First time in London. Stay in Bloomsbury area? Help

If you google "Bloomsbury London" (without the quotation marks) and read a few of the articles, you'll see that Bloomsbury isn't dreary at all. And it certainly is safe.

Polly

Bloomsbury is fine and certainly safe. It's also, as you say, within easy walking distance of the centre.

Your question raised a chuckle here. I go in and out of Victoria a lot and it's the first time I've heard it described as 'cheerful'! (Although I know there are some good hotel deals to be had in the area.)

If you stay in Bloomsbury, and like middle eastern food, can I recommend the Tas?

http://www.tasrestaurant.com/tas_bloomsbury/index.htm

and the Museum Tavern

http://www.pubs.com/pub_details.cfm?ID=212

Have a good trip.

Alan

Bloomsbury probably is probably as safe as any area of London. I wouldn't call it poor at all, although it probably is not as wealthy as some of the districts around Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. But I'm going to be the nay-sayer here... I did find the area a tad gloomy. Maybe it was the combination of narrow streets and the high stone buildings, giving some streets a perpetual shadow during the fall and winter. Maybe it was the century's worth of soot on said buildings. But this was the neighborhood immediately around the University College of London, it may not be representative of the whole district.

The term Bloomsbury is very loosely used, especially by hotels. Its one of the nicest areas to stay in London in the area around the British Museum and Russell Square.
Because of this some hotels say they are in Bloomsbury when they really aren't. A good example is the Holiday Inn Kings Cross/Bloomsbury, perhaps one of the most isolated hotels in Central London and a good 15 minutes walk from the Bloomsbury area.
Some hotels well north of Bloomsbury, which I would call Kings Cross also like to float the word Bloomsbury in their marketing.

If your hotel is by the British Museum then you're fine. Bloomsbury is the literary district of London. Its a great place to just loze yourself down the alleys and roads and make your own discoveries. Its very safe and there are cusines from virtually anywhere in the world at all budgets.

It is more residential than the area around Victoria Station. Quiet for sure, even in the daytime. I probably wouldn't choose to stay there myself having just been to London unless you had some place you wanted to stay at in particular. We stayed in South Kensington in an apartment which was very comfortable indeed, and it was nice to get out of "the city" at the end of the day. But we were also within walking distance of Hyde Park, Harrods, and everywhere else starting with the letter 'H'.

Actually its a great area. Youll be near Covent Garden, and Camden as well as Holborn and Oxford street. All within walking distance. Alot of Celebrities live in Camden. Bloomsbury Square area was fun to walk around as there are so many little shops and coffee places and its very nice to just have a stroll. Try to go to Shaftesbury avenue, Tottenham ct road and Charing Cross road, alot of theatres and book shops.
Tip: "Costa" chain coffee shops have the Best pastries, scones, Linzer tortes, etc.

One of my sons attended graduate school at University College. I visited a couple times and
felt the area safe as any. I would not describe
it as dreary nor depressing, but neither is it the
most charming area in London.