Ask HN: How Do You Choose a Neighborhood When Staying in an Unfamiliar City?

For instance, I'll be visiting London over the holidays and want to book an Airbnb but don't know which inexpensive neighborhoods are or aren't safe, nor which listings that claim to be in a neighborhood are actually in a less desirable neighboring one.

(I'm reminded of NYC apartment ads 10 years ago that advertised rentals in gentrifying "East Williamsburg" but were actually deep in the then-dangerous neighboring Bushwick.)

Without devoting hours on end to researching the boundaries and subtle distinctions between neighborhoods at your destination, how do you find a location where you're comfortable staying and don't feel like you're being ripped off?