Our family of 5 (kids 16, 13 & 10) will be spending 9 days in London and we are looking at a few options for self-catering apartments. I was hoping to find a place with markets close by and some London 'character', but my kids have found a condo which has an indoor pool in the building which they think will be great at the end of the day. I'm wondering if this area is going to feel too commercialized and modern, if it has convenient shops, and if it's too far away from the historical sights of London. The condo is larger than anything more central which is a great bonus for the family.
thanks in advance for your feedback.
Posted by
near Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
521 posts
One of my offices is at Canary Wharf, and I go there often. It is a business district, home to the headquarters of a number of large banks and other companies in the finance sector. It didn't exist 30 years ago, but was constructed on the ruins of the former London dockland area (and indeed that part of London is known as 'Docklands'). The Jubilee Line runs through Canary Wharf and will put you in Westminster in under 20 minutes, so it's not impractical, but the facilities are what you would expect for a place that has a lot of finance workers there during the day and who leave in the evening. Having said that, there are a lot of very expensive apartment blocks there, so it isn't completely deserted at night. There is a shopping mall (or two), bars, cafes, restaurants, all the kinds of things you would expect. Think glass and steel, not old and quaint.
Posted by
St Paul
153 posts
We stayed at a flat across from the ExCel Center in the Docklands (farther east than Canary Wharf) in January. We chose it as it is down the street from our daughter's flat so perfect location for us. The DLR was great getting into the city. The ride went quickly. What I think you would really love is the space the condo offers you. We have always stayed in hotels and this was our first rental experience. We had 2 bedrooms, nice size living space, and a kitchen that had a dishwasher and a washing machine. It was so much nicer than being confined to one hotel room and it was great to be able to wash clothes. While it had no character, the space more than made up for it.
Have a fun trip!