Bradford
30 Reviews by Students #124 out of 422 University locations
Always something or somewhere to go. Bus routes available. Town is a walk away. Eating out has a wide range of choices.
By member748231 On 15th May 2020
Study in Bradford
Bradford combines with next-door-neighbour Leeds to form one of the biggest urban areas in the UK but the area around the University of Bradford, where all your essentials are located, is actually quite compact.
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University of Bradford
The University of Bradford officially became a university over 50 years ago and today aims to provide courses that reflect the requirements of the modern world. They were the first British university to open a Department of Peace Studies in 1973. Their teaching has been recognised with a silver award by the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
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Bradford Student Life
Bradford is an exciting place to be a student, it’s known as a friendly and diverse city with a lot going on. It’s also in the heart of the countryside, making it easy to get some fresh country air and explore.
Cost of Living
Accommodation
Student accommodation costs in Bradford range from £40 - £176 per week; the average is £96 per week.
Compare the average elsewhere: Leeds: £177/week, Huddersfield: £130/week, Hull: £121/week.
(prices are for all purpose-built student accommodation (both private and university-owned) over the last 12 months, as listed on StudentCrowd)
The average price for:
A cheap meal at a restaurant: £10
A pint of beer: £3
A regular takeout coffee: £2.51
1L of milk: £0.91
A loaf of white bread: £0.97
Prices are about 5% lower than equivalent costs in Leeds and 3% lower than Hull. In terms of cost of living, Bradford is one of the most affordable places to live as a student.
(Source: Numbeo)
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Nights Out
The nightlife here is thriving, and can be found in two main areas; Manor Row and the West End. Both are within a short walk of the main university campus and contain a good mix of bars, clubs and restaurants.
Public Transport
If you know you’re going to stay mainly around Bradford then you won’t need a car, but if you like to explore away from the beaten track it’s not a bad idea. Bradford is extremely well connected by trains, with journeys to famously nightlife-friendly Leeds taking less than 30-mins and Manchester only 1 hour.
Eating Out
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Bread and Roses is a cafe, co-working space and art room that puts on events too. They serve local and seasonal food, tea and coffee. It’s a great place to go with friends or take some work and hunker down in the cool decor of the cafe.
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Sunbridge Wells is an underground arcade of bars, pubs and restaurants in restored historic tunnels. It’s a very cool space with vaulted ceilings and spiral staircases creating a buzzing atmosphere for drinks and eating.
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Shopping
Close to the main university campus are the main shopping areas around Forster Square and the Kirkgate Centre. As well as the ‘clone brands’ you’ll find in any town, Bradford has a lot of independent and family-run shops, meaning that there’s always a chance to hunt out a deal. There’s a couple of regular markets too, so making your money go a long way isn’t hard to do.
Cultural Guide
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Film
Bradford is famous for being a City of Film, and many of the main attractions focus around this. The Bradford International Film Festival is held here annually and draws a huge crowd, and for the rest of the year, film buffs can enjoy the National Media Museum, which has its own cinema and IMAX attached.
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Theatre
If you’re a fan of the theatre then it’s definitely worth checking out the Alhambra. As well as being a living slice of history this gorgeous old Victorian building is still a major venue and can take on anything from ballets and operas to concerts and touring West End productions.
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Galleries
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery is located in the picturesque Lister Park boasting some amazing artwork including the David Hockney Gallery. Impressions Gallery is one of the oldest photography galleries in Europe, keep an eye out for their events and new exhibitions.
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History
If you’re willing to travel a bit further you can visit the historic villages of Saltaire and Haworth. Both of them look like they could have jumped straight out of a Victorian novel.
Top 10 Bradford Accommodation
The Green
I am writing from one of the refurbished en-suites. Internet is lightning fast and overall very consistent. Social experience will depend I assume, bu...
Read Bradford Reviews
I like how Bradford is...
I like how Bradford is close to the countryside with still having a city feel. read more
The town is rather different...
The town is rather different to what I am used to but overall has a wide range of shops to look into read more
I loved the town here....
I loved the town here. Everything is just few steps away read more
Don’t use public transport...
Don’t use public transport or go on nights out read more
Low rate for public transport...
Low rate for public transport as I didn't use it, however everything is at walking distance so it's perfect read more
Everywhere is super close...
Everywhere is super close and a walking distance away! There is not really a night life but you can easily access leeds via train read more
It's lockdown, so hard...
It's lockdown, so hard to judge. I came from London so it's nice to see some reasonable prices for a change. I can say that the fast food is of a higher quality than from where I came from in London. They seem to really hold their fast food to high standards here. I really appreciate that. I ate out a couple of times before lockdown, which was good, and there is a cinema around that would be cool to visit if it ever opens again. Shopping overall is pretty standard. I walk everywhere so I have no idea about public transport. There are a lot of derelict buildings, but you also get nice views since it is very hilly. The weather was snowy also during winter which was quite beautiful. I think it's because Bradford is at a relatively high altitude. read more
Great experience so far
Great experience so far read more
The Green is the best...
The Green is the best place in Bradford read more
Not much to do, but you...
Not much to do, but you will still find ways to get entertainment and go out with friends read more
Great place to live,...
Great place to live, coming from the Midlands, a lot of the living costs are cheaper here. A vibrant, lively place to live. The only worry is night life, as various girls I've spoken to around here say they avoid going out at night, as the night life is fairly boring, and they don't feel safe, which is clearly a big worry read more
It is a suburban city...
It is a suburban city that is lovely and easy to navigate. read more
Cost of living is remarkably...
Cost of living is remarkably low but as a foreigner, Im unused to UK restaurant pricing read more
Not what I expected but...
Not what I expected but do love living here read more
Yayyayayayayaya
Yayyayayayayaya read more
Bradford is a nice city,...
Bradford is a nice city, Bradford has a lot of nature places, so it is not boring to live here. read more
I have never used the...
I have never used the public transport. The eating out is decent. One good all you can eat Chinese buffet. Shopping there is atrocious n the cost of living is I dunno read more
City centre is not bad...
City centre is not bad but could have improved in terms of hygiene with littering and the rat issues. It is convening to travel to nearby city e.g. Leeds, Manchester and York read more
Good pubs to go to but...
Good pubs to go to but no good nightclub. Broadway is great for shopping and trains are frequent. Good atmosphere in the city centre read more
Depends what you looking...
Depends what you looking for. read more
very good and cheap place...
very good and cheap place to live in.one can say some properties are underpriced well some are overpriced .this is my first year so I don't have much to say but it has been ok so far read more
Bradford is one of the...
Bradford is one of the reasonable cities in terms of money. It has alot of place to have fun. read more
Always something or somewhere...
Always something or somewhere to go. Bus routes available. Town is a walk away. Eating out has a wide range of choices. read more
Night life is very poor....
Night life is very poor. Not much going on read more
It's a nice place to...
It's a nice place to be in. It's full of students read more
Overall a great and calm...
Overall a great and calm place read more
It is a little expensive...
It is a little expensive for some of us read more
It’s a bit expensive...
It’s a bit expensive however a lot to do in the area read more
City centre is small...
City centre is small but enough for shopping. read more
To eat out Bradford is...
To eat out Bradford is famous for it but for everything else I'd say Leeds is better read more