The city of Newcastle is an extremely popular choice for prospective undergraduates. With two excellent universities located in the city centre, offering a huge range of courses and world class facilities, it’s easy to see why Newcastle and Northumbria are the top choices for many students when it comes to narrowing down their list of places to start their higher education journey.
Of course, we all know that many things are taken into consideration before going to uni, not just the quality of the university itself. Students will be looking for a place they feel comfortable in. With courses lasting at least 3 years, it’s important that the place they choose contains all (or most) of the things that are important to them and a lot of that will depend on what the area as a whole has to offer.
Many will be looking for an easily accessible city, with great nightlife and shopping options as well as friendly locals. Newcastle certainly fits the bill when it comes to these particular criteria!
Another key consideration for all students, whether they are freshers or already partway through their course, is to decide where they will live for the academic year that lies ahead.
For freshers, this process can be a bit daunting, particularly if they are new to the area. Those students who are about to start their second or third year may decide to remain in their existing accommodation, but often they will look to find somewhere new.
Here we will take a look at the accommodation options for Northumbria University students, whether they are existing students or about to begin the first year of their course.
Photo Credit: “Northumbria University, City Campus East” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by dun_deagh
Student Halls
University halls are often the most popular choice for any student who moves to a new city to begin the very first year of their higher education. This option can be a great way to meet new people who share the same situation i.e. they have moved to a new place far from their home and don’t know anybody. However this is not the only option to consider – private student housing is available for any student, no matter what year they are in.
If you can’t decide which option would be best for you, our handy blog post which looks at the key differences between student halls and student housing should help.
At Northumbria University there are two different types of halls which a student can consider; university managed halls and privately managed halls. The former are provided by the university itself and include buildings such as Quay Point, Camden Court and Trinity Square.
The facilities and options vary greatly between each individual hall. Some will have shared bathrooms, others will have rooms with private en-suites. Some will be fully self-catering, others will be catered.
Student halls are not as popular a choice amongst freshers who are already residents of the city, for example, those who attended a school close to their university. Often they will decide to rent a private house with their friends from school or nearby who are also about to start their university life.
Private Student Housing
Renting a private house is what most students do from the 2nd year onwards. Those who have spent their first year in halls, will be ready to move into a house or apartment with their friends and enjoy a totally different experience. As mentioned before though, renting a private house is an option for all students, including freshers.
So what options do Northumbria students have when it comes to private accommodation? In short, the answer is plenty!
Below are some of the most popular areas…
Jesmond
Probably the most popular area for students to live in due to the number of pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes in the vicinity and its close proximity to the city centre. With two Metro stations, it also provides easy access to other areas throughout the North East.
There are a huge number of fantastic student properties in Jesmond, with several having 6, 7 or even 8 individual bedrooms.
Heaton
Heaton offers exceptional value when it comes to student housing and is also known for its great selection of places to eat and drink, especially along Chillingham Road and Heaton Road. There are plenty of bus routes and a Metro Station that link Heaton with Newcastle and surrounding areas in the North East, including the beautiful coast. The city centre can also be reached relatively easily by foot from Heaton (expect a walk of around 20-30mins).
The most popular places in Heaton for students to reside can be found in the terraced streets coming off Chillingham Road and Heaton Road. If you choose to live here you will have access to plenty of cafes, shops, restaurants and pubs, just a stone’s throw away from your door.
Sandyford
In between the centre of Newcastle and Jesmond you will find Sandyford – an area which is also very popular for students. Those who live here can expect to reach most places they want to visit regularly by foot, which can save a lot of money in the long term.
Sandyford itself is much smaller than Jesmond and Heaton but it still has a great selection of places to eat, buy groceries and get a coffee. A short walk towards Jesmond Metro Station will bring you near to the popular student haunt, Holy Hobo and increasingly closer to the bustling Osborne Road.
So Much Choice
Above are just three popular areas to consider when looking for a private student house in Newcastle, but there are many more, including the city centre itself, the Quayside and other nearby suburbs such as Gosforth.
Visit the student lettings section of our website to see more great places to live during your time at university and explore some fantastic properties which are available right now.
