I have a readers card for the BL, and agree its a marvellous thing - I regularly head over there despite my earlier comment about getting depressed on Euston Road.

My preferred way to deal with this part of town: slip out of Kings X and into BL as fast as possible, do what research I need to be do in BL, then walk at speed to the Waterstones on Gower Street (which is not like any other Waterstones in the country, I love it), then if you have time, maybe head down to the British Museum and check out one or two of the rooms. Then, get out of there. If you want a pint, the pubs nearer BL are not as depressing, and you're now on your way to Soho anyway...

To contextualise my earlier comment though: I grew up in the North of England, and for many years I hated London. Every time I visited it felt oppressive and horrible. In 2005 I ended up needing to spend a week doing some client visits, stayed in a place near Warren Street, but had a couple of days off to go exploring in between things. Went to Hyde Park. Went to Greenwich. Went to South Kensington.

I realised I didn't hate London, (how can you hate being lost in the middle of Hyde Park of Kensington Gardens on a warm sunlit day?), it's just that my experience of London until that point was getting a train into Euston and then getting a tube to somewhere like Covent Garden, or Bank, or staying near Euston on Euston Road.

Long story short: my partner and I moved to Barons Court in 2012, and then Twickenham in 2017. Couldn't be happier.

But I still feel sad when I'm on Euston Road.