Sheffield: not so grim up north

If all you know about Sheffield is ‘it’s up north, no?’, you could be missing out on one of the best – and most student-friendly – cities in the UK. Choosing a university involves thinking about the location carefully (after all, you’ll want to do more with your free time than just nick traffic cones), and Sheffield demands to be considered.

The basics

Sheffield is without a doubt a student city. Home to two universities, the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, there is a student population of around 50,000 and pretty much everything is geared towards students; discounts are available on everything from books to beer and prices are amongst some of the cheapest in the country.

Upon arrival in Sheffield, students will be able to pick up a copy of the Sheffield Student Directory, a bible for students with money-off vouchers for club entry, food, booze, cinema tickets, clothes and even tattoos; it also lists all local attractions and events. Many shops offer student discount and drinks and entry fees tend to be cheap; you can quite easily have a good time on £10. At Corporation, drinks on a Monday night start from 70p for a vodka and coke, and many places offer drinks for £1 through the week.

Travelling around Sheffield is easy- there’s an extensive tram system and buses are regular. Leeds and Manchester are nearby if you fancy a day out, and with a Young Person’s Railcard you can get up to a third off rail travel.

Sheffield also has a reputation of one of the safest cities in the country, and accommodation is available all over the city at reasonable prices; the vast majority falls in the range of £55-£70 per week exclusive of bills.

Time to party

If you’re a bit of a night owl, Sheffield will entertain. Plug, Leadmill and Embrace are always popular and for those into more alternative music, Corporation and Casbah have some great metal and indie club nights as well as staging gigs. Leadmill and Plug also host concerts, as does Sheffield Hallam Arena. A new Carling Academy is due to open this year, with big names such as Good Charlotte scheduled to play.

Both of the universities have their own club nights throughout the week and there are some brilliant bars and pubs, including the unique decor of the Redhouse, the eastern-style cocktail lounge Bia Hoi, rockstar haunt the Nelson and (for the more adventurous) the Devonshire Cat, a pub specialising in foreign beers and ales. Sheffield has many hidden treasures and there’s something to suit all budgets.

For the foodies

Sheffield attracts students from all over the globe and a wide range of exotic cuisine is on the menu here. Of course, there are ‘classics’ such as Burger King, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Nandos in the city centre and the usual Italian, Chinese and Indian takeaways, but those willing to try something a little further from home should head to London Road where there are restaurants specialising in dishes from Morocco, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, Poland, Greece, Japan and many more. There are some great American-style grill bars on Ecclesall Road and wherever you go in Sheffield, you will never be far from a cosy cafe.

Days out

For culture vultures, there’s plenty to explore. There are three art galleries, the Millennium Galleries, the Graves Art Gallery and the Site Gallery, all in the city centre. All have free admission (though the Millennium Galleries do charge for some exhibitions).. It’s also worth checking out Weston Park Museum; it’s free entry and you can see Egyptian Mummies amongst other exhibits. Just outside Sheffield in Rotherham is Magna, the UK’s first Science Adventure Centre. The Winter Garden in the city centre is a huge glasshouse with an indoor garden and is definitely worth a visit, as are the 19-acre Botanical Gardens; they’re lovely in the summer and great for relaxing with friends. The Peace Gardens next to the Town Hall, with water features and fountains, are a great place to just sit in the sun. Endcliffe Park near Hunters Bar is also great for chilling out.

Film buffs and sports fans rejoice

There are five cinemas in Sheffield from the regulars (Odean, Vue and Cineworld) to the University of Sheffield’s own Film Unit, with themed film nights and very reasonable entrance prices. There’s also a Showroom cinema specialising in art-house and world cinema. The Crucible, the Lyceum and The Studio comprise Sheffield’s theatres and are a great place to catch touring productions. If you’re into comedy, The Lescar in Hunters Bar is Yorkshire’s longest-running comedy club and both of the universities have their own comedy evenings.

Sporty types will be well at home in Sheffield. You can ski (at Ski Village), bowl (at Hollywood Bowl or AMF Bowling), iceskate (iceSheffield), or blow each other to bits on the paintball field (Delta Force.) Or of course, you could watch someone else do the hard work –with both Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United having grounds in the city, as well as do the Sheffield Tigers rugby club. The World Snooker Championships are also held at the Crucible theatre, and the Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team play at the Hallam FM Arena.

Shopping, shopping, shopping

Sheffield is a shopaholic’s paradise. As well as all the high street favourites which can be found in the city centre, the Devonshire Quarter has some brilliant unique vintage shops such as Freshmans, as well as exclusive boutiques. Students are avid supporters of charity-shop chic, and in student areas such as Broomhill there are some amazing bargains to be had in secondhand shops. Then there’s the enormous Meadowhall, the out-of-town shopping centre reachable by tram. Here you can find everything from designer brands to cheap and cheerful chain stores, as well as some kitsch restaurants and a cinema.

In short, nothing gets boring in Sheffield- there are always new people to meet and new things to try. It is a city that is continuously regenerating and expanding, and while it is the fourth biggest city in the UK, it isn’t intimidating or enormous. Few want to leave at the end of their course. Sheffield definitely comes highly recommended.

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