Is London really this bad? Want to hear from those who have recently been there.

What actually is true is that the Telegraph is a Conservative supporting newspaper and Mayor Khan is a Labour Mayor. If Khan discovered a cure for cancer the Telegraph would be complaining about the emissions zone the next day.

You do the “math”.

We stayed in Bloomsbury this past September. I didn't have a problem, and didn't see nearly the problems I see at home. We walked everywhere and never felt unsafe, or saw garbage on the streets.

Camborne nails it. The Telegraph is a Conservative newspaper and will never support a Labour Mayor of London. Notice how everything except for the poor service in restaurants is being blamed on the Mayor. The reality is that improving any of these issues costs a lot of money and that money needs to come from central government. The Mayor can only spend what he’s got in his budget. He has very limited powers to raise extra financing.

Yes, London is extremely busy all the time and if you want to be in central London you will have to deal with a lot of people and a lot of traffic. Luckily London is huge so you can explore much quieter parts of the city as well.

similar to what Camborne2018 said -

the Telegraph is a mouthpiece of the Conservative (Tory) party, and more particularly the right wing and far right wing of the Tory party.

It is where politicians go to make their statements in the Tory infighting battles too.

On the other hand Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, is Labour and usually in the Tory right wing crosshairs. If he were to walk on water the story in the Telegraph would be Khan pollutes river if not something worse.

I haven't read the article, but I won't read the Telegraph.

I don't stay in London very often because I live just outside, but if I did I would have no issue with staying in Bloomsbury or Russell Square (I was there the day before yesterday) and have been there many times.

I wouldn't stay in Mayfair because it is out of my price bracket... but I'd love to.

Camborne2018 is 100% correct. Ignore that article.

That said, I live in London, and I can tell you that yes, traffic is bad. Walk or take the tube and you will be fine - you won’t be stuck in traffic. Even on a bus you should be okay, because there are bus lanes, and even if traffic is snarled, you will have a window to look out of! And is public transport crowded? Sometimes, but not always. Rush hour can be jammed. Stations at touristy spots can be jammed. It is what it is, but it is not nearly as bad as that article suggests. If one train is packed, wait for the next one - it will be along in just a few minutes.

Snatch/grab thefts? Never seen one. I know they happen. I know you should practice situational awareness and not zone out with your phone dangling from your limp fingers when standing on Tower Bridge and staring around blankly, but if you pay a reasonable amount of attention you shouldn’t be an easy target. Folks on this board will have good ideas for money belts, etc. (I do not and will not ever use one… but I live here, soooo… You may want to opt in.)

London is expensive. Okay - next? (There are also tons of cheap and cheerful options. It’s not difficult to eat on a budget, go to free museums and other attractions, etc.)

Do you really want to stay out partying until 3:00am? If so, then look for places that stay open - there are plenty. Otherwise, I am not sure what that whine is even about.

Hotels can be expensive. Premier Inn has good prices. Or try a cute little apartment/hotel like Bob W near Tower Bridge, where you can save money by cooking meals in your room. Your preferred location has a Premier Inn, I think - plenty others here can tell you for certain.

London is an AMAZING city. It is not a hellhole careening into crime and filth. Please don’t let that spiteful article scare you or put you off. Come visit us!!!! :-)

Is Los Angeles really that bad?
Is San Francisco?
Portland?
Seattle?
Walnut Creek?
Have you been in any large city anytime in the last 10 years? OK, maybe not Walnut Creek, but you've probably seen a bit of San Francisco, no? Honestly, what large city in the world has been spared the urban blight, tourist inconveniences and annoyances, and yes the genuine tragedies, that can be easily observed by both residents and tourists in almost every large urban center worldwide?

Yes, highly political and clickbait for sure (consider the source), but a lot of what that article alleges can also be hurled at just about any large city in the world. Nothing new there. It's the way of the world now.

The only thing about Bloomsbury is it can be a bit quiet at night. It's bustling during the day around the university campuses but isn't a nightlife hub. Not a lot of local residents. Still, an easy walk from the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue and the bright lights of Soho.

Mayfair may get you marginally closer to Chelsea geographically, but that shouldn't really matter unless you're planning on walking to the Flower Show.

London is still one of the best tourist destinations in the World. As an ex-pat I seem to find myself in London 2-3 times a year. I was with a group of young adults (20-29 age group) this summer. All absolutely loved it. We had no issues with safety. Just usual precautions.
If you have not been for 10 years, you may find London a little busier, with trains crowded at certain times, but don't be discouraged, you will be fine going to HP studios and the Chelsea Flower Show. (my older sister in the UK goes to the flower show every year - and she gets across London just fine). I always think when traveling to another country it is best to have some knowledge of political events and changes, but negative stories sell. Yes, there are some deprived areas of London and across the country, but as a tourist in London, you will probably not be going into these areas.

I see so many of my American friends get vacation anxiety before a big overseas trip. Do not have any anxiety about going to London. You will be just find, relax and have a wonderful trip! I am heading back in March myself and visiting the HP studios again (4th time).

Restaurant service isn’t great that’s true. I remember a poster here being amazed that a waiter forgot their order in London or maybe somewhere else in the UK.. Well, that happens ALL the time here. If you haven’t got your food or drinks within a reasonable time always check. It’s usually been forgotten.

To give you some sense of how we compare our degree of comfort with going to other major cities, my daughter, who lived for several years in NYC and DC, told me on our last trip to London that one of the most enjoyable things about going to London is the feeling that she can relax more when out and about on the city streets. Not that you should let your guard down completely, but there seems to be, at least to her, a completely different level of awareness that is needed. A few years ago, her uni put their study abroad students in a group of flats right near the British Museum in Bloomsbury. I doubt if they would have chosen a spot that was unsafe.

We absolutely love London. The Mayfair area is wonderful, too, but too costly for accommodations for us, anyway. Don’t worry about the press coverage. Enjoy one of the coolest cities around!

Total clickbait, and as noted, the Telegraph hates Sadiq Khan, so there's that as well.

I'm in London every couple of months and I love it. If anything, I actually feel it's become cleaner and more efficient, certainly compared with 20-30 years ago.

I live in a very safe city, and I also feel safe in London, so no issues there.

Have a great time at the Chelsea Flower Show. FYI I stay in St James's, close to Mayfair and it's not particularly convenient for Chelsea. Personally I'd advise picking somewhere you like, rather than somewhere you feel is close to Chelsea.

We were in London last week, stayed in South Kensington, but visited Chelsea and British Museum areas in late afternoon and early evening. I felt very safe. On the point about e-bikes and scooters, there are a lot of them and we had to be very cautious when crossing the street as they don't really stop for pedestrians. We didn't witness any snatch and grabs, but it is possible.

I was there a couple years ago and stayed at the Hub by Premier Inns at Goodge street. The hotel was fine but I wouldn’t stay again (too warm- a/c wasn’t great and windows don’t open, terrible WiFi), but the area was perfectly nice. Quiet but easily accessible to the British Museum (I walked) and the west end theaters (had to walk). The only issue was that the smaller tube stations, like the one at Goodge St, weren’t open at night so that was a little inconvenient. But as a woman, I had no concerns about walking home at night after a show. I don’t know what the current situation is with closures but maybe look at places closer to Holborn station?

There weren’t as many restaurants as in other areas but there were enough. I enjoyed walking the area.

We’ve been to London three times in the last two years, and have stayed at the Celtic Hotel in Bloomsbury each time. It’s just a block from Russell Square, close to tube stops, pubs, shopping, and a wide range of restaurants. And, of course, it’s an easy walk from or to Kings Cross. The neighborhood is quiet, even a block or less off the main streets.

We never felt unsafe in that area.

Thank you all who replied and explained the politics and the newspaper's viewpoint. Makes so much sense now.

I admit I was (and still am) ignorant of the internal politics of the UK. I hope I didn't offend anyone.

During my last trip to the UK in 2019 (so 5 years ago, not 10), I took a summer class for older people at Cambridge. I had lunch with UK student participants and when I asked about BREXIT, a heated, passionate, almost fist-a-cuffs argument broke out around the lunch table. (almost like last years Thanksgiving dinner at my house - We're still not on good terms with a relative because of his politics and all he does now is gloat.) I felt I got a "living like a local" experience.

thank you to all who suggested hotels in the Bloomsbury area and other areas. I have made a list and will research those hotels when I begin planning in a couple months in 2025. (Yes, I plan one year ahead!)
Hope to see more comments/experiences and hotel recommendations in the Bloomsbury- Russell Square area.

Derek

Ha everyone is kind of over Brexit now and can’t be bothered to talk about it any more. Polling shows nobody on either side is happy with the outcome so it’s basically just a depressing episode form our recent past.

Look at it this way. Imagine the 5th year of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s term as Mayor of New York City. And now imagine the Fox News report on the state of NYC at that point.

And there you have it.

Camborne that post is 100 percent spot on

Spent a week in London in June, based near Kew Bridge. Went into the central area three times, off-peak there and back. Off-peak evening trains were busier than off-peak morning trains but nothing unmanageable. Safe. A bit of crowding close to popular sites, only to be expected. Some backstreets were deserted, easy to get a bite to eat. Only used a phone to show QR codes; some people regard their phones as a second brain or a friend, so they better be careful.

It seems things are as polarised in the UK as they are in North America. The middle ground is turning into a lonely patch of land.