International Student Accommodation - Go Live It

The City

Bristol, or “Brizzle”, how it is affectionately referred to by the locals, is a young and vibrant city. However, at first sight it might not seem so. Its elegant cafés and restaurants, the neat streets and the often quite expensive shops seem to indicate otherwise. It will take you a very short time, let’s say just a brief walk on a sunny afternoon or a glance on the streets on a Friday or Saturday night, to realise the city is packed with students. With an urban area of 550,000 inhabitants, it is England’s sixth most populated city, and by far the most populated in the South West.

Firstly, let's take a few steps back into history. The town of Brycgstow (Old English, "the place at the bridge") was in existence by the beginning of the 11th century, and under Norman rule acquired one of the strongest castles in southern England. The River Avon in the city centre has evolved into Bristol Harbour, and from the 12th century the harbour was an important port handling much of England's trade with Ireland. In 1247, a new bridge was built and the city spread out incorporating the suburbs. During this period, Bristol became an important manufactory and a shipbuilding centre. In 1497 the city was the starting point of Caboto’s voyage to North America. During the XVII century, thanks to development of the British colonies in North America, the city benefited from a quick growth in size, population and trades, among which a big portion was constituted by slave trade. Starting from 1760, Bristol found itself competing with Liverpool for the supremacy of the textile industries. With the war against Napoleon’s France and the abolition of slave trade in 1807, the development of Bristol as a powerful harbour city came to a halt. But the industries recovered quickly after the end of the war and the population kept growing at a high rate during the whole XIX century. During World War II Bristol was heavily bombed.

Clifton Suspension Bridge- spanning the beautiful Avon Gorge, is the symbol of the city of Bristol. The first competition in 1829 was judged by Thomas Telford, the leading civil engineer of the day. Telford rejected all the designs and submitted his own but the decision to declare him the winner was unpopular and a second competition was held in 1830. 24 year old Isambard Kingdom Brunel was eventually declared the winner and appointed project engineer – his first major commission. The foundation stone was laid in 1831, but the project was dogged with political and financial difficulties and by 1843, with only the towers completed, the project was abandoned. Brunel died prematurely aged 53 yrs in 1859 but the bridge was completed as his memorial and finally opened in 1864. Designed in the early 19th century for light horse drawn traffic, it still meets the demands of 21st century commuter traffic with 11-12,000 motor vehicles crossing it every day. 

Wills Memorial Building- is the centrepiece of the University precinct. It was funded by the Wills family, who made their fortune in tobacco, and opened, by King George V and Queen Mary in 1925. It is actually possible to schedule a visit to the top of the tower, from where you’ll get a wonderful view of the city.

St. Mary Redcliffe- the grandeur of the Parish Church of St Mary Redcliffe has been admired through the ages. On a visit to Bristol in 1574 Queen Elizabeth is reputed to have declared it to be the "fairest, godliest and most famous parish church in England". The scale and beauty of the building gives the impression that it was intended to be a cathedral, yet its purpose, like all Parish churches, has always been to serve as a gathering place for the Christian Community to worship God. The local Christian Community built this wondrous feat of architecture and each generation has adapted the building to create what we see today and to express their interpretation of the good news of Jesus Christ and reflect the glory of God.

Bristol Cathedral- is situated on College Green near to the University. The Cathedral was founded as an abbey in 1140 and became a cathedral in 1542.

The Millennium Square- with its fountains and sculptures, provides a place of respite for pedestrians at the centre of Bristol’s bustling harbourside.

The Downs- is an area of public open limestone down land. They consist of two separately named parts; Durdham Down to the northeast, and the generally more picturesque and visited Clifton Down to the southwest. In the past they have been used for farming and quarrying; their current use is for leisure, with walking, team sports and sightseeing (especially at the Avon Gorge cliff edge) being well-established Bristolian pastimes. There are also occasional temporary attractions on the Downs, such as circuses and the annual Bristol Flower Show.

Arnolfini- exhibitions, film, live art, dance, music and literature. At the heart of Bristol's harbourside, Arnolfini is one of Europe's leading centres for the contemporary arts. Entry to the galleries is free.

University

There are two universities in Bristol. The University Of Bristol (UOB), located in the city centre; and the University Of Western England (UWE). The University of Bristol received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876. It is one of the original "red brick" universities. Bristol ranks as one of the top 10 universities in the United Kingdom according to most published league tables. Bristol has around 23,000 students.

UWE’s main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles (8 km) north of the city centre. UWE also has a smaller campus at St Matthias, a Faculty of Health and Social Care at Glenside in north-east Bristol and an Art school, Bristol School of Art, Media and Design, located at Bower Ashton, near Ashton Court in south-west Bristol. With around 30,000 students and 3,000 academic staff, UWE is the larger of the two universities in the city.

Transport

One of the real pleasures is actually taking a stroll along the Avon, or walking up from the Harbour Side to the “Downs” on a sunny day. But, given the steepness of the streets, it is very likely you’ll find yourself short of breath soon before reaching your destination. Don’t worry – there are options. Frequent buses run from the city centre to almost everywhere you need to go. For fares and timetables check the website: www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/southwest/bristol/home/index.php.

Taxis are the solutions when buses don’t run. There are always a few well placed during busy nights. But sometimes, if you plan to catch a very early train or plane, it is actually best to book one in advance. They have the magic to disappear the one time you actually need them.

How to get there

Airport: Bristol has its own airport, located around 20 km from the centre. Both Easyjet and RyanAir fly from there to a large variety of destinations in Europe. Flyers buses run very frequently from the airport to the city. The price is around 5£ one way, but if you are in possess of a valid student card the price comes down to a 5.50 £ return – so remember to take it with you!

Bus: there are two main options. You can catch a Megabus at a very cheap price from Colston Hall or you can catch a National Express bus from Marlborough St.

Train: there's a nice small station in the heart of Bristol called Temple Meads which connects you with every city in the country!

Food and Drink

The Oppo Bar- good atmosphere, good live music and comedies nights. One of the walls is covered with top-ten lists written by the clients – going through them is a lot of fun!

The Woods- get a jug to share with friends. It stays open until late, which, during the week nights is a remarkable thing. Plus it has a heated garden for smokers.

Zero Degrees- a restaurant and a microbrewery, the drinks and the food are excellent. Also the way the place is designed is pretty cool.

Deco Lounge- a classy yet cozy place that actually serves good food. It gets really busy during brunch and evening time.

Coronation Tap- in Clifton, it’s a paradise for the cider-lovers!

The White Bear- it has an attractive courtyard, a comfortable lounge at the back, and a pool room at the front. Between 5 and 7:30pm, you get to press a button to light up the price of your drinks (anything from free to full price). The organic food menu is varied and excellent. Popular with all sorts, from students to office workers.

The Old Duke- a small, cool yet classy place. Posters are all over the place, which is decorated in a retro way. Very good live music – especially on Thursday nights. Good and cheap ales and ciders.

Out on the Town

Thekla- based in Bristol, the Thekla is a venue, bar and kitchen based onboard a ship moored in Bristol’s Mud Dock. Thekla is one of the city’s oldest and best loved clubs. Hosting various nights, from house to break beats to contemporary indie and guitar-orientated music, the crowd attracted is a good mix. Open 7 days a week.

Carling Academy- a key date on the UK's touring circuit, the Carling Academy Bristol has seen a host of internationally acclaimed artists take the stage in its brief, exciting history. A wide variety of club nights take place at the Academy, including weekly events from Bristol's most popular student night ComePlay every Thursday during term time and Ramshackle every Friday. Saturday club residencies vary each month, with regular, specialist events courtesy of leftfield and breakbeat supremos, BlowPop, as well as hard dance nights through to house classics from dance promoters Scream. Drum & Bass nights come from Revolution, One Nation, Liquidiser, Full Cycle and Drive By.

Mbargo- a trendy bar popular with students and taxpaying types alike.  It’s furnished with the giant leather sofas and has moody lighting which provides a nicely intimate atmosphere. Legendary club nights such as Thank Funk It's Friday also ensure that this bar stands out a little from the crowd.

Syndicate- located in the very centre of the city, this huge venue has a variety of club nights, plus Propaganda every Wednesday and Voodoo every Friday.

Warehouse- a massive 5-floor venue with two top end TurboSound systems  with many big and well established club nights spanning all forms of music

Trinity Centre- a really intimate place – excellent for small size gigs. Originally a church, is now deconsecrated. It’s connected to Trinity Community Arts Centre.

The Harbour Side- taking a walk along the river you’ll be impressed  at the number of clubs you can find there.

Cinema- Watershed @ the harbourside = That is probably the best cinema in Bristol, given the quality and variety of film showed. The centre also offers a large number of facilities.

Day Tripper

There are quite a few places worth to check out around Bristol. Even if you can easily reach them either with a bus or a train, sometimes the cheapest and most practical way to do that will be renting a car, especially if you can share the expenses with some friends. This also allows you to concentrate more places and cities in the same day.

Bath- the city became a World Heritage Site in 1987 and for good reasons. Bath is a little gem. Famous for its Roman baths and temple, the city is a must do. You can get there either by bus (around an hour), or by train (around 20 mins).

Cornwall- if you intend to visit this beautiful region, you might want to spend more than a day, especially if you wish to reach the beautiful St. Ives. The best way would be to rent a car.

Salisbury- a nice city with a wonderful Cathedral. Conveniently close to Stonehenge.

Wells- famous for its Cathedral, Wells is a nice little city worth a visit. Probably it won’t take you more than an afternoon to check it out, still it’s worth it.

Clevedon- the best sea-spot around Bristol. I will take more than an hour to get there with a bus from the city centre, but the beautiful nuances of the sunset, the walk on the pier, the little cafés, and the view will prove it was well worth it.

How to make your life easier

Shops; Broadmead is a huge shopping area in the middle of the City. There are the so called “Galleries”, in which you can find whatever you’re looking for, from cutleries to Cds. Outside the galleries there are a large number of shops, cafés and the Odeon Cinema. Clifton Down Shopping Centre also has a variety of shops, such as Sainsbury’s, Boots, WHS. It also has lots of cafés.

Markets; St. Nicholas Market sells jewellery, fabric and beads, secondhand books, unusual gifts and cards and a wide range of International food. It is useful for everyday services, including mobiles, key cutting, shoe and bike repairs and barbers. There is also an award-winning Farmers market every Wednesday, a bustling Street Market on Fridays and Saturdays, and a variety of year-round events which add vitality to the city's streets. Open Monday to Saturday 9.30 am to 5pm.

Accomodation; the universities provide no accommodation for foreign students, but they provide useful information. If you’re lucky enough you might get a place in the Unite House Circuit. Otherwise you should look into the private sector, which can be tricky at times. Visit our Student Residences section to view residences available in Bristol.

Job Opportunities; well, as you know, or are soon going to find out, the UK is not cheap. Bristol is no exception. Therefore many students end up finding a part-time job to help cover up for their expenses and crazy nights out. There are a number of job centres that can help you find your ideal job, but if you’re just looking for something helping you making ends meet, just drop by the countless cafés and restaurants with your CV. Especially in September, when school’s about to start, you can read “Help wanted” in many windows. So, don’t worry, finding a job is not really a big issue.

ID or Passport;: bars and pubs, and even supermarkets, have a quite strict policy. So if you look underage you’re bound to be asked for identification every time you buy a beer – keep your ID with you!

Student Card; many shops and means of transport offer concessions for students.

Explore @ Bristol; you can find any information you’re looking for here (Anchor Road Harbourside - http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/museum_gfx_en/MW1698.html).

Trivia

Bristol is the birthplace of a type of English hip-hop music, called trip hop or the "Bristol Sound". It includes artists such as Tricky, Portishead, Smith & Mighty and Massive Attack.

Bristol University graduates include the satirist Chris Morris, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of Spaced, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and Matt Lucas and David Walliams of Little Britain fame. Hollywood actor Cary Grant was born in the city, Patrick Stewart, Jane Lapotaire, Pete Postlethwaite, Jeremy Irons, Greta Scacchi, Miranda Richardson, Helen Baxendale, Daniel Day-Lewis and Gene Wilder are amongst the many actors who learnt their craft at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, opened by Sir Laurence Olivier in 1946; Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith, The Matrix) studied at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital School and Dave Prowse (Darth Vader, Star Wars) attended Bristol Grammar School.

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Finding Student Accommodation in Bristol

Here is a very quick guide to help you find your ideal student accommodation in Bristol. First of all you should check out our student residences and our private student accommodation lisitings. Your next port of call should be to contact the university. If you are studying at Bristol university their student accomodation website is Bristol Universtiy Student Accommodation. The UWE (University of Western England) university student accommodation webpage is UWE Student Accommodation.

Guide written by Silvia Angeli, exchange student Bristol, 2007/2008.

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:: delightedkiche | 04 May 2008

Hey guys!
Wanna spend an amazing time in a beautiful student city? You enjoy clubbing, going in pubs, meeting cheerful people? But at the same time you also like being in nature and countryside landscapes? (you can even meet foxes and squirrels in the city center!!) Well then Bristol is a great city for you!!!!
I'm french and I've spent 6 mon...