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The City

Sheffield is one of the greenest cities to live in the UK, with more trees per capita than any other conurbation in the UK. More than half of Sheffield is made up of green space, which consists of 200 parks, forests and gardens. The city is home to one of the largest areas of ancient woodland in the country and lies within the Peak District national park, which makes Sheffield the perfect choice for international students who want to explore the great outdoors. The former castle settlement, which once imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots, has made it through the pitfalls left by the industrial revolution to become a vibrant university city of more than 500,000 people. A lot of the old factory buildings have been replaced by art, culture and entertainment centres. Many international students are attracted to Sheffield for its low rents and good safety record. South Yorkshire has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.

The city centre

The city centre is neatly defined by the inner ring road and contains grade-one listed buildings such as the Town Hall, City Hall and Winter Gardens as well as modern developments, such as Sheaf Square by Sheffield train station, Millennium Square and Barker’s Pool. Visitor attractions include Sheffield Cathedral and the recently developed bar and cafe area, Leopold Square.

Devonshire Quarter

This quarter is widely regarded as the coolest of the 11 in Sheffield with a bountiful range of shops along Eccleshall Road, nicknamed the golden mile. By day Devonshire Green is popular with skateboarders, families, city workers on lunch breaks and students doing outdoor cramming for exams. By night the area is teeming with people attracted to the restaurant, bar and party scene.

Cultural Industries Quarter

Following the decline of the steel and coal industries in the city, the council went into partnership with private organisations like Sheffield Hallam University to develop the area around its student union into a cultural quarter for music, drama and the arts, for example. Regeneration has seen the redevelopment of Leadmill music venue and the Site Gallery for works of art.

The Moor

Improvement work has been planned for this quarter of the city centre, with the intention of creating a “city lantern” out of a former car park. More shops, hotels and entertainment, including a casino, have been proposed to enhance an area of emerging retail outlets and regular events, such as themed fashion shows.

Kelham Island Quarter

This is one of Sheffield’s most unique features, an island of old industrial works, including an artificial water course. Many of the former factory buildings have been converted into residential accommodation. The Kelham Island Museum holds the key to this quarter’s industrial past and the brewery and pubs provide the majority of the island’s entertainment.

The Universities

The University of Sheffield is one of the best in the country, attracting almost 4,000 students from 120 nations. Teaching ranks as excellent and the institution has been associated with five Nobel Prize winners throughout its history, including Sir Harry Kroto for chemistry in 1996.

Sheffield Hallam University is the city’s former polytechnic, which is almost as old as the University of Sheffield, dating back to 1843. International students studying here can expect strong support, which comes in the form of induction, orientation and mentoring services as well as English language help. Scholarships are available for students from overseas.

While Sheffield College offers more vocational courses, the split-campus site welcomes students from 80 countries. The college liaises with Sheffield Hallam University to provide an all-round educational and social experience.

Transport

To blend in with its green reputation, the council provides plenty of guides to exploring the city on foot, which is how many locals choose to travel as well as by bicycle, which is prudent considering the city’s horrendous traffic jams that can see buses and cars snarled up for hours.

Newly-developed Sheffield Interchange provides trains and buses to locations outside the city, with a free shuttle service ferrying passengers from here to central locations, including Sheffield Hallam University. The Sheffield Supertram is eco-friendly and congestion-free, and counts the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam among its stops. Unirider tickets provide discounted travel on trams and local buses for students of the University of Sheffield or Sheffield Hallam University each term. International students can buy tickets online for under £100 per term, which amounts to less than £1 per day. An annual unirider ticket is available for under £250.

Discounted rail fares for train journeys outside the city are available with a young person’s railcard that can be purchased at the transport interchange and, in keeping with the green vibe, there are lock-ups for students to leave their bikes at the depot.

For details of bus timetables check the Travel South Yorkshire online guide. Students looking for the lowest fare deals can books MegaBus fares from Sheffield Interchange, which can be as low as £1.50.

The nearest flights depart from Robin Hood Airport, which is 25 miles from the centre of Sheffield, for destinations that are mostly around the UK and some parts of Europe. For more frequent flights travelling to destinations further afield, Manchester Airport is an hour’s drive away.

Food and drink

The University of Sheffield student union has a food court, a cafe, salad bar and sandwich emporium for food on the go. It is prized for its selection of Halal cuisine following student demand. At Sheffield Hallam the Heartspace Cafe provides people with a place to eat, meet and greet inside an airy Atrium.

University-goers love Aunt Sally’s two-for-one meal deals on Clarkehouse Road, which is a beer garden pub sandwiched in-between both universities. However, the low prices can mean long waits for orders, so get in early and do not miss the traditional servings of English roast dinner on Sundays.

Sit alongside the River Don at the Riverside cafe bar in the city centre for a cheap pint and student grub. Live entertainment every week, special student nights and Thursday curry suppers prove adequate lures for the cut-price crowd.

The Blue Moon Cafe is a meat-free venue within walking distance of the city centre and, although it does not have enough room to swing a pushchair, the food is worth shouting about. Check out the selection of delicious desserts and cakes.

The Gulshan Balti House on Wicker Lane in the city centre serves budget Halal food in thick, spicy sauces. The cuisine is packed with flavours and dished in alcohol-free surroundings, making it popular among Sheffield’s Muslim community.

Although Sheffield does not have a Chinatown, London Road in Highfield is widely regarded as the centre of the Chinese settlers, who are trying to get the location officially recognised. It contains Chinese restaurants, supermarkets and a community centre.

West One in the heart of the city centre has a high concentration of restaurants and cafes, allowing students to take their pick. There’s a selection of eateries serving everything from Italian to Chinese food and cocktails.

Things to do

Although Sheffield Football Club has been recognised as the oldest in the world by the Football Association, this semi-professional side is not necessarily the one to watch. For Championship games, book a seat at Sheffield Wednesday or Sheffield United stadia.

People more interested in playing sport than watching it should check out the activities on offer at the Don Valley Stadium, which hosted the World Student Games a year after opening in 2001. Even though it is not always cold enough for snow, there are artificial slopes at Sheffield Ski Village. For low cost activities climb, cave or pot-hole in the Peak District. These sports can rarely be tried elsewhere.

Must-sees for a piquant of English culture are the stately homes that surround Sheffield, such as Cusworth, Hardwich and Chatsworth, where visitors can find horse fairs, art exhibitions and sewing workshops.

Alternatively, wander the city museums and galleries, which host work including paintings, sculptures, crafts and metals at Graves Art Gallery, Millennium Gallery or Ruskin Gallery.

Sheffield museums turn to the city’s industrial past for inspiration. Expect lessons in manufacturing at the National Coal Mining Museum, the Turner Museum of Glass, Wortley Top Forge Industrial Museum and Shepherd’s Wheel. Sheffield Bus Museum and Peak Rail offer a peek into the British transport of yesteryear, while Weston Park museum has a larger variety of rarities on display.

Out on the Town

Mix cut price drinks with cosy surroundings to get the Leadmill, a venue that has been going since Human League were top of the pops. Quirky stories include the House Martins queuing for their own gig and a pantomime staged by former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. Bands like the Libertines and Arctic Monkeys have headlined the venue most recently.

A direct contender with the Leadmill is the Forum, which rankled many students when this shop, cafe and bar venue went upmarket and took the drinks and food prices along with it. Gone are the peeling posters, indie fashion and footfall from Dr Marten boots. Visitors can now expect a higher price tag with their boutique fashion, hand-cut crisps and cappuccinos.

Graduates could be collecting a certificate one minute at the Octagon Centre in the University of Sheffield and rocking out the next at concerts held here. Grade-two listed Sheffield City Hall has recently been refurbished as a music venue, but it is Sheffield Arena and the O2 Academy Sheffield, which attract the big acts. Although Sheffield super club Gatecrasher has burned down, its dance party nights are still regular events at the 2350-capacity O2 stadium.

Other popular evening entertainment can be found at the Crucible Theatre, which hosts drama and comedy as well as the regular international snooker tournaments. Other venues for drama, comedy and plays include the Library Theatre, Corner Playhouse, Lyric Theatre. For independent cinema and art house visit The Showroom in Sheffield for under £5.

Day Tripper

Sheffield already has a foothold in the Peak District national park, so it would be rude not to explore the moorland landscape and craggy peaks. Climb the Pennine mountains, known as the backbone of England, for stunning walks, cave exploration and pot-holing expeditions.

An hour away over the Pennine Hills beckons the two Premiership soccer sides and indie music scene of Manchester. Widely dubbed the capital of the north, this city is a great day out for international students seeking to mingle with undergraduates from Greater Manchester’s many universities.

Travelling south from Sheffield along the M1 takes explorers to the castle city of Nottingham, home to the legendary Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest. The woodland is fun to explore as is the city centre castle that purports to contain the oldest pub in England, which has been chipped into the boundary rock.

How to make your life easier

The cost of a good pub meal is low at buy-one-get-one-free prices, pints come cheap at 60p on student nights at the Leadmill and nightclub admission is waived at several city venues for university-goers. Sheffield is one of the cheapest cities in the country for international students. Check out rehearsals at the Crucible for under £1 and use student discount cards at all counts. Supermarkets open longer than most shops, seven days a week. However, normal business hours are between 09:00 and 17:00, including at pharmacies. Love the countryside and your wallet will love you back, a trip into the wilderness costs little, but pays off in body, spirit and mind.

Finding Student Accommodation in Sheffield

Here is a very quick guide to help you find your ideal student accommodation in Sheffield. 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 Sheffield University their student accomodation website is http://www.shef.ac.uk/accommodation/. The Sheffield Hallam University student accommodation webpage is here: http://www.shu.ac.uk/accommodation/index.html.

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