If you read IDEAL regularly you’ll already know that we’re huge fans of Bristol. Widely regarded as one of the best places to live in the UK, it’s a unique place with a spirit that’s unlike any other region. It’s a fantastic city to study, offering a high quality of life and plenty of amenities for students. Pretty walkable, with a robust public transportation service and low rate of unemployment, the city is great place for students to reside while working towards furthering their academic pursuits and career paths – a reason why many students become locals after they’ve finished their degrees.
More importantly, Bristol is, simply, a very cool place to live. For a start, it’s the hometown of street artist Banksy, has bars on boats and art galleries in disused toilets. Since the early 1990’s it’s been renowned for it’s buzzy nightlife and underground music scene, which still exists, and is flourishing, today. More recently, it’s become a beacon for aspiring foodies and restauranteurs alike. With all of this in mind, here are 7 IDEAL reasons why Bristol is a great city for students.
A THRIVING UNIVERSITY
In recent years, the University of Bristol has received some of the highest number of student applications in the UK. And it goes without saying that an abundant, vibrant student population certainly helps to make things exciting for new students, as there are so many events aimed at and catering for academic newcomers to the city. Bristol also has a second university, UWE, so there’s plenty to go round!
BRISTOL HARBOURSIDE AND ALL THE OUTDOOR SPACE
When you’re not studying you’ll find plenty to do in Bristol, thanks in part to the busy waterfront as well and areas like Clifton. There are frequent parties, festivals and other events by the harbour and there are even floating clubs and bars that make excellent party venues. On a sunny afternoon in Bristol, the harbourside is buzzing with people spilling out from the bars and cafe terraces enjoying the vibe. And of course there’s all the other outdoor spaces including Brandon Hill and College Green, ideal for student picnics and summer fun. In 2015 Bristol was voted as the European Green Capital, showcasing how liveable this wonderful city is. Also, let’s not forget the incredible vistas by Clifton Suspension Bridge. We love the White Lion bar that has a terrace overlooking the bridge – the perfect place to start your first University romance.
THE NIGHTLIFE
Bristol is home to a buoyant night club scene . Pubs like The White Bear are a favourite haunt for students, and do cheap drinks for academics any night of the week. Some of the most action-packed areas of the city include the Harbourside, Millennium Square, City Centre, Whiteladies Road and Kings Street where you’ll never be short of places to wet the whistle and have a boogie. If you want to stay out late, no problem. There are late night bars like aforementioned The White Bear, as well as warehouse style spaces synonymous with rave culture, like Lakotathek and the beast Motion, famous nationwide for its raves.
THE MUSIC SCENE
We’ve already mentioned some of Bristol’s clubs, but we’ve got to emphasise a city renowned for it’s diverse music scene as its spawned some huge bands including Massive Attack and Portishead. It’s even been named as Britain’s most musical city. There’s huge venues like Colston Hall and the 02 Academy hosting shows by international stars as well as some smaller, groovier places, such as Thekla – a former cargo ship moored in Bristol’s harbour.
THE FOOD SCENE
While we understand that students are often on a budget, that doesn’t mean the great food scene of the city is out of reach; quite the opposite in fact, with the pleasure of it being in the accessibility and affordability of many of Bristol’s best restaurants. This is a city where you’ll find no shortage of food options – the place is positively teeming with restaurants. There’s so much going on with Bristol’s food scene, we’ve written an article on 10 IDEAL reasons why Bristol is every Foodies dream.
FESTIVALS
What’s more, Bristol is home to some great food festivals, and what student doesn’t love a festival, and food, and beer? You don’t have to spend a fortune and can usually bring your own alcohol. Artisan producers and stalls from local restaurants are brought together for a food fiesta – there’s so many it’s hard to keep up with them all. One of our favourites is Love Food Festival which runs all year round at various locations across the city.
There’s all sorts of other festivals and events going on too, ranging from comedy and live music to crazy carnivals. If you love a tipple (and what student doesn’t?) there’s a gin and bierfestival. Music lovers will enjoy the retro Let’s Rock Bristol festival and Bristol Sounds – a five-night al fresco midsummer concert on Bristol’s iconic Harbourside. If Shakespeare is your thing, there’s an annual festival every July dedicated to the guy with open-air performances in unusual spaces across Bristol; great fun and a little wholesome too!
A GREAT RANGE OF STUDENT ACCOMMODATION
Bristol is a wonderfully diverse city with loads of different places to live. Obviously the city centre is the most coveted, but like all prime locations it’s one of the most expensive areas. Luckily for UWE students, there are loads of campuses like Frenchay and Glenside which are about 4-6 miles away from the city with great bus links. Also, if you attend the University of Bristol, the main campus is a short stroll away from the city.
Gloucester roads is another popular area for students and locals alike and the rent is pretty affordable. Redland, which is right next to Gloucester is a bit of a student hub too and is in walking distance from all the cafes and shops of Whiteladies Road while Stokes Croft is a bit more edgy and is known for it’s graffiti and music scene.
Reserving Bristol student accommodation is always easy regardless of which price range or housing type you’re looking for, but the luxury student mansions in the area are particularly impressive. For example, you can find Bristol accommodation at Almero, which provides a more luxury, private form of student housing in the UK. The appeal of some of the nation’s best student accommodations undoubtedly influences many young adults to consider Bristol over other cities when deciding where they’re going to study – not even students like living in your bog standard student digs don’t you know.