When I eat at a restaurant in London I often eat at one of my various favourites somewhere in Wardour Street, which runs north and south in Soho between Oxford Street and Chinatown. I regularly wander all over Soho during the daytime usually in pursuit of food; cannoli and various other Italian goodies including espresso in the Italian part of Soho, gelato a bit further over, and even burritos.
The flat is very coy about not really giving any clear ideas of its actual location, and certainly no map.
So it is difficult to be more specific.
Soho used to have a really dodgy reputation because of its very blatant sex shops, strip clubs (originally with models who could not move unless they would violate the law), and places to fleece patrons, as well as music nightclubs and various other nighttime activities.
That reputation has not completely gone because the strip clubs now have moving models of all sexes and simulated actions, only a few of the fleece joints are still around (but still extremely expensive to leave), "modeling" agencies, and the licensed sex shops are very blatant (photos, huge signs advertising "live sex", and very imaginative sexual devices in the windows)..
As noted by chris F or emma (I think) much of this activity is towards the south of the district, but not exclusively. Now that gay activity is legal much of the sex business in Soho is now overtly LGBT.
I have seen all the (many drunk or drugged) crowds overflowing the relatively narrow pavements (sidewalks) in Soho around dinner time and do not visit the district at night.
The northern end of Soho is much more laid back, before you get to Oxford Street. Particularly around Soho Square are a large number of major and minor movie and video and audio studios and headquarters and is usually much quieter at night. The only problem with the northern part at the moment is the huge hole in the ground near Soho Square which is the scene of the construction of a station on the CrossRail new line and its many drilling and driving challenges. The trucks are everywhere and there are many diversions in place, and plenty of hoardings.
I'd want plenty more information before I leaped. I too, like emma, am reluctant to post what might be negatives, but I am trying here to be as objective as possible in describing the area.
I'm sure it is extremely difficult to find decent affordable places in central London for 7. I don't want to be negative, I just want all of you to go into the flat with your eyes open and knowing what you will have as you are all walking around the area. It might be a good idea - once they decide to give you the address - to fire up Google Street View or Google Earth and look up and down the surrounding streets.
If they really are around the corner from the Tesco in Dean Street that could be interesting to see what's in the immediate vicinity.
