Occupying an enviable position towards the south of the borough of Camden in North West London, Bloomsbury is a fashionable district with a long and rich intellectual and cultural history.
In 2021, the average property price in the district of Bloomsbury was £769,872 making the area more expensive than nearby High Holborn, where property prices sit at an average of £565,000. Bloomsbury is considerably more affordable than Primrose Hill, which boasts an average property price of £1,825,452 and Holborn, where the average property price is £1,508,752. Bloomsbury is also marginally more affordable than WC1, with its average price of £789,447.
Most of the properties sold in Bloomsbury in 2021 were flats, which reached £654,231 on average. The area is also known for its stock of terraced properties, which sold for an average price of £3,950,000 in 2021. Overall, the price of property in Bloomsbury has fallen by 10% on 2020 prices and by 12% from the peak in 2017 when the district boasted an average property price of £879,297.
What is living in Bloomsbury like?
As the namesake of the famous Bloomsbury Set, a group of philosophers, artists and intellectuals including economist John Maynard Keyes, writers Virginia Woolf and E. M. Forster, and painter Vanessa Bell, it should come as no surprise to learn that this part of London has retained its reputation for being a central hub of thought, learning and creativity.
Its development initially began in the 17th century, however the beautiful architecture seen throughout Bloomsbury today began to take form in the 19th century. It was then that developer James Burton brought the now much-loved Regency era residential area to life, with its selection of garden squares and picturesque streets. Much of the area's iconic architecture is protected under conservation area guidelines, which is designed to limit new developments.
Although Bloomsbury doesn't have any official boundaries, it is widely accepted to stretch from Tottenham Court Road in the west to Euston Road in the north, New Oxford Street in the south, and Southampton Row to the east. It is also known for being notably flat, which is a result of its location inside the Thames basin.
Lamb's Conduit Street is just one example of the area's charming thoroughfares, which contains a selection of restaurants, cafés, and shops. In addition to having a variety of amenities within easy reach, there are also more than 35 schools within a one mile radius of Bloomsbury. Most of these schools have been rated as 'Good' by Ofsted and a small selection have secured a coveted 'Outstanding' rating, such as the Richard Cobden Primary School, Abacus Belsize Primary School, and the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School.
Living in Bloomsbury pros and cons
Pro: You're surrounded by an array of culture and history
In addition to being home to the British Museum, Bloomsbury is also renowned for being the home of Bloomsbury Publishing, the British Medical Association, University College London, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. The Foundling Museum can also be found in Bloomsbury, as can the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, the Dickens Museum, the Grant Museum of Zoology, and the Postal Museum.
Con: Some vehicle owners will be affected by the ULEZ Zone
The ULEZ scheme has been implemented to reduce air pollution across London and means that drivers of vehicles that don't conform to emissions standards will need to pay a daily charge.
Pro: Excellent transport links
Bloomsbury benefits from London Underground stations: King's Cross St. Pancras, Goodge Street, Russell Square, and Euston Square. Other nearby stations include Tottenham Court Road, Chancery Lane, Holborn, and Warren Street. Three National Rail stations also serve the area offering connections across the UK and beyond, and the Eurostar operates from St. Pancras International and serves the Netherlands, Brussels, and France.
Bus connectivity in Bloomsbury is also excellent offering direct services to the likes of Piccadilly Circus, Waterloo, Greenwich, Camden Town, Hampstead Heath, and Victoria. The area also benefits from easy access to the road network, including the A40, which runs eastbound to Clerkenwell, and westbound to Oxford Circus.
For those who prefer to take to two wheels, several prominent cycle routes cross through Bloomsbury, including the Q1 which runs from Covent Garden to Kentish Town.
Con: Poor air quality
Despite being within the ULEZ zone, air pollution can exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on as many as 20 out of every 30 days. This means that residents may be exposed to levels of pollution that are four times higher than is recommended by WHO.
Pro: The area is home to several garden squares
Once known as Southampton Square, the Grade II listed Bloomsbury Square is one of the oldest squares in the whole of London. It is open to the public and underwent a program of refurbishment in the early 2000s. Russell Square can also be found in the Bloomsbury area, which has made an appearance in numerous works, including 'The Day of the Triffids' by John Wyndham and 'Vanity Fair' by Thackeray. Bedford Square is another garden of note in Bloomsbury. It also benefits from a Grade II listing and is reserved for residents for much of the year.
Coram's Fields is also a notable area of open space, which occupies the site of the old Foundling Hospital and provides children with access to an outdoor sports field and playground.
Is Bloomsbury a safe place to live?
Between January 2020 and December 2021, there were 7,226 offences recorded in the Bloomsbury area. More than 4,200 of those offences were incidents of theft and just over 900 reports were categorised as violent crime.
Crime in the area reached a peak in February 2020, when more than 650 cases were reported. Crime then fell sharply to May 2020, when reports slowly started to increase again. The highest number of reports made in a single month in 2021 occurred in November with just over 400 incidents recorded, 106 of which were categorised as miscellaneous theft. Notably, however, this figure fell to below 325 in December 2021.
Which celebrities live in Bloomsbury?
As well as being home to the Bloomsbury Set, an array of other famous faces and notable names have lived in the area at some point throughout their lives. This includes 'Peter Pan' author J. M. Barrie, who based the house the Darlings lived in on his own home in the area. In the late 1830s, Charles Darwin lived at 12 Upper Gower Street, and Charles Dickens famously lived at 48 Doughty Street.
In more recent years, Bloomsbury has been home to the likes of Ricky Gervais who once owned a penthouse in Bloomsbury Mansions, and comedian and actress Catherine Tate who was brought up close to Russell Square.
Things to consider when moving to Bloomsbury
If you're considering moving to Bloomsbury, the picturesque streets and charming garden squares are likely just two of the things that have captured your attention. Once you also throw in the area's excellent transport connections, theatres, museums, cinemas, galleries, and shops, there are few other areas in the whole of the UK that could beat Bloomsbury in a contest for the most appealing places to set up home.
There's also a thriving night life scene with plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants to choose from. Clearly the associated costs of living in such an affluent part of the city are something to think very carefully about, but Bloomsbury can offer a wide selection of property including bijou apartments and more spacious terraced houses.