5 Reasons Lancaster is a great student city

By Finty Royle

Lancaster boasts a lovely city which is great for students. Finty Royle, a current Lancaster University student shares her top reasons why you should stay in Lancaster for uni. Finty will be staying just a short distance from the town centre this year at Bailrigg Student Living, our new Lancaster student accommodation. 

Lancaster is not only safer and cheaper than other UK cities, but it also has many other great qualities.

1. Great for foodies

Lancaster is a great place if you are a food lover. It has cafes to suit all tastebuds and dietary preferences. There are some really great places to eat during the day such as The Whale Tail café with its regular exhibitions, The Herbarium with its yoga space, The music room with its rumoured best coffee in town or Vincenzo’s Coffee House with its Italian style menu. There are also an array of great restaurants offering a range of cuisines whether you’re into sushi or pub classics. If you are short for time or in need of some comfort eats, there are also the big brands of McDonalds, Costa, Bella Italia, KFC etc...

2. The Nightlife

Lancaster has a few good nightclubs and one of the big positives of Lancaster being a small university city is the fact it is safe, so getting home after a night out shouldn’t be too much of a worry. The most popular nightclub in Lancaster is Sugarhouse. Open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, each night has a different theme. The club regularly hosts famous DJs. With the Sugar Bus running to and from campus there’s no excuse to give it a miss. Luckily our student accommodation in Lancaster, Bailrigg student Living is only 5 minutes from campus so the bus will drop you off right on your doorstep. Dalton Rooms & Glow is another good club with frequent student nights as well as Elements, Revolution Lancaster and The Friary. However, if you do fancy a trip out, Manchester and Preston are only a short train ride away. If a pub crawl is your thing, Lancaster has many old-fashioned pubs to choose from whether in the castles former wine cellars (Merchants 1688) or along the canal (The Water Witch).

3. Shopping

Lancaster has many great shops whether you are in need of weekly essentials or some retail therapy. In the town centre, the Marketgate shopping centre hosts many big brand shops. Additionally, the Bi-weekly Charter market shouldn’t be missed with its 40 stalls offering a range of products from cheap fruit and veg to jewellery. If you’re on the lookout for great clothes on a budget, every term the Town Hall hosts vintage clothing sales where you pay for your clothes by weight. There are also many charity shops to get fantastic clothing at a good price. 

4. Green spaces

The city centre itself is full of green spaces and parks. Williamson Park in particular is a perfect place for a picnic overlooking Morecambe Bay and the Lake District. If you fancy a stroll or a trip on two wheels, there’s also the River Lune footpath and the canal. In addition, the hills of the Lake District are only a short train ride away

5. Arts and culture

Lancaster University has been key in the development of Lancaster as a city of Arts and Culture. Throughout the year there are festivals with live music and dance such as Lancaster music festival, the jazz festival and Highest point festival. The four day ‘Light up Lancaster’ event is a yearly festival which features a variety of illuminations, dance, music and culminates with a spectacular firework display at the castle. Many of the stewards at the event are student volunteers. The Storey hosts a weekly open mic session called Spotlight which is a friendly place to share poetry, music and comedy. It is also the site of Litfest, which includes workshops and talks from authors. In terms of theatres, there are two - The Grand Theatre and the Dukes Theatre and cinema. 

Lancaster has some exciting places to visit with something on offer for everyone. You don’t want to miss out on any of this. After all your adventures in Lancaster you’ll need your own comfortable Lancaster student housing to relax in, so why not call Bailrigg Student Living home this year so you can enjoy life both inside and outside your home.