London Neighborhoods

London is a huge city with all different types of neighborhoods. From the chic corners of Chelsea to the young professional dominated streets of Islington to the edgy crowd in Shoreditch to the family dominated neighborhood of Chiswick, there’s something for everyone.

The places to explore will differ if you’re a first-time visitor or a recurring visitor flirting with the lines of being a local.

First time visitors

If you are visiting for a short period of time, I recommend staying Central and walkable from a Tube station

Central London:

• Covent garden is about as central as it gets. With this location comes high prices and busy areas. From here it will be a short journey to most of the main tourist hot spots.
  • Convenient Tube stops to look around: Covent Garden, Goodge Street
• Marylebone is my favorite place in central London to spend time in and to recommend for visitors. It’s a nice neighborhood in the center for the city meaning it has the perks of being central, but offers cute coffee shops, boutique stores, lots of restaurants, and is less touristy than the more central Covent Garden
  • Convenient Tube stops to look around: Bond Street, Marylebone, Baker Street
• Fitzrovia: An alternative to Covent Garden and Marylebone, that provides the perks on central location, but likely comes at a slightly lower cost and less busy area would be Fitzrovia.
  • Convenient Tube stops to look around: Oxford Circus, Regents Park
• Mayfair: If money is no object, well then Mayfair may be the place for you. This is one of the most luxurious neighborhoods in London. It has high-end luxury shops and hotels, and is based in the center.
  • Convenient Tube stops to look around: Bond Street, Green Park

Northwest Central London:

• Notting Hill is a tourist and local favorite with the colorful flats dotted throughout the neighborhood. It’s a great area to walk around and an easy tube ride (20 mins) to reach the center of the city.
  • Convenient Tube stops to look around: Notting Hill Gate, Bayswater, Queensway

Southwest Central London:

• South Kensington and Kensington are common areas for visitors to stay as they are very nice while still being accessible to the city center. Similar to Notting Hill and Marylebone, it offers a variety of cafes in the area to enjoy a morning stroll, and is also close to Hyde Park. It also is about a 20 minute tube ride to the city center.
  • Convenient Tube stops to look around: South Kensington, Gloucester Road, High Street Kensington
• Chelsea: more expensive and less accessible into the city, it’s a lovely area to be based. However, as the transit connections are not as good here and therefore require more time to reach central London destinations, it’s not usually a recommended area to stay for first time visitors.
  • Convenient Tube stops to look around: Sloane Square

Northeast Central London

• Aside from Islington, this area is not where I’d recommend new London visitors to stay. While Islington is nice, it is a better place to go out for dinner or drink, but not to stay
  • Convenient Tube stops to look around: Angel, Highbury & Islington

Southeast Central London

• Around London Bridge is another area to consider staying for accessibility to some commonly visited London spots. Tower Bridge, Borough Market, and the South bank walking path are all easily accessible from this area. However, make sure to stay quite close to the recommended stops below as the vibe does change quickly neighborhood to neighborhood in South London
  • Convenient Tube stops to look around: London Bridge, Waterloo (OK for transit options) but comes with a city transit feel

Recurring Visitor turned London Local

If you’ve been to London before, you may want to consider staying in areas for their character rather than priortizing for ease of access to central London. Here’s a breakdown of different neighborhoods by area to find your

Starting with central London (essentially Zone 1 & inner section of Zone 2)

CENTRAL

• Westminster – Central London borough with some of the key tourist attractions including Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, and Trafalgar Square.
• Victoria – Residential area and community located in Central London. Despite its extremely central location, it’s largely residential
• Covent Garden – This neighborhood is part of London’s greater West End area. Neil’s Yard, Covent Garden Market, and the Royal Opera House are all in this area.
• Soho – A lively area in Central London, part of London’s greater West End area known to be the entertainment area and theater district. Soho has exotic nightlife and extensive shopping including Regent street, Oxford street, Liberty department store, and Carnaby street. Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus are both located in Soho along with Kingly Court in Carnaby.
• Mayfair – Upscale area in West London with many expensive shops, gourmet restaurants, and elegant housing. It is known to be one of the most expensive areas in London and provides exclusive shopping and luxury stores. Grovesnor Square, Bond Street and Burlington Arcade are all here.
• Marylebone – Another classy area located near Mayfair with a less snobby stereotype. The area has luxury shopping and nice streets to wander through.

CENTRAL NORTHWEST

• Notting Hill – Neighborhood in West London known for its colorful houses throughout the area. Notting Hill is full of cute cafes and trendy restaurants. The high-end area has many nice restaurants and boutique stores. Notable attractions in the area include Portobello Market, Churchill Arms, and Westbourne Grove.
• Kensington – Affluent area in West London with unique architecture. Nice area to stay in or stroll through. Harrods, Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace and Hyde Park are a few key sites in the area.
• Little Venice – named after the canals winding through this northern neighborhood, Little Venice is a lovely area to stay. It’s quite residential with local pubs and restaurants throughout the streets. A quieter neighborhood, but easy to get back into the excitement of the city by jumping on the tube. It’s also quite close to both Hyde Park and Regents Park, and its proximity to Paddington train station provides many transit options

CENTRAL SOUTHWEST

• Chelsea – Nice area in South West London, located just north of the Thames. Chelsea is a quaint and beautiful area with boutique shops, colorful apartments, and nice restaurants. Sloane Square, King’s Road, and Battersea Park are all found in Chelsea.
• South Kensington – Located on the Southern side of Hyde Park, this area is known for its white architecture. It’s a very nice neighborhood with many local coffee shops, small restaurants and local spots to enjoy.
• Knightsbridge – Upscale retail and residential district in London

Central SOUTH

• Southwark – Located just South of the river on the East side of London, Southwark is one of the oldest boroughs in London. Borough Market, Maltby Street Market, The Shard, Tower Bridge, Bermondsey street, and Bermondsey street beer mile are a few key attractions in the area.
• South Bank – The South Bank is an area just South of the river. The London Eye, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, and the path along the south side of the Thames are key to this area.

Central EAST:

• The City – This is largely the financial district within downtown London. The nightlife is fairly scarce here as people go into the area for work and leave at night. A few top visited sites include Tower of London, the Sky Garden, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Monument. Tower Bridge stretches between The City and Southwark.
• Shoreditch – This is an artsier area found in East London. It is known for a younger nightlife scene with many bars and clubs.

Central NORTH

• Camden Town – Camden is definitely different than many other neighborhoods in London. It is located North and has an edgier and eclectic vibe. The area has numerous markets, shops, pubs, and areas with live music. Camden Market, Regent’s Canal, Regent’s Park, and Primrose Hill are all within the area.
• Kings Cross – Area in North London with one of the city’s main train stations. Nearly all tube lines run through King’s Cross and right across the way is St. Pancras International, another large train station.

Now Venturing out of Central (outer section of Zone 2 onward)

NORTH

• Hampstead – Quaint and affluent residential area in North London, known for Hampstead Heath (park). The neighborhood is a bit hilly compared to other areas of London, which is a nice change.
• Belsize Park – Hampstead’s neighbor, another local neighborhood with niceties dotted throughout the neighborhood but very much has a local feel.

WEST

• Holland Park – Named for the park it sits near, this is another very nice neighborhood. It’s just a stop past Notting Hill, but starts to get very residential and quieter here, this is a lovely spot to wander through if visiting the park or taking a big London walk.

SOUTHWEST

• Fulham – Located just north of the river, this area is another more residential area. Offering some great pubs and local cafes, it’s a spot you’ll likely venture into if visiting a local in the area.
• Putney – Jumping across the river from Fulham, Putney sits on the South side of the river. Benefitting from a riverside location, and inching closer to Richmond Park, this area tends to be home to those who still want the city life, but who also enjoy the big parks and getting out of London to the Surrey Hills.
• Richmond – Known to be the end of the District line, the area of Richmond is a lovely area with the perks of still having the city at reach by the tube, but then having the option to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city center. There’s a really nice downtown area, and it sits along the canal. Not to mention, it’s home to Richmond Park, the park in London known to cyclists and for having deer all throughout the park.

SOUTH

• Clapham – A very residential area, home to many young professionals, Clapham has a nice big park known as Clapham Common while also offering an array of nightlife options, restaurants, cafes and more.
• Brixton – Edgier and more bustling area than Clapham, Brixton has a lot of life to it. With breweries, markets, and gig halls, it has a livelier feel to it that comes with living in a city rather than a residential feel

EAST

• Hackney – Borough in East London with an artsy and trendy vibe
• Greenwich – Far southeast Borough in London well known for Royal heritage and a view of London along with the Prime Meridian line.

A few hotels to consider

Hotel Xenia

Area: KENSINGTON / EARL’S COURT

Marriott property, part of the autograph collection, located in Kensington. The hotel is located 10 minutes from Earl’s Court and Gloucester Square tube stations. It is quite easy to get here from Heathrow airport. The hotel is cute and simple for a nice stay in London. The area is also a lovely area to be based. One aspect to note is that the rooms are very small.

The Dixon Tower Bridge

Area: LONDON BRIDGE

Marriott property, also part of the autograph collection. The hotel is located minutes from the Tower Bridge and an easy walk to the London Bridge tube station. This hotel has larger rooms and a fitness room. The hotel is easy to get here from Gatwick airport or London City airport.

JW Marriott Grosvenor Square

AREA: MAYFAIR

Marriott property and luxury hotel located in Mayfair. This hotel is incredibly nice, and not inexpensive. Being in Mayfair, the location is great as the area is nice to walk around. The Marriott lounge and the fitness center here are both great additions to this property.

London Marriott Marble Arch

Area: MARYLEBONE

Marriott property found right near the Marble Arch tube stop, just a few minutes from Oxford street. It’s tucked away off the main streets, and has easy access to the nice neighborhood of Marylebone. This is a good option for good central location.

Hilton London Hyde Park

Area: Notting Hill / Bayswater

Located right across from Hyde Park and next to the Queensway station, this is a good option for those looking to stay closer to Notting Hill with accessibility to the center of the city easily.

Residence Inn London Tower Bridge

Area: LONDON BRIDGE

This hotel is meant for longer staying guests as it includes amenities like washer and dryer in the basement and rooms have a mini kitchenette. Rooms also have pull out couches for guests when desired. It is easily accessible from Gatwick with its proximity to London Bridge station. Being on Bermondsey street means there are plenty of cafes, restaurants and bars within walking distance.

Great Northern Hotel

Area: KINGS CROSS

Another Marriott property, this hotel is located right next to King’s Cross and St. Pancras International train station. This hotel is more like one you stop in and stay one night for rather than multiple nights. The hotel is simple, but feels old. If traveling to other areas in England, the proximity to the train station is not to be overlooked.

Sea Containers Hotel

Area: South Bank

Sitting on the south bank riverside near the Blackfriars bridge, this is a hotel that comes with a big price tag. The location keeps it very central and the hotel is high end.

Artist Residence

Area: Victoria / Pimlico

This boutique hotel is nestled away in the neighborhood of Pimlico. On the map, this area is notable as very central, but should also be noted this is a highly residential area. It means it will be quiet in the evenings, and you will use the tube to travel to many places throughout the city. Fortunately, it’s not far from the Victoria station. This is a cute and quaint hotel in London, and one I personally would stay at if visiting.