Hello,
I’m recently hunting some places and searching for some fairly new building at a good rent. I found a nice apartment in the north of Bunkyo-ku, just under the Sugamo Yamanote station. Pretty convenient since you can reach Shibuya in 30mn.
However when I talked about it to my friends, they told me Sugamo is the Obachan Harajuku, thinking it can be a boring area for somebody in its 30s. And now I get cold feet about it. And most of the threads speaking about it are pretty old.
What is your opinion on the north of Benkyo-ku or Sugamo ?
Is it a nice place to live in or do you have some recommandation ?
2 comments
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What are you looking for in a neighborhood? You didn’t mention schools, so I assume kids are not an issue.
If you want clubs and bars nearby that are open late to the extent you’d find in Shibuya, obviously you’re not going to find that. There are also few (no?) large shopping malls — although there is a large shopping arcade street. (That said, if you’re in Sugamo, you’re only two stops from Ikebukuro for nightlife and department stores.) If all your friends tend to live elsewhere — like in Shibuya/Roppongi — and you plan to hang out/party with them a lot, perhaps it’s not a good choice.
However, you’re looking for something quieter at night, good value for the location, lots of small restaurants, and many cheap supermarkets, it might be a good choice. Beware of potential noise from the train depending on where you are and nearby graveyards (if that’s something that bothers you).
See also:
https://sumai-kyokasho.net/rent-sugamo/