I’ll describe some of my favorite neighborhoods by location and tube station, but note that London is also sectioned by zones. Most of the tourist attractions and main sights are in Zone 1. Zone 1 is primarily Central London / City of London and also the most expensive to stay in. Zone 2 is also a great alternative, but is further away from the main attractions and will cost more getting to and from. Zones 3 and 4 are more residential and outside the typical touristy attractions, but a great way to escape the city and see life as a local.

West / Central London

This area is known to be really posh, expensive, and wealthy. Generally, most of the tourist attractions are also in this area. From my walking tour – the west side stayed relatively safe during WWII while the east was bombed due to the large Jewish community there.

• Kensington: This is one of my favorite areas of London because of the architecture, proximity to Hyde Park and Kensington Palace, and convenient location. This area is really posh and also pricey, which makes it nice to walk around and admire the architecture and homes. Near South Kensington are the Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Harrods.
• Chelsea: I haven’t yet stumbled upon a “bad” area that is named Chelsea (referring also to New York’s Chelsea neighborhood). I always think of this area as the “red brick homes” area and one of the most affluent neighborhoods in London. It would probably cost an arm and a leg to stay here, but if you are willing to splurge!
• Covent Garden: Near King’s College so you can find a lot of students and young people in this area. This area is also pretty touristy and expensive – hence the luxury stores. The Covent Garden Market reminds me of Quincy Market in Boston and fun to walk around or hang out for an afternoon since there are usually street performers or musicians performing.

• Fitzrovia: This is close to the University College of London, British Library, and British Museum. It is very central and convenient to catch the tube or walk. I stayed here for work and loved the walking every day since there are many shops, pubs, and restaurants around.
• Notting Hill: Made famous by Hugh Grant and Julia Robert’s movie by the same name, this is a charming neighborhood to stay / wander around. It has a mix of bohemian and class with expensive boutiques and thrift stores (on Portobello Road).

• King’s Cross: Close to the British Library and the famous King’s Cross Station and Harry Potter’s 9 ¾ platform. This isn’t my favorite area to stay in since there isn’t much else around but it is very central and convenient to get to other areas.
• Westminster: Fun, touristy area since the Westminster Abbey, Tate, Big Ben, and Buckingham Palace / Green Park are located in this area. Given that, this area felt very safe since there are so many people walking around. I prefer not to stay in here given it is so touristy but it makes it fun to visit and hit up all the attractions.
• City of London / Bank: London is huge and there are several neighborhoods that could be considered their Financial District, but Bank area is what I think of when I think of FiDi. During the weekdays, there is so much energy as you see hundreds of people in suits speed walking from tube / DLR station to one of the skyscrapers. It is a pretty convenient area to stay in when visiting since Bank is one of the better connected stations, but during the late evenings / weekends it is pretty dead. I would visit here and visit one of the bars in the Shard just to see the view (unless you have friends who work there, in which case they can show you the view from their office). Warning, cocktails are like 16 pounds but worth it to catch the sunset over the city.

 

South London

South London is becoming a more popular area for locals and also not a bad place to stay. It is further away and there aren’t many tourist attractions south of the river, but here are some of my favorite areas.

• Clapham: My old hood while I was staying in London! I loved living here since there were some many young people and families around. It stays active because of Clapham Common, a huge park in South London and great place for a run. I was told this was the go-to area for recent grads, hence the yuppie culture, which made it a fun and affordable spot to stay. I will warn it is further south so it did take me at least 40 min to meet up with people more centrally.
• Southwark: During the summer, this area is so lively and fun as people are hanging out on the lawn or wandering the outdoor shops and museums. I always make a trip to Borough Market, which is filled with produce, goods, and food. I prefer this market over Camden since it is less chaotic and has better options (in my opinion). I also love just walking down the bank to see the bridges lit up at night.

• Putney: A good friend of mine lived here and was a great and safe spot to live. It is a bit residential but not a bad spot to stay since it is more affordable.
• Greenwich: This area is southeast of the river (directly south of Canary Wharf), but one of my favorite neighborhoods to spend the day. It is further away from the main attractions / trek to stay in, but felt like I escaped the city to a small town. Greenwich Park is one of the Royal Parks of London and has an amazing view of the city at the top of the hill. There is also an observatory and usually events during summer.

East London

This is an upcoming area of London (I love that term since so many of my British friends say that about areas that used to be really dodgy or Tenderloin bad and now trending) with more yuppies coming in.

• Shoreditch: One of the most hipster areas of London with a lot of cool popup stores, coverted warehouses, street art, boutiques, coffee shops, and divey bars. I used to come to this area to work in a café or do some window shopping. Sometimes it can seem a bit dodgy based on appearance but I have wandered around in the evening by myself and there are so many people out and about since a lot of late night places are in this area / East London. I definitely would stay here the next time I am in town.

• Hackney: Another upcoming area in East London and a very cool art scene. I love this area since it is an edgy neighborhood and has a lot of cool late night spots and fun bars.
• Poplar: When I told some friends I was crashing here after a series of unfortunate events, they were surprised since this isn’t a well-known area for visitors. This area is known to house many immigrants, which makes it a great spot for inexpensive ethnic food. It has become more of a popular spot for locals due to inexpensive rents, but not a top pick if you are a tourist as it is far away from things and sometimes feels dodgy at night.
• Canary Wharf: This is a fairly new area filled with skyscrapers. Some of my friends who moved out to Canary Wharf have complained it becomes a ghost town in the evenings / weekends so not my top choice to stay.