International Student Accommodation - Go Live It

The City

People were encouraged to settle in Liverpool in the 1200s by King John who wanted to create a port free from the control of dockland landlord the Earl of Chester. The city became home to the UK’s first wet dock in 1715 and enjoyed trade from the West Indies, Ireland and Europe.

The population of Liverpool has now been put at about 436,000 people. The city’s rich cultural heritage, as the birthplace of the 1960s pop band the Beatles and football teams Liverpool FC and Everton FC, led to its selection as European City of Culture in 2008, which saw the city undergo massive redevelopment.

The City Centre; The city centre spreads to Albert Docks along the banks of the River Mersey in the west to the imposing Catholic and Anglican cathedrals in the east. The main shopping area is the fantastic new Liverpool 1, it stretches from the Albert Dock all the way to Church Street. It offers all the high street shops and a good selection of bars and restaurants. All the shops in Liverpool 1 and Keys Court are open till 8pm monday - saturday.

Matthew Street- This area is steeped in memorabilia from a band that is synonymous with Liverpool, the Beatles. The world-famous Cavern Club located here has hosted bands from the Fab Four to the modern-day Arctic Monkeys. Don’t forget to pay the statue of Eleanor Rigby on Stanley Street a visit after the Beatles song of the same name, which was dedicated to ‘All The Lonely People’ in the song lyrics. Tributes include flowers and even the odd pint of beer.

Hardman Street- This area is a hub for students of John Moores University. The student union and library are both located parallel to this street, which is also close to the arts and humanities campus by the towering Anglican Cathedral, which is must-see for its panoramic view of the city. St Luke’s bombed-out church at the bottom of the hill proves a stark reminder of how far the city has come since the devastation of World War Two to European City of Culture in 2008.

Albert Dock- Not only is Albert Dock a great place to visit Liverpool’s art and cultural attractions, but it’s widely touted as the best place to spot footballers off-duty from the city’s Premiership sides. The restaurants and bars here are high-class, so be prepared to open the wallet when eating or drinking here. This is the place to come for the art gallery Tate Liverpool and to tour the Beatles Story, which is available for international visitors in different languages.

Concert Square- Looking for somewhere to relax in the city in the summer time? Although there are few city centre parks, there’s a huge beer garden shared between numerous bars and eateries called Concert Square in Liverpool. Modo and Arena bars vie for local custom with cut price cocktails that have been known to attract extras from one of the region’s popular student soap opera, Hollyoaks.

University

There are three universities in the immediate vicinity of the city centre, but four counting Edge Hill, which has campuses on the outskirts of Liverpool. This means there are almost 50,000 students studying in the city centre alone. The University of Liverpool generally scores higher academically than Liverpool John Moores, but this institution claims to provide more employer-centred learning, as does Liverpool Hope University.

Liverpool scores highly on the 2008 International Student Barometer for accommodation and for its cost of living, which has been estimated at £800 during study time in addition to fees. While entry onto a course at the University of Liverpool is through the UK admissions bureau Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), John Moores University provides a foundation course for international students who need to improve their English language and academic skills before applying for a place.

John Moores provides English language support throughout the duration of courses for international students as well as international student welfare and family liaison staff, while Liverpool Hope holds special welcome events in addition to general fairs for new starters.

Transport

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is eight miles outside the city centre, with most flights to destinations in Europe. However, Liverpool is only 45 minutes by train to Manchester Airport, which has routes to more international destinations.

Liverpool Lime Street is the main railway station in the city centre, with special trains travelling to London in around two-and-a-half hours. The West Coast Main Line track links England to Scotland and Wales, making exploration outside the city quick and easy. A young person’s railcard costs £24 for a year, cutting the cost of a ticket by a third.

Budget-conscious students may want to opt for coach travel, which is generally cheaper and longer to travel than the train. The Megabus stop located outside the Adelphi Hotel on Brownlow Hill advertises services from £1, in addition to a 50p booking fee.

International students make like to take a leaf out of the songbook of Liverpudlians Gerry and the Pacemakers and ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’ by taking the boat. Passenger ships go across the River Mersey to Birkenhead as well as to Belfast in Northern Ireland and Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. The port began to welcome more international passenger ships in 2007.

Without a tram network or subway system, inner city travel is predominantly by bus, with services running into the night on popular routes. The local transport authority, Merseytravel, provides integrated season travel tickets that allow passengers to use buses, trains and ferries or alternative combinations for discounted prices. There are also soccer buses that transport fans to Anfield or Goodison Park from Sandhills Station on match days.

Flagging taxis at night is difficult. The best advice would be to book a cab in advance with a reputable company, including Liverpool’s fleet of British black cabs. Payment is on a meter, which starts with a standard charge depending on what hour the taxi is booked then clocks the fee per distance.

Food and Drink

University student unions would be the first - but possibly not the best - port of call for budget food. With the ever increasing amounts of international students making Liverpool their new home, canteens try to cater for different tastes, including Halal and Kosher.

To try a good British breakfast and cup of tea call into the Pilgrim Pub off Hardman Street. It serves up tasty food for student prices. Meanwhile, Caesar’s Palace by Lime Street Station in the city centre has cheap pizza and pasta on the menu and Wetherspoons is always a winner for hearty pub grub. Vegetarians can try the meat-free menu at the Egg Cafe and Grill on Newington, which is open from morning till midnight and the nearby Green Fish Cafe during the day.

Liverpool’s Chinatown is located at the bottom of Hardman Street, with the Mayflower restaurant a favourite for eating-in on Duke Street and for taking-away. Indian food is becoming increasingly popular among the English population with plenty of restaurants dotted around the city.

Things to do

A trip to Liverpool would not be complete without watching one of the two Premiership football sides. The city is divided between the Reds, Liverpool FC, and the Blues, Everton FC. Liverpool FC has a museum and runs tours of Anfield, which is a short bus ride outside the city centre. It is notoriously difficult to get tickets to high-profile matches, so be prepared to queue or collect stubs from past matches for access to big games.

There are a wealth of museums and galleries in the city. The World Museum Liverpool merges world history with guest exhibitors. Merseyside Maritime Museum documents the city’s dockland past, encompassing HM Customs and Excise National Museum’s import and export tales. The National Conservation Centre preserves items of times gone by, but visitors can now look forward to the opening of the Museum of Liverpool, which will focus on local artefacts when it is finished in 2010.

Art galleries do not get any better than Liverpool, which has one of the largest collections of venues outside London. The Tate Liverpool on Albert Docks brought modern art to the north of England. Other galleries focusing on contemporary work are the Open Eye Gallery, Bluecoat Display Centre and FACT – Foundation for Art and Creative Technology. Sudley House boasts collections of 18th and 19th century paintings while work on display at the Walker Art Gallery spans six centuries and Lady Lever Art Gallery focuses on sculpture and decorative objects.

Out on the Town

More number one hit songs have come from Liverpool in the UK music charts than any other city. Out of Liverpool’s Beatles scene emerged one of the best dance clubs outside London. Although the nightclub Cream has now closed, remnants still remain with the annual Creamfields festival in Daresbury and pre-club bar Baby Cream.

Most popular with the young indie-music crowd are venues formerly frequented by some of the hit artists. The Cavern Club on Mathew Street, three-storey Jacaranda on Slater Street and The Blue Angel, affectionately known by the student population as The Raz, at the top of Seel Street, all hosted the Beatles.

Nowhere is out of bounds for students. It just depends how much money you want to spend. The student unions obviously cater for the cut-price party scene, with special nights ranging from beer stock exchanges to speed dating. For new visitors to the city, the Philharmonic Pub at the top of Hardman Street is worth a visit, if only to gawp at the Grade I-listed gentlemen’s toilets (women are allowed to look round on organised tours).

Echo Arena Liverpool is the biggest place to go for large live acts. It has hosted sport, comedy and music events, such as the MTV European Music Awards, big names like Oasis, Elton John and Queen as well as international darts and basketball. When it opened in January 2008 to herald Liverpool’s year as European City of Culture, it added capacity formerly provided by venues Liverpool Royal Court and The Philharmonic Hall, which remains the home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Liverpool One shopping arcade increased the number of cinema screens in the city when it opened in 2008, boasting a new Odeon cinema. The main picture houses in the city centre are the Odeon and the Picture House At Fact on Wood Street. If theatre is top of your list, try the Liverpool Playhouse, which has reopened after extensive renovation work, the Everyman Theatre for experimental acts and the Unity Theatre for up and coming artists.

Day Tripper

Liverpool is a great base from which to explore England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic because of its excellent transport links. Within 45 minutes rail passengers could be in Manchester, supporting famous football sides Manchester United and Manchester City as well as boogying to the popular indie music scene.

Students looking for a break from the city will find national park, the Lake District, less than two hours north by train. Hiking, walking and camping are available here at this massive oasis of farmland, mountains and lakes. In contrast, the starker moorland of the northern part of the Peak District is worth a trip for visiting quaint villages, talking wilderness walks and eating out in traditional country pubs.

Taking off to a new country from Liverpool by boat could be fun, but don’t forget the Republic of Ireland operates with a different currency to the rest of the British Isles. Factor in the exchange rate from Sterling to Euros when visiting Dublin. This magical city offers Irish music, Gaelic history, a museum devoted to Guinness and plenty of laughs in the Temple Bar area.

How to make your life easier

Shop opening hours are usually Monday to Saturday between 09:00 and 17:00 local time, with pharmacies closed on Sundays. Halal and Kosher food is available at specialist stores around the city and there are some Chinese supermarkets. Matta’s International Foods on Bold Street sells produce from all over the world.

Finding Student Accommodation in Liverpool

Here is a very quick guide to help you find your ideal student accommodation in Liverpool. 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 Liverpool University their website is Student Accommodation - University of Liverpool. Liverpool John Moores (JMU) University webpage can be found here: JMU Student Accommodation. The Liverpool Hope University website is here Liverpool Hope Student Accommodation.

Guide written by Amalia Lindell, Swedish exchange student Liverpool, 2007/2008.

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