London visitors - No need for hotel in central London

nice info and I like a neighboorhood that I can walk to alot of tourist sights or better yet bus.I stay nr Kensington Park. Sure you can tube it around very easily but the cost and time factor should be considered. Evolving areas east end and docks are just that evolving and tourists may not feel that comfortable quite yet. Afterall you are on vacation why keep turning your head and be uneasy? In SF we have an gritty area that is "evolving" sure hip restaurants are there (becuz rents are cheaper)it is along the subway route(BART) but there is also alot of violence there that visitors may not know about.
Cheap is not always the preferred way to go, moderate & upward for London equals safer in IMO.

Hi, Thanks for the info and tip on Earls Court. I've only stayed at Kings Cross... several times and once at Paddington, also a post office at KC. Both have their positves and negatives, a trade off. Earls Court has been recommended to me before as well as the YHA hostel there, so it's good hear another positive confirmation of the place.

Claudia: I go to London every year. I know it pretty well. Just because a place is 'hip' doesn't mean it is safe or somewhere that is appealing. I also have friends in London that warned me of the places not to go. Hoxton, Elephant and Castle, and Kennington are 3 other places to avoid for safety reasons. Even near Canary Wharf has a very bad area. During the Olympics, people stayed in the East End probably because for reason 1, they might not be familiar with London and therefore unaware of the reputation, 2, there are a lot of hotels springing up there, offering cheap prices, and 3, everything else was probably already booked to the hilt. Doesn't matter how 'hip' it is, it is just wise to avoid bad areas. .

Wonder what the all folks who stayed in Brixton, Shoreditch, Hackney, et al. for the Olympics would say. The reality is that these areas are experiencing gentrification like mad. The East End is the new hip area of London or haven't you been across the pond in awhile? http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/londons-new-east-end. Fantastic new restaurants, incredible art galleries, boutique hotels, the film festival, etc. are generating a big buzz. Just as vibrant as Bayswater. This doesn't look shabby does it? http://townhallhotel.com/home Your remarks about not being good areas to wander back home after theatre was also said of Islington and Canary Wharf 15-20 years ago. London is constantly evolving. Have never stayed in central London on any of my numerous visits. Bloomsbury, Hampstead, Islington, Camden Town, Maida Valle, Bayswater, Canary Wharf, Shoreditch, Pimlico, Belize Park and Lisson Grove are neighborhoods I've enjoyed. Each unique in their own way. Truman was in office when I was born. Had NO problems staying in the East End and walking from the tube to my accommodation after theatre at any time. Can't wait to return for some coffee at Leila's Cafe, a drink at Callooh Calley, explore the Broadway Market, have some BBQ at Bodean's and some innovative food at Fifteen and enjoy searching for new hidden galleries.

I won't opine on what areas are safer or not (as a Roosevelt baby I've learned humility at last) today vs. years ago vs. years hence. But I agree with Tami that there's no need to sleep in the most expensive central parts of London as long as you're in the low-fare Tube area. We stayed two weeks in South Kensington and did fine, the other places Tami mentions would certainly have been fine too. We also spent a couple of nights in a hotel near Victoria and didn't find it any more convenient, except for a crack-of-dawn train to Dover. For me, the test is: Can I easily go back to my hotel or apartment during the day for a rest, or to pick up something I need, and easily get back into sightseeing or dinner or theater mode later that day/evening, without spending too much time or money traveling back and forth? Another consideration is how quiet the neighborhood will be at night, i.e. forget Piccadilly Circus!

I loved staying between the Gloucester and Earls Court tube stations in Kensington.. could walk to V@A museum and Natural History Museum.. and two good sized grocers, and having two good tube stations etc. Felt safe walking by myself at night back to hotel. ( Stayed at Base2Stay Kensington) and a Premier Inn was just down the street, so streets while quieter were not dead.

What I saw of Hollywood some years ago, it's definitely not Sea Cliff. I didn't know that about Elephant and Castle. It's not that far from the Imperial War Museum, was passing through E and C to get to the Museum. Maybe after sunset one has to be on guard going through it.

Exactly the area I love, Pat. I felt oddly safe walking back to my hotel at night on Cromwell Road because it is such a busy street all night, I never felt alone.

Claudia, Lisson Grove was terrible ! But of course that was when Eliza Doolittle grew up there ;-)

Wasn't saying that because a neighborhood was considered hip it was a safe neighborhood. Downtown LA is a perfect example of that misnomer. Was saying is that neighborhoods evolve and the East End is going thorough such a metamorphosis at present. I agree you don't have to stay in the city centre to be able to see the sights. For countless trips I stayed in Bayswater at the Vancouver Studio Apartments. Sadly, often found fellow Yanks who stayed there distraught over the "ethnicity of the area." Guess they expected the leafy well manicured streets and homes of Hampstead or Belgravia to dominate London. That told me they were tourists not travelers who couldn't realize that Bayswater and the abutting Notting Hill totally reflect London, one of the more diverse cities on the planet. 10 years ago people wouldn't be caught dead visiting Brick Lane or Spitafield's without being cautioned about the neighborhood. Been going to London for over 40 years. Constant evolution. Constant. Personally, my new haunt is the Kentish Town/Camden area. Great flat to stay in, quiet neighborhood, a good pub, a Sainsburys, a Barclays bank and nary a tourist to be seen. My idea of a perfect visit to London. Finally the ONLY bad moment in countless London excursions occurred in Cafe Gloriette when a friend's wallet was stolen from her purse. The cafe is a few blocks from Harrods in Knightsbridge, one of London's most affluent neighborhoods.

Exactly. Hollywood is an ethnically diverse neighborhood that looks nothing like 90210. It would compare to Bayswater in London, not Earl's Court. Sea Cliff is comparable to Bel Air or St. John's Woods.

FYI - 90210 is Beverly Hills, not Hollywood.

And I loved my area around Victoria, staying in a student dorm. Buses and Underground to everywhere, trains, and walking distance for when I wanted, or when lines went down or were busy. I also tend to stay near the BT Tower/British Museum, and like that area too. Always feels safe, yet walking distance to Leicester Square, British Museum, etc. And good Underground and bus connections. I'd much rather stay in walking distance to my favourite areas, not just because of closures. Being back home, give me that noise, that short walk to amazing things. The same amount of walking that I took to Leicester Square gets me to... the post office, sigh.