wasn't mentioned.

In the intervening period, London has actually got much safer, yet the fear has increased exponentially. The reason is social media. Instagram churns out this rubbish and people buy it.

As this is a form of social media I was hoping to make the point as clearly as I could that London is safe.

Olivia, no, no. I don't think you were impolite. I've got used to visitors having the same sort of concerns often. I'm not afraid to say when I think somewhere in London is a bit sketchy subjectively, same as if there's no concerns whatsoever. I do tend to rabbit on a bit if I get started on something.

OP, no offence here. I think if you're reasonably savvy around cities I think it's pretty quick and easy to make your own assessment of somewhere once you're on the ground. I like that area you have picked to stay. For me, it's a more rewarding city experience than being right in the heart of central with all the other visitors.

In terms of more info, you're close to Old Street too, if you look on your map. The bus I use along there is the 55, which you can catch to Shoreditch or Hackney going one way, or Oxford Circus, central London, going the other. Your youngsters might like Shoreditch. It's a hip place to shop, drink coffee etc. The market at Brick Lane is great for young people to browse and look at what Londoners (and hip visitors) are doing and wearing. It's busy on the weekend, but that's when you see the most people.

Cat mentioned Upper Street in Islington, which is nearby. If you look at Google Maps for Upper Street, you'll see the choice of places to eat, all with four stars and above and good reviews. I rate it as one of the best places to eat out in London, especially if you don't have a reservation anywhere. You're always going to get somewhere decent to sit down.

This old classic from Chas and Dave sums it up

https://youtu.be/rs8xE0jLen8?si=L1gOMsIrbNewx-pw

It may not be obvious, but 19/38 are two of my favourite runs, especially the 19

Nigel, I totally missed the running day on the 38 at the start of the month. I pottered around the house and garden without knowing it was on. I need to get on some bus social media. All the RMs and RTs were going past the end of my street all day but I didn't see it until it came up on YouTube.

we couldn't make it into London either so despite being keen missed it too. By all accounts the buses were well used.

for those in the dark, a whole herd of classic London Routemasters (NOT Boris buses) running the length of the 38. Jump on and get a free ride. Great fun, eh?