Hi,
We are looking at lodgings in two locations. The first is Westbourne Terrace near Paddington Station, near Hyde park. The second, is on the southern edge of Clerkenwell district near the Farringdon tube station. The former is not as close to the city centre sites but is in a more residential neighborhood. The latter is closer to the main sites and is in now noted for its design studios and food
Recent travelers who have spent time in these neighborhods, any comments appreciated!
E.
Posted by
UK
110 posts
It depends how close you'd like to be to the sites you want to see. I'd consider both Paddington and Clerkenwell to be well within the city centre as they're both in Zone 1 on the tube. For example, I'd consider Hyde Park to be a city centre site.
If you mean 'city centre' sites as in those closer to the Thames, such as the Tower of London and St Paul's cathedral, then Clerkenwell would be slightly closer.
Don't consider proximity massively if you're staying in central London because most places are accessible by public transport, unless you're anticipating some severe disruption, or you have a fear of things with wheels 😅
Though a personal opinion, I do prefer Paddington for accommodation as it's a bit quieter, and the trip from there further into the centre of London is almost equivalent to that as it would be from Farringdon. Another reason I prefer Paddington is that it's nearby Queensway which has some lovely places to eat, and in Lancaster Gate there is the Mitre which is a lovely quiet pub.
Posted by
Land of La
8680 posts
Agree with Clyffter. Paddington/Bayswater is where I like staying and have done so since the 90’s.
Agree about The Mitre Paddington which is less than 1/2 a block from 63 Bayswater. Tudkin Flavors of Malaysia is a block from there. The Lancaster Gate entrance to the Italian Gardens is across the road from 63. Gates open at 5am.
Lancaster Gate to Westminster is a short tube ride with a change at Nottinghill or you can walk to Paddington and take either Bakerloo or Jubilee line trains to Westminster without a change.
So my answer is Paddington as I love the close proximity to Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens.
EDIT: the more I think about it the location on where to stay might depend on your age. The Clerkenwell/ Farringdon neighborhood is an up and coming gentrification process. Hipsters et al.
Posted by
OP
Boston
8 posts
Thank you for these comments. They are incredibly helpful. We are new to London, and planning a good 10 days there,
and there are 3 of us so we need an apartment vs. a hotel, and there are so many options, it is overwhelming. But so looking forward to it!
Posted by
Land of La
8680 posts
Great city. You’ll have a grand time.
Visit street markets, see theatre, visit free museums, walk along the Thames River path, enjoy pub meals, meander about Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Portobello road, climb Parliament hill, visit Highgate cemetery, visit Greenwich observatory, walk into Liberty, meander about Harrod’s food halls, visit Richmond park to see the fallow deer, wander about Selfridges, and have a pint at the Red Lion pub in the Crown passage.