Outlaws, caves, and some of England's oldest pubs make Nottingham far from your average student city.
Nottingham has everything you could ask for in a city, without being too large or busy, like Birmingham or London. Public transport links are amazing, and it’s very easy to get across the city quickly. The Lace Market area is very vibrant, full of quirky bars and restaurants. [The] live music scene is great if you’re into smaller bands. Venues like Rock City and Rescue Rooms are fantastic for intimate concerts. Motorpoint Arena also attracts lots of world-famous acts. (University of Nottingham student)
What Nottingham's famous for...
Robin Hood
Nottingham's outlaw – famous for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
Nottingham nightlife, according to students
The nightlife in Nottingham is insane! Every night of the week has a student night, with doubles as cheap as £2.50. Ocean is the best night out if you go to [Nottingham] Trent, because we dress up in fancy dress, and have a bar crawl from 6:30pm till 11pm, then go to the club. It gets messy. It’s so diverse – you will never be bored. There is always something to do. (Third year student, Nottingham Trent University)
Rebel Writers
The city's rich literary heritage includes controversial-for-their-time authors like Lord Byron. (Image credit: lexyfj, Instagram)
Nottingham nightlife, according to students
Hockley is the best area of the city if you want to find bars. There’s Pit and Pendulum, Baa Bar, Hockley Arts Club, and many more hidden away. A lot of them have very good student offers as well, particularly Coco Tang, Pepper Rocks, and Bunk. Most of the clubs can be found around the Arboretum area including Stealth, Rock City and Trent Student Union. (Third year student, University of Nottingham)
UK's oldest pub
Allegedly, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem dates back to AD1189 making it the oldest in the UK.
Student life in Nottingham
Local gems, tips, and things to do, as recommended by students.
Low on cash
Wollaton Park has two museums which are free and worth a visit. [It's] a massive park, with deer, and a massive house used as a film set in Batman. (Second year student, University of Nottingham)
Friday feeling
Rock City, Rock City, and more Rock City! Just the best place on this Earth! Also, [it's] free entry before 11pm on Fridays. (Nottingham Trent University student)
Sunday chilling
The Arboretum is a beautiful park. For Trent students, it's right on the doorstep of City campus, with plenty of space for sunbathing and picnics. (Third year student, Nottingham Trent University)
When family visit
When my parents come down, we take the dog to Sherwood Forest, and go to local pubs which are dog friendly, such as The Bread and Bitter. (Second year student, Nottingham Trent University)
Feeling cultural
Nottingham Contemporary hosts different [and] exciting exhibitions throughout the year, if you're into modern art. (University of Nottingham student)
Catch up with mates
Kitty Cafe is a unique place to hang out, full of cats! Great fun. (University of Nottingham student)
Treat yourself
The Lace Market area of Nottingham has a lot of cocktail bars and fancy restaurants for special occasions. (Nottingham Trent University student)
Grab a bite
Annie’s Burger Shack has become synonymous with Nottingham. [It has] some crazy burger ideas. (Second year student, University of Nottingham)
Nottingham in pictures
The River Trent
Beautiful when it's sunny out. (Joshua, third year student at University of Nottingham)
Living in Nottingham, according to students
Lenton is the most popular neighbourhood for University of Nottingham students, right between the main campus and the city centre. There are regular buses on a loop between the campus and city centre. House prices and quality vary across the area. You can get a really cheap house share, or pay a bit more for a nicer, renovated house. There are a few pubs that are really popular with the students, like The Rose and Crown. There are also loads of little takeaways dotted about, for your post-night out food. (Third year student, University of Nottingham)
Wollaton Park
One day in late March I was very stressed about university work, and needed a break. I hopped on the bus, and spent an afternoon exploring the park until sunset. (Hannah Treacher, second year student at University of Nottingham)
City centre
(Joshua, third year student at University of Nottingham)
Living in Nottingham, according to students
Beeston is much quieter due to it being more of a family area, so it was definitely a good choice for third year. Our house was also cheaper than houses of a similar size in Lenton. The only downside is that most of my friends and other students live in Lenton, so it is a bit of a faff to go see them. Also, it is a bit more expensive to get back after a night out as it is the opposite side of campus to town. (Third year student, University of Nottingham)
Wollaton Park
I caught a massive group of deer basking in the afternoon sun. (Hannah Treacher, second year student at University of Nottingham)
Living in Nottingham
Housing, travel, and budgeting tips.
Where you'll find students
Local transport
- £17 Student Easyrider Everyday 7 Day ticket
- £12 Under 19 Easyrider Everyday 7 Day ticket
- Bus
Student money tips
The Savoy Cinema in Lenton has quite cheap cinema tickets, so I would always go there rather than the expensive cinema in town. It's also really easy to get to on the bus if you live in Beeston or Dunkirk. (Third year student, University of Nottingham)
The cost of living as a student soon adds up, us our budget calculator to find out roughly how much you'll need each month.
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