Coventry Reviews

Living in Coventry

Two universities are based here: Coventry University has halls and facilities spread throughout the centre while the University of Warwick is on the edge of town. It’s the second largest city in the Midlands (with Birmingham being the biggest) so it’s got a lot to offer its students.

Coventry used to have a bit of a reputation for its 1960s and ‘70s architecture - not its fault as most of the place got flattened during World War Two and had to be rebuilt. However thanks to the 2012 Olympics parts of it have been getting a facelift. Besides, we can appreciate ‘60s architecture! We like... boxy, and... concrete. St Michael’s cathedral, however, still has some of it’s former glory. The new cathedral was built next to the bombed ruins of the old one, and the massive spire and hollow shell are still an impressive sight. Put it on your To Do list.

Shopping-wise, the list is pretty long, but we’ll keep it simple for you. There’s an indoor market, a high street area, the independant Greyfriars Walk, and three big shopping centres. In ascending order of awesome, they are Cathedral Lanes Shopping Centre, Lower Precinct and finally West Orchards. The nightlife on Coventry probably isn’t going to blow your mind, but there’s definitely enough here to keep you busy, with big student favourites being Kasbah, Jumpin Jaks and the smaller but atmospheric Careys. Priory Place has some stylish bars and restaurants - a good place to take your mum when she visits, or that hot coursemate you finally asked out, and of course there’s a good range of pubs.

There’s a couple of cinemas in the city, including an Odeon in the Skydome. If you’ve not heard of this then it’s an all-purpose entertainment venue. As well as the cinema there’s an ice rink where the Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey team play, some places to eat, and an arena for concert gigs. In Conventry you’ll also find a big emphasis on sport, with the Ricoh Arena housing the citys football cllub (plus any international music acts who visit). There’s an Olympic-sized swimming pool only five minutes from campus and a speedway, home of the successful Coventry Bees.

But I have no money

• Herbert Art Gallery and Museum: From fossilised sea critters through to weird modern art that nobody really understands, the Herbert has all your bases covered. Free to enter (but a charge for parking, so take the bus)
• Airbase Museum and Coventry Transport Museum: One for the gearheads. Both museums have free entry and rooms packed with planes, trains, and automobiles.
• War Memorial Park: This is the biggest park close to the town centre, and a great place to kick back for an afternoon with your mates. If you need a bit more space and can get some friends and a car together, Coombe Country Park is a breath of fresh air 10mins away from the city. There’s a big manor with huge grounds to explore, and you only have to pay for the parking.

Good to know

• Taxi: Metro Taxi
• Birmingham: 30mins by train. Sorted.
• Famous for: Coventry’s most famous local is probably Lady Godiva who, legend claims, famously rode through Coventry completely naked to protest the high taxes levied against the town. Student protestors are a common sight in the UK, but we’ve not yet heard of any that have gone quite as far she she did!

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