A Student’s Guide To Bristol

Well done, not only did you manage to get into your university of choice but you did it in one of the best cities to live in the UK.

But as exciting as moving to a new city is, hiking your stuff halfway across the U.K. to an unfamiliar territory is daunting.

The biggest city in the South West, Bristol’s got a lot going for it, including excellent nightlife, local charm and exciting art and music scene, but with so much on offer, figuring out the best spots to hit after lectures can be a bit of a mission. And that’s after you’ve, hopefully, managed to find a sweet spot to live.

Lucky for you fresher, your friendly neighbourhood removals company has come up with an essential guide for moving to Bristol. And as Bristol alum, we know a thing or two about the city we call home.

Where to Live in Bristol

As a student, when choosing where to live in Bristol you want to hit the sweet spot between a buzzing area and close proximity to your University of choice. We’ve come up with a few areas that, whether you’re heading to UoB, UWE, or even the Bristol Old Vic School, you’ll be happy to call home.

Gloucester Road

Gloucester Road is one of the most popular student areas of Bristol. Packed with bars, restaurants and shops – it has the largest number of independent traders on any one road in the UK – and within walking distance from arts and nightlife hub Stokes Croft, G Road is at the heart of what Bristol has to offer.

A38 Gloucester Road Bristol

For UWE students, Frenchay, Glenside and Bower Ashton are all 4-4.5 miles away and the University of Bristol campus is a 30 min walk away but there are good transport links to both University campuses.

Redland

Redland has the bonus of being close to both Gloucester and Whiteladies Road, which is filled with even more shops, cafes, bars and students. Parking can get difficult in Redland and house prices tend to vary, but if you get in early you might manage to grab yourself cheap rent and space outside.
Bristol Redland Kingsdown

The bus links can get you to each of the three UWE campuses with ease, although for UoB students, your campus can either be a 10 or 45-minute walk away dependent on the location of your property. Check out nearby Kingsdown and Cotham too for an even shorter walk to your campus.

Fishponds

If you’re a UWE student studying at Glenside and Frenchay, Fishponds is perfect for you. Although it’s not as buzzing as Gloucester Road or Stokes Croft, it still has a great mix of cafes, shops and pubs, plus it’s less than a mile walk to your lectures.
Fishponds Road, Ridgeway, looking WNW - geograph.org.uk - 69866

Montpelier and Stokes Croft

Although close to the city centre, Montpelier, St. Paul’sPauls and Stokes Croft couldn’t be more different from the polish of Cabot’s Circus. The centre of Bristol’s graffiti and music scenes, with a multicultural population and wealth of independent shops, galleries and bars, Stokes Croft is the place to live if you want to be in the centre of it all.
Stokes Croft, Bristol (15147449901)

It’s closer to UWE students than UoB, being only 3.5 miles from UWE’s Bower Ashton and Glenside campus and 6 miles from Frenchay.

Bedminster and Southville

Due to their close proximity to the Bower Ashton campus and the Tobacco Factory Theatre, these areas are popular with UWE arts students. And, with a growing number of coffee shops, restaurants and bars, becoming increasingly popular with UoB students too, despite the 35-minute walk.
Tobacco Factory

Clifton

One of the more affluent areas of Bristol, Clifton and Clifton Village are full of beautiful Georgian houses and small pubs and bars. Although popular, house prices can be understandably quite pricey and it’s slightly more residential than other areas on the list.

Clifton

Whiteladies Road is only a 10-minute walk away and the city centre, a short bus ride. For UWE students, Bower Ashton campus is only 2 miles away, while Frenchay and Glenside are 6 miles away. For UOB students, the furthest Clifton house from campus is only a short 15-minute walk away.

Where to Drink in Bristol

We’ve covered some our favourite places to eat and drink in Bristol in our Guide to What to Do in Bristol, however, we’ve come up with an updated list with some more budget-friendly options.

Cat and Wheel

Located on Cheltenham Road, the Cat and Wheel features 2 beer gardens, a pool table and the cracking offer of 3 jäger bombs for a fiver. And if you’ve still not had enough by Sunday, stop in to catch some of the local karaoke wailers and try and drink off that hangover.

Kongs of King Street

Kongs is always packed. And with 90’s game hall heroes like ping pong, table football and retro arcade games, it’s a great place to challenge your mates to some retro drinking challenges before throwing some shapes to their resident DJ’s. Check out the rest of King’s Street for even more pubs and bars.

The Canteen

Marked out by the painting of the breakdancing Jesus on the side of their huge beer garden, the Canteen is a stalwart of Stokes Croft. Serving great food, an extensive drinks menu and excellent live music every night of the week, the Canteen is not to be missed.

The Commercial Rooms

Two words; huge Wetherspoons.

And if you’re still not ready to crawl off home, check out the classic student nights at Mbargo’s or Thekla.

Where to Take the Parents in Bristol

As much you like The Love Inn (Stokes Croft Road) on a Saturday night, the chances are your parents aren’t going to be impressed if you drag them there at 2 am when they’re up for the weekend.

When the parents are up, indulge in a bit of Bristol’s naval and engineering history and take them to these impressive landmarks.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge

Spanning the beautiful Avon Gorge, the Grade 1 listed structure has attracted visitors from around the globe. Take a walkover, soak in the panoramic views and learn about the people who designed and built the bridge. Excellent cure for a poorly masked hangover.

SS Great Britain

Now a museum ship, the SS Great Britain was once the longest passenger ship in the world from 1845 to 1854. Venture into the past and take a trip around the Museum, climb the mainmast and walk inside the ship itself. Afterwards, stop by the Harbourside to take in one of Bristol’s best galleries, the Arnolfini or a couple of drinks at the V Shed.

Banksy Tour

By now, everyone knows who Banksy is – although, not really – and the Bristol bred artist has left his work on walls across the city. Grab a map and take a walking tour of his most famous works.

Moving to Bristol

Even when you’ve got your house and the itinerary for your next few weekends sorted, you still need to plan the actual move.

Moving house can actually be pretty stressful, so whether you and your parents are renting a removals van, or using a removals company, make sure that you’ve planned out your route, costings and packed in advance to save additional stress on the big day.

If you want to know what else you should be doing before your move, check out our pre-move checklist here, take a look at our other blogs about moving to Bristol below, or give us a bell on 0117 287 2127.

http://www.onthedotremovals.co.uk/guide-removals-insurance/

http://www.onthedotremovals.co.uk/moving-to-bristol/5-questions-ask-moving-bristol/

http://www.onthedotremovals.co.uk/eco-friendly-move-house/

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