New York Habitat Blog

London Apartment Studio Vacation Rental in Chelsea (LN-762)

Earl’s Court is one of the most brilliant places to stay in all of London. Home to the renowned Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre, a short walk from the museums on Cromwell Road, and a few tube stops from the summer happenings on South Bank, this area once well-known as a backpacker’s paradise has grown into the destination of choice for families, short-stay tourists and international travelers of every stripe. What hasn’t changed, however, are the budget-conscious values that Earl’s Court offers—including a wide range of exciting and affordable New York Habitat vacation rentals.
To make the most of your travel budget, walk from your New York Habitat flat in Earl’s Court to the nearby Natural History, Victoria & Albert, and Science Museums—each of which has free admission. Keep costs low by avoiding entrance fees for “special exhibits” and taking advantage of the museums’ regular collections instead, which are amazing in themselves and have more than enough on offer for everyone. Also keep an eye out for free talks, tours and events, which range from late-night Fridays with DJs to “explorer tours” that allow children to become dinosaur detectives or hands-on wildlife experts.

Another way to save on entertainment is to sightsee your way from Earls’ Court to Soho (which will take you past Museum Row, Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, Harrod’s and Buckingham Palace). Then settle down to watch the free Rushes Soho Shorts programs of films that take place in a variety of venues and cinemas around the area at the end of July. Lots of talent, no cost—and air-conditioned comfort!
 For an “authentic English” experience near Earl’s Court, head to Riley’s for some snooker. For the low price of one game (and bragging rights), a local will be more than happy to teach you how to play. It’s similar to pool or billiards, but the best part is that a single game can last well over an hour—pound for pound, the greatest value for your British pound!  

While Earl’s Court is teeming with inexpensive ethnic eateries, another way to cut costs is to stop by the local Waitrose grocery, which slashes prices on some fresh food items an hour before closing. Take these bargains back to your New York Habitat vacation rental and enjoy a home-cooked meal! Some suggestions for your stay are:     

London Apartment Studio in Earls Court (LN-542)

 · A comfortable, fully serviced studio in Earl’s Court, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-293) that comes with a pull-down double Murphy bed, a bathtub and walk-in shower, and laundry/dryer. This vacation rental is on the fifth floor of a period mansion block with elevator, conveniently located between Old Brompton and Cromwell Roads. It’s the perfect place for one or two people.  

 
· A sleek and well-kept  studio in Earl’s Court Kensington-Chelsea (LN-762) close to many attractions on West Cromwell Road. This vacation accommodation comes with a double bed, laundry/dryer and minibar, and is in a building with elevator, outdoor pool, gym and coffee shop. You may just want to skip some sightseeing and spend more time here instead!
  
 
· A contemporary and nicely furnished studio in Earl’s Court, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-542) on a quiet residential street just off Cromwell Road. This rental accommodation comes complete with a laundry/dryer, double bed and luxurious Frette linen, as well as daily maid and weekly linen service. What more could you ask for in a flat?

Check out our other Low-Cost London neighborhoods:

Mayfair

Traveling smart means stretching your money without skimping on any of London’s most exciting attractions—and a stay in a New York Habitat vacation rental in Earl’s Court can help you to achieve that!

Let us know your budget tips in the Earl’s Court area with a comment below.

With the weather warming up again, London parks prove to be absolutely irresistible. Of course, in the capital city, there is no shortage of green spaces in which to greet the springtime sun. The question is how to navigate them all. Over the next few weeks, in celebration of spring, we’ll be bringing you some of the best places in London to get outdoors—and, with our New York Habitat vacation rentals, some of the best places to come back home to!

Squirrel in Hyde Park, London photo

One of the most stunning, centrally located places in London is Hyde Park, and visitors can spend a full day without ever leaving its leafy confines. Heading in from Kensington Road, on the southwest, there’s Kensington Palace, which was once home to Princess Diana. Not far from there is the Orangery, serving afternoon tea in its sunroom. If you continue north through the park to Bayswater Road, you’ll find a free fresh air art fair on Sundays (all works are for sale).

To the southeast, Hyde Park boasts a bike and walking path surrounded by all sorts of colorful flora, low-hanging trees that seem to form an overhead bridge and some of the friendliest (and most domesticated) squirrels in town. There are plenty of benches from which to watch their antics as well as those of the tourists who seem trained to feed and photograph them. If you follow this path to the east, it will lead you to the small but well curated Serpentine Gallery of arts and the snaking Serpentine waterway. Stop at the waterside Lido café or The Dell restaurant for a glass of wine or a light snack to fortify yourself for the debates and didacticism of Speakers’ Corner, to the northeast, or for an afternoon of museum hopping on nearby Cromwell Road.

To enjoy all of the action and every drop of sunshine in Hyde Park, stay in a nearby, conveniently located New York Habitat vacation accommodation, such as:

• A uniquely laid out, spectacularly designed 1-bedroom duplex in North Kensington, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-485) on the ground and first floors of a converted house in a nice, residential neighborhood. This vacation rental has a garden and terrace, large picture window for plenty of sunlight, a café-style dining area, decorative gas fireplace, washer/dryer, queen-sized bed and an open bathroom with tub just off the bedroom, in addition to a downstairs shower. It’s an easy walk to Portobello Road and Notting Hill. Past clients have raved: “We had a great time in London and the owner of the apartment was very helpful.”

• A bright 3-bedroom vacation accommodation in South Kensington, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-583) with a clean, modern motif. This apartment is on the ground, first and second floors of a quiet mid-terrace mews house located off Old Brompton Road, just a three-minute walk from South Kensington station. With three bathrooms, a queen-sized bed and walk-in closet in the master bedroom, wooden floors, and a huge, arched picture window that takes up nearly one wall, this rental will easily become your preferred home away from home.

• A cheerfully decorated studio in Notting Hill, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-152) with colorful furnishings and a large, dramatic picture window for springtime views. This vacation rental on the fifth floor of a portered building with elevator and full-time doorman is only a two-minute walk to Notting Hill Gate station. The studio has plenty of space, with a double bed, a double sofa bed, a washer/dryer, a dining area for four and two bathrooms: one with a tub and the other with a shower. There are also French doors in the living room that open onto a small balcony with seating—a perfect place for morning coffee in the sun.

This spring, enjoy London outdoors—and let the sun shine in your New York Habitat vacation rental!

Have a favorite spot in Hyde Park? Tell us about it with a comment below.

Earl’s Court is not only one of London’s most popular spots for international travelers, it’s also one of the most recognizable on-screen sites for film fans. Exploding with activity and nightlife (pubs, cinemas, music venues, late-night coffee houses, ethnic eateries) and located near some of the city’s most beloved museums and cultural institutions, it’s the perfect setting for myriad movies—not to mention the perfect spot to stay in a New York Habitat vacation rental!

London Accommodation: 2-bedroom rental in Earls Court (LN-81)

One of the directors attracted to the energy of Earl’s Court is Roman Polanski, who shot his thriller “Repulsion” (1965) there, depicting the unnerving unraveling of Catherine Deneuve, who is as beautiful as the well-heeled world she occupies.

Her apartment can still be seen in a mansion block behind Earl’s Court station, across from the house where David Naughton makes his memorable transformation in “An American Werewolf in London.” (Other scenes from that classic horror flick were shot in Earl’s Court’s gorgeously gothic Brompton Cemetery, which was also featured in Cronenberg’s “Eastern Promises” and stood in for Russia in the Bond film “Goldeneye.”) If you go to any of these spots to snap a photo of cinematic history, be sure to stop at some of the many food shops scattered throughout Earl’s Court—just follow the tempting scents of Portuguese pastries, Turkish coffee and freshly made crepes.

True to life, Denevue’s character goes on foot from her Earl’s Court flat to many nearby London attractions, such as the art and shopping districts of Kensingston-Chelsea. In fact, she has just a ten-minute walk to work in a stylish South Kensington salon (in the film, it’s Madame Denise’s Beauty Parlor; in real life, it’s the thriving Thurloe’s). A few steps away is the authentic Hoop and Toy pub, the setting in the film where Denevue’s boyfriend hoists a few pints with friends. It’s a scene you may want to recreate, given the pub’s inviting atmosphere.

London Apartment 3-bedroom rental in Earls Court (LN-295)

The pair also stops to eat near South Kensingston station, where the choices for a tasty take-away or a memorable sit-down meal are astonishing. From there, it is less than a few blocks to The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum, The V&A and the Institut Francais (with its Cine Lumiere movie theatre), should the desire to pay tribute to Denevue’s home country suddenly overwhelm you.

All in all, Earl’s Court cannot be topped for variety and convenience. If you’d like to put yourself in Denevue’s fashionable ballet flats and experience all that London has to offer, we suggest staying in one of these well-located New York Habitat vacation rentals:

A 3-bedroom rental in Earl’s Court, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-295); this spacious and beautifully furnished flat is in a period mansion block and comes complete with laundry and central gas heating. Client testimonials declare: “Central to what we wanted to see and to transportation;” “The apartment was huge, absolutely lovely;” “We loved our apartment and Earl’s Court area;” “We found the location, décor, service, appliances and everything to be wonderful!”

A roomy 4-bedroom vacation accommodation in Kensington-Chelsea (LN-380), nicely situated on Earl’s Court Road between Old Brompton and Cromwell Roads. This flat has a separate reception room, an ensuite bath in the master bedroom, two additional bathrooms and laundry. Client testimonials rave: “Perfect, clean, well-located. Everybody was happy!”

An impressive 2-bedroom apartment in Earl’s Court, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-81), overlooking a lovely garden in Earl’s Court Square. This first-floor flat, in an amazing pre-war walk-up building, has gas central heating, high ceilings and French windows leading to a balcony with table and seating for four; the entire property is broadband-enabled. Client testimonials enthuse: “The apartment was clean and well-ordered and had a wonderful little balcony that looked out on the common garden in the square.”

So to spend time in one of the most cinematic parts of London, consider a New York Habitat rental accommodation in Earl’s Court. If Catherine Deneuve stayed here, you know it has to be chic! Leave a comment to let us know what other films you’d like to see mentioned in our Cinematic London Top Five list—and be sure to check out our next choice.

Check out #5: Liverpool Street

London is loaded with “high streets,” which are main avenues full of shops, restaurants and cafés. In New York, high streets would be the equivalent of Broadway, Fifth Ave and even 8th Street. In Paris, they would be Avenue Montaigne and the Rue de Bac. In London, there is, of course, High Street Kensington; there is also Oxford Street, Marylebone High Street, King’s Road, Regent’s Street…the list goes on. However, there are also some smaller thoroughfares that have the same conveniences and appeal as proper high streets, but with certain charms all their own and without the obligatory traffic—human and automotive. Gloucester Road is one of these. What makes Gloucester Road even more of a find is that New York Habitat has some amazing rental accommodations there that will ensure your stay is hassle-free and even more pleasurable. That means Gloucester Road isn’t just a hidden high street, but an “easy street” as well.

London Accommodation 2-bedroom apartment in South Kensington (LN-527)

Located in fashionable South Kensington, a ten-minute walk from some of London’s major museums (The Natural History Museum, Victoria & Albert, The Science Museum) and most frequented stores (Harrod’s, Harvey Nichols, H&M), Gloucester Road couldn’t be better situated. To the north, it’s nestled by Hyde Park a few blocks away; to the south, about twenty minutes on foot, there’s King’s Road and a fantastic view across the Thames; to the west is colorful, café-laden Earl’s Court (which also has some cheap eats); and to the east is every attraction that makes up the famous area known as Knightsbridge. Central London is only about five stops away from the Gloucester Road Tube station, which is served by the Piccadilly and Central & District Lines, major routes that lead all across London.

However, once you see what Gloucester Road itself has to offer, you may hold off on heading to the underground. Within a few blocks, there are three hair salons, including the hip Toni and Guy’s, which can give you the latest “London look.” You can also find the sleek, French-inspired Café Deco, which sells some of the city’s best almond croissants, as well as the open-air café directly across from the station that always draws an international crowd. As far as restaurants are concerned, Gloucester Road gives you a top-tier variety, from French and Mediterranean to Southwest barbecue, award-winning Indian and a well-loved fish and chips shop, all within a five-minute stroll—so there’s something new to try every night of the week. Better yet, since Gloucester Road is not officially a “high street,” you won’t be paying those high prices!

London Accommodation: 2-bedroom rental in South Kensington (LN-578)

Gloucester Road also has some interesting shops, including a gourmet food store where you can stock up the kitchen of your New York Habitat rental accommodation; a discount wine shop with a good selection; an Oxfam charity store where you can score some vintage finds and feel good doing it; and a secondhand/antiquarian bookstore, the likes of which are essential to life in London. Of course, for some marathon shopping, a ten-minute walk in almost any direction will put you in reach of all the high street stores, as well as must-have London and European labels like Paul Smith, Joseph’s and Chanel.

To live the “high life” on this hidden high street, consider staying in one of these New York Habitat vacation accommodations:

•    A supremely stylish 2-bedroom duplex in South Kensington, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-76) on Cromwell Road off Gloucester Road. This vacation rental is on the third floor of a modern high-rise with elevator and 24-hour doorman. A bedroom and bathroom are located on each floor of the duplex and the upper floor has a balcony.

•    A quiet and comfortable 2-bedroom vacation rental in South Kensington, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-527) on Gloucester Road between Cromwell Road and Hyde Park. This first floor flat has been recently refurbished and comes complete with armchairs, wooden floors and a power showerhead.

•    A magnificent accommodation with marble fireplace, this second floor 2-bedroom rental in South Kensington, Kensington-Chelsea (LN-578) is on Cromwell Gardens between Cromwell and Gloucester Roads, overlooking the garden square.

A stay in a New York Habitat accommodation on Gloucester Road puts all of London at your doorstep—without all of the noise and crowds of the city right outside your door.

Know another “hidden” street in London that you love to explore? Let us in on it by leaving a comment below.

London accommodation: 3-bedroom apartment rental (LN-359)

Last summer turned out to be a rather sodden affair in London, what with eight rainstorms in two weeks’ time. This year has turned out to be quite a bit better and brighter—but the wary locals still carry their brollies (umbrellas) with them just in case. To be on the safe side, New York Habitat is bringing you the five best—indoor—places in London to wait out a rainstorm…in addition to your New York Habitat rental accommodation, which goes without saying. Let’s start with number five on our list, The Orangery in Hyde Park.

As most Londoners will tell you, nothing beats a spot of tea during a proper downpour. As luck would have it, The Orangery provides some much needed shelter in the midst of Hyde Park’s open expanse. It also serves some of the best afternoon tea in town, complete with finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream and bite-sized pastries. The whole experience is so lovely, it will almost have you hoping that the rain won’t stop.

Of course, it’s only fitting that The Orangery’s interior is spacious and gorgeous since it was originally built as the Queen’s private sun room. Even without the sun, though, it’s still quite spectacular to see, as are the park surroundings.

What puts The Orangery on our list, however, is also its proximity to High Street Kensington, an area pulsating with people, shops, cafés, restaurants and nightlife. You can practically make it from one interesting establishment to the next without getting hit with a single raindrop.

If you start from the park and go left, you’ll pass Royal Albert Hall, the Royal College of Art and the Albert Memorial, a golden spire of a monument first unveiled in 1869 to honor Queen Victoria’s beloved husband. If you head right from Hyde Park, you’ll pass Kensington Palace, St. Mary’s Abbotts Church and Babylon rooftop restaurant (a place to set aside for a not so rainy day), as well as a whole plethora of choice eateries, fashionable chain stores and one-of-a-kind shops, before you reach Holland Park and the Holland Park Theatre.

Hyde Park in the rain: London, England

High Street Kensington is the place where many tourists hope to stay during their trip to London—but with hotel prices in the area being astronomical, many miss out. Fortunately, New York Habitat has a host of affordable accommodations that will allow you to stay on the High Street in style, while still saving up for a rainy day.

Some top choices include:

• An elegant 3-bedroom rental in Kensington-Chelsea (LN-359) just off High Street Ken. Located on the third floor of a period mansion building with elevator and porter, the apartment boasts a decorative fireplace and plenty of seating.
• A 3-bedroom rental in Kensington-Chelsea (LN-246) that makes you feel at home on Kensington Court, between Kensington Road and High Street Ken. The apartment has a terrace, laundry and decorative fireplace, as well as a master bedroom with a queen size bed, another with a double bed and the third with twins. A client testimonial says about this accommodation, “The apartment in which we stayed in London was very nice and comfortable. It was very clean.”
• A 1-bedroom furnished apartment in Kensington-Chelsea (LN-37) off  High Street Ken, located on the first floor of a luxurious Edwardian mansion building with elevator and laundry. This rental has all the amenities plus a light and cheery décor to combat any weather outside.

So don’t despair if you see a few rain clouds in the sky—it’s all part of the true London experience…and a great excuse to linger in your New York Habitat home or while away the time over afternoon tea at The Orangery.

What are some of your favorite places to duck into along High Street Kensington? Please tell us below and be sure to check next week’s number four spot for where not to get soaked in London.

So, Scorsese has finally turned his obsession with “Gimme Shelter” into a full-blown film of the Rolling Stones called Shine a Light. It’s been released in IMAX so viewers can have the sensation of being surrounded by Mick and the boys. But why not do it one better by staying in the actual surroundings where the Stones’ frontmen used to live? New York Habitat has accommodations that put you right in the middle of Mick and Keith’s former London neighborhood of Cheyne Walk —‘satisfaction’ guaranteed!

London row houses in Chelsea

In the late 1960s, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were both living on Cheyne Walk just a few doors apart (Keith was at #3 with girlfriend Anita Pallenberg, whom he stole away from bandmate Brian Jones; Mick was at #48, first with girlfriend Marianne Faithfull—during which time the Chelsea drug squad carried out on infamous raid on the flat—then with wife Bianca).

Many of the Stones’ most recognizable songs were written in the studio that Mick had built in his backyard garden. The Chelsea Drugstore, part-pharmacy, part-soda fountain, part-pub mentioned in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” was a ten-minute walk away (unless you wanted the purple-clad, scooter-riding delivery girls to make a home delivery), so it is quite possible that Mick popped down there from time to time to get some prescriptions filled. David Bowie, whose wife Angela is believed to have been the inspiration for “Angie,” lived just a few blocks over on Oakley St. It is incredible to be walking the same streets that served as such inspiration to two of music’s most prolific songwriters—and after living in our rentals in the Cheyne Walk section of Chelsea, you’ll understand why.

This area has long been attracting luminaries in the arts, making Cheyne Walk the single street with perhaps the most blue plaques in London. Among those who have called it home are: painters J.M.W. Turner (#119) and James McNeil Whistler (who moved around from #21 to #96 and #101), writers George Eliot (#4), Bram Stoker (#10) and Henry James (#21), poet Dante Gabriel Rosetti (#16), and George Best, who was an artist in his own right with a soccer ball. What brought them all here is obvious—the beautifully-constructed early 18th century houses, the Thames River views framed by the Albert and Battersea Bridges, the celebrated Chelsea Physic Garden, and the bohemian houseboats clinging colorfully to the riverbank.

London accommodation Chelsea Kensington 1 bedroom apartment

What you’ll see when you stay in one of our outstanding rental accommodations is a neighborhood that has not changed all that much since Mick and Keith were residents. In other words, it still rocks! The pubs are friendly, the pints are frothy, nearby King’s Row is full of fabulous people and fashionable shops. Sure, the Chelsea Drugstore (where Kubrick also filmed some of Clockwork Orange) is now a McDonald’s—but you can’t always get what you want…or can you?

The answer is an absolute yes if you stay in one of these well-appointed New York Habitat apartments:

• A pretty one-bedroom vacation rental in Kensington-Chelsea (LN-460) with an ornamental balcony and gas log fireplace
• A bright one-bedroom rental apartmnet in Kensington-Chelsea (LN-355) located on Cheyne Place on the fourth floor of an apartment building that comes with an elevator and its own caretaker
• A fully-equipped, air-conditioned one-bedroom rental in Kensington-Chelsea (LN-504) on Chelsea Manor Street;
• A gorgeous one-bedroom rental in Kensington-Chelsea (LN-459) that offers spacious interiors and luxury surroundings, including communal gardens—where, like Mick, you may be inspired to write a few classics of your own.

So skip the IMAX theater and head on over to a New York Habitat vacation rental to see Mick and Keith’s old haunts on Cheyne Walk in London. Most of us may never lead the rock star life, but at least you can walk the Walk.

Which London blue plaque houses are you most interested in seeing? Leave your comments below.

With a vacation rental in London, you can live like a local while taking in the city’s sights. The only question is: With so much to see, how do you narrow it down? Simple—think like a local. New York Habitat wants to help by sharing some must-see musical sights.

So, in the spirit of Brit boy Nick Hornsby, author of High Fidelity, New York Habitat is bringing you its Top Five list of must-see musical sights around London.

London Accommodaiton: 2 bedroom rental in Kensington - Chelsea (LN-462)

Everyone knows about Abbey Road. Just ask the millions of visitors snapping pictures and clogging up traffic as they cross the famous zebra stripes to the Beatles’ studios—and the line of drivers wondering just how much damage taking out a few tourists would cause to their Mini Coopers.

Okay, it’s a pretty good photo op if four of you are traveling together. But there are other essential, in-the-know sights for music lovers in London that do not involve potential road rage or posing with wax statues of the Spice Girls. New York Habitat has rental accommodations within walking distance of each one.

What better place to start than at the World’s End? Number 5 on the count down of must-see musical sites in London.

Despite its apocalyptic name, World’s End is actually the area on the west side of The King’s Road, one of London’s most vibrant shopping streets where Sloane Rangers (think socialites) and trendy kids in trainers (think sneakers you can’t live without) come together in funky boutiques (AdHoc), cool cafés (the Bluebird, which was converted from a car garage) and pubs too good to pass by without a pint (The Pig’s Ear). At the edge of all this stands our Number Five spot. It’s a store called World’s End—and it’s the place where British punk began.

In the early seventies, at 430 King’s Road, Vivienne Westwood, first lady of avant-garde fashion, had a shop named SEX, co-owned by Malcolm McLaren. It was here that the members of The Sex Pistols first met and practiced in the store’s back room—inventing an iconic punk statement and sound.

Even today, Westwood owns the store, now called World’s End, which is easily identifiable by the backwards-spinning clock outside. Her new neighbor, ironically, is London’s Conservative Club—but inside the shop, you’ll swear it’s still ‘Anarchy.’

If you want to experience the action of King’s Road first-hand, New York Habitat has some amazing vacation rentals that will let you live a part of music history.

There’s the 2-bedroom furnished apartment rental in Brompton, Kensington - Chelsea (LN-278) on Elystan Street between Old Brompton Road and King’s Road, an area teeming with restaurants, shops and cafés all outside your door.

Also, there is a 2-bedroom furnished accommodation in Kensington - Chelsea (LN-474) with a private terrace so that the sights and sounds of the city come to you.

Finally, to really live like a rock star, stay in a recently refurbished 2 bedroom vacation rental in Kensington - Chelsea (LN-462) with a decorative fireplace.

All of these accommodations are minutes away from unparalleled views of the Thames River—and a world away from anything you’ve experienced before. Skip the hotel and live like a local in one of our vacation rentals. While you’re at it, forget the tourist t-shirt that anyone can buy. Nothing says London like visiting its punk rock roots at the World’s End Shop.

Tune in next week to see what our Number Four can’t-miss music sight will be. What do you think will make the list?