Is Bloomsbury nice to live in?
Table of Contents
An Area Guide to Bloomsbury
Intellectuals and students alike have long been drawn to the wide streets and leafy garden squares of Bloomsbury. Over the decades, this London area has come to be known as a firm favourite with creative thinkers and academics, and is the home of several scientists, politicians, and authors. Karl Marx once lived in Bloomsbury and much of the idea for communism was born here, and it was the area where Charles Darwin came up with the theory of natural selection. Virginia Woolf wrote several famous novels here.
Today, it is the home of the world-famous British Museum, one of the biggest and well-known landmarks in the capital that is filled with millions of human artefacts, art, and many other exhibitions from around the world that have been gathered over the millennia. Bloomsbury is also the home of several renowned academic institutions including the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of London Library, Birkbeck College, and RADA, a famous London drama school.
Is Bloomsbury Nice to Live In?
If you are considering moving to London, Bloomsbury might be a district that is on the top of your list since it is known for being one of the nicest areas in the capital. It is well-known for its beautiful garden squares, excellent literary connections, and various colleges and educational institutions. Whether you are a student or an academic looking for a new place to live or want somewhere quiet and intellectual to reside as a professional working in the capital, Bloomsbury has a lot to offer for residents.
The homes available in Bloomsbury are ideal for everybody, with a mixture of 18th-century houses and 20th-century revival buildings that are surrounded by stunning, leafy green squares. It benefits from being very closely located to Regent’s Park – the second-biggest London park at almost four hundred acres that is a very popular space with runners and walkers. It also offers a lot of open sports facilities that you can enjoy.
When it comes to location convenience, Bloomsbury is an excellent choice for any Londoner with great connections from both Euston Square and Russell Square stations, which are both within walking distance from the area. This makes it an ideal choice for anybody who is considering living or working in central London.
Is Bloomsbury Nice to Live in London? How Safe is the Area?
If you want to move to London but are concerned about the safety of the area where you will be living, you will be glad to hear that Bloomsbury is considered a safe and pleasant central London area that is suitable for just about anybody. Since it is located very close to the central areas of the capital, Bloomsbury benefits from various tourist hotels in the nearby area that tend to be well-lit and busy, adding to the safety of the area. The crime rates for Bloomsbury are relatively low compared to the rest of the city, although as always, it is a good idea to follow safety and security guidelines such as keeping valuables out of sight when you are outdoors.
Where is Bloomsbury in London?
The central London location of Bloomsbury makes it an ideal choice of area for anybody who needs to regularly get to the majority of major transport hubs in the city. Euston Station is located less than 1000m away from Bloomsbury and can be reached by walking in around ten minutes. Russell Square, Holborn, the British Library, and Tavistock Square are some other nearby stations to Bloomsbury where you can find regular connections into various London areas and beyond. For those who prefer to take the bus, there are various bus lines running into and out of the city centre near Bloomsbury. It is served by the Piccadilly Underground line and there are Thameslink and Overground services available nearby.
Getting to Bloomsbury:
Bloomsbury is located in London Fare Zone 1. It can be accessed easily from a range of central London Underground stations including Euston, King’s Cross St Pancras, Russell Square, Euston Square, Goodge Street and Holborn. You can also get to Bloomsbury on the Overground from Euston, King’s Cross, and St Pancras International, which is just a short walk away from Russell Square.
Bloomsbury can also be reached easily on a bicycle thanks to the wide range of cycle initiatives that the area benefits from, along with much of central London. You can easily hire a Santander Cycle from Transport for London for just £2 for up to half an hour of use within a 24-hour period. Bloomsbury has local docking stations where you can collect and return your hire bikes.
For those who prefer walking, you will be glad to hear that thanks to its central London location, Bloomsbury is within easy walking distance of almost anywhere in the city centre. Beating the traffic while getting to work or university is typically easy for Bloomsbury residents.
What’s in Bloomsbury?
If you are looking for city living but prefer to reside in a quieter, greener area, Bloomsbury offers the best of both worlds. This green, quiet area is located right in the middle of Central London and is home to a wide range of bookstores, museums, and cafes. It is known for its rich artistic and cultural history and is a popular choice with creatives, authors, scientists, and academics. It is one of the greenest areas of London thanks to the grassy spaces, trees, and proximity to Regent’s Park. Some of the most famous places and things to do in Bloomsbury include:
Regent’s Park:
The second-largest park in London and within easy walking distance from Bloomsbury, Regent’s Park offers a combination of large open spaces, tree-lined pathways, children’s playgrounds, sports facilities, and formal gardens. It is a welcome home for many wildlife and offers a large wetland area that is home to around one hundred species of wild birds. It is one of the eight Royal Parks in the capital and covers a total area of 395 acres.
Russell Square:
All the greenery in the area makes Bloomsbury one of the most romantic areas in London. It’s no surprise that it has often served as a huge inspiration for artists, poets, and authors over the centuries. When it comes to things to do in Bloomsbury that don’t cost a lot, the squares in the area can be a great place to spend the day. Each square offers a unique charm and personality, and you can follow a route that explores all of them or spend more time enjoying your favourite. If you want somewhere quiet to spend the time, Gordon Square and Tavistock Square are ideal with various statues of famous figures including Mahatma Gandhi and Virginia Woolf. Russell Square is Bloomsbury’s most famous square, with its gorgeous central fountain and lofty trees for shade.
Bookshops:
If you enjoy reading, there is no denying that Bloomsbury is going to be a perfect area for you to reside. Since it is the home of several prestigious British universities plus the UK branches of American colleges, you might not be surprised to hear that Bloomsbury is home to some of the best bookshops in the city of London. Dillon’s Bookstore is a very popular choice with a unique collection of second-hand and academic books for students and avid readers alike, with plenty of hidden gems to find. Students in the area can often be found at Skoob Books, an ideal bookshop for students who are looking for academic reading list titles at a discount. If you prefer big-name chain bookstores, the Waterstones on Gowers Street is the perfect place to find brand-new books in all genres including the latest best-sellers.
The British Museum:
One of the most famous landmarks in Bloomsbury is the British Museum, a free-to-enter museum that houses some of the largest human history exhibits from around the world. Whether you want to explore ancient Egypt, Greece, China, Korea, or check out ancient art and armour, you’re sure to spend hours here exploring the thousands of ancient treasures and artefacts that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. The museum offers a unique sense of grandeur that only grows the longer you spend time inside exploring everything that there is to see. It’s an attraction that you can easily come back to time and time again since its sheer size means that you can easily spend just one afternoon exploring one part of history alone.
What Houses are Available in Bloomsbury?
Many of the properties available for sale or rent in Bloomsbury are listed buildings. You can find a range of stunning properties from the Victorian and Georgian eras, with many of the old mansions in the area now converted into several chic and modern apartments that offer a stunning combination of old-fashioned architecture and modern functionality and design.
If you are looking for a central London location that feels quieter and more peaceful than the others, has a lot of access to green space and has an academic feel, Bloomsbury could be ideal for you.
