[lauzalot]

Hey, i am currently completing my foundation year in photography and i plan to come and study at UWE in september. I am currently going through the process of choosing accommodation which is stressing me out! does anyone have any information on where to live!? i am looking at the Frenchay student village and the market gate accommodation. Just wondering where would be good for my first year? I'm a really sociable person and love city atmosphere so this is swaying me more towards living in the city.

So yeah helpppp please!
What are other people planning on doing ?
Thanks Laura x

[DanSmithyy]

Marketgate is the best for Bower Ashton which I've applied for . It's also close to city centre for work and clubbing!

[TheBigI]

(Original post by lauzalot)
Hey, i am currently completing my foundation year in photography and i plan to come and study at UWE in september. I am currently going through the process of choosing accommodation which is stressing me out! does anyone have any information on where to live!? i am looking at the Frenchay student village and the market gate accommodation. Just wondering where would be good for my first year? I'm a really sociable person and love city atmosphere so this is swaying me more towards living in the city.

So yeah helpppp please!
What are other people planning on doing ?
Thanks Laura x

For studying at Bower Ashton, Marketgate is the best, as it is a 20-30min bus ride away. Frenchay would be too far away from Bower Ashton as it is about an hour bus ride away.

[lauzalot]

thanks I have gone for Market gate first choice and Student Village second

[Weloveclover]

(Original post by lauzalot)
Hey, i am currently completing my foundation year in photography and i plan to come and study at UWE in september. I am currently going through the process of choosing accommodation which is stressing me out! does anyone have any information on where to live!? i am looking at the Frenchay student village and the market gate accommodation. Just wondering where would be good for my first year? I'm a really sociable person and love city atmosphere so this is swaying me more towards living in the city.

So yeah helpppp please!
What are other people planning on doing ?
Thanks Laura x

I'm currently a photography student at UWE, may well have actually interviewed you.... Anyway, although the campus side is cool and all it is an hour plus away from Bower. Most artistic people live in Marketgate and so can help to make contacts. I currently live with 2 fashion, 1 animation, 1 graphic and a fine art student.

Seeing as you have been considering Frenchay I don't know if you need a cheaper option but you have Favell house which is ok but I swear it turns half of the residents into druggies (but they have good parties!). You get a bus pass included. It is also bang next to cabot circus so if you get bored there is lots of stuff to do and you're not having to pay for taxis all the time.

[madison24]

I'm having the same problem. I had planned on living in Carrol Court before my course just got moved to Bower Ashton..UWE recommends Marketgate..and Frenchay is too far away to commute, it;s like an hour away by bus. I don't really know what to do

[Cousanzibar]

I was seconds from confirming for Student village, then luckily checked my emails. Turns out Journalism's been moved to Bower Ashton, and I have no idea where to live, other than Marketgate. I haven't even seen the area or campus...

So, I have 4 priorities I have to choose. Marketgate's the only UWE one close to Bower Ashton, am I right?
Presuming that others are in the same situation as me, I'd like to know where else to look at!

Cheers

[madison24]

(Original post by Cousanzibar)
I was seconds from confirming for Student village, then luckily checked my emails. Turns out Journalism's been moved to Bower Ashton, and I have no idea where to live, other than Marketgate. I haven't even seen the area or campus...

So, I have 4 priorities I have to choose. Marketgate's the only UWE one close to Bower Ashton, am I right?
Presuming that others are in the same situation as me, I'd like to know where else to look at!

Cheers

Hello! I'm in that same situation, doing Journalism and PR. I'm really bummed about the course move..and I'm now searching for accommodation except Marketgate, because I've heard really nasty stuff about it..I'm just looking for something in the city centre, since it's the closest to Bower Ashton.

[Cousanzibar]

You've heard nasty stuff about it? Like what?

Anyway, I'm not sure where the other UWE ones are, so Google is in order. Do you know about any of the private ones? I know some people wrote about them, but I'd like a few opinions

[madison24]

Well I read somewhere like forums and reviews that it's pretty much a place for party people and club goers, so they come home wasted and stuff..I don't know if it's all true or if it's the same , or it was just a bad coincidence,but still...I read one article about this in UWE's newspaper, the WesternEye , about a girl who had it pretty bad living there it scared me a bit.
Hmm I know about others from UNITE and the ones from College Green( that are really awesome, but they're expensive , but I assume they deserve the money), and right now Google's my best friend,really trying to find something :/
What have you heard?

[Cousanzibar]

I've heard nothing, really. I'm woefully ignorant of any halls other than the UWE ones, since I didn't bother looking at anything other than Student Village/Carrol Court.

I might try calling them on Monday, and try searching through my facebook friends list to see if any of them go/went to UWE

Give me a shout if you find anything useful! I'll try and do the same

[madison24]

Sure, will do

[Weloveclover]

(Original post by madison24)
Iread one article about this in UWE's newspaper, the WesternEye , about a girl who had it pretty bad living there it scared me a bit.

Half her story was lies and/or her own fault. She overexaggurated so she would get a place as wellfare representitive ¬_¬. Their flat was a complete dump when I went there with like 10 full bin bgas lying around, hence the mice. I have had run ins with Unite like recently had no TV for a month (first world problems) but Unite dealt with it well once you get on their case. Some stuff does slip through the net when you run a building that size.

(Original post by Cousanzibar)
Do you know about any of the private ones? I know some people wrote about them, but I'd like a few opinions

I would say 80% of private halls are owned by unite the same people who provide the majority of UWEs properties, so the standard is the same if not worse from my experience and they're more expensive.

Right here's my run down of Bower suitable properties, private and UWE:

Marketgate- I have lived here for a year now, it is the best city center accomodation provided by UWE. Don't be put off by stuff online most of it are people who think they have the god given right to get money back if they break something or a lightbulb goes out ¬_¬. EXTREMELY central, you literally cross the ring road and you're in Cabot Circus. Some mix of students but mainly bower/art people. Ensuite as well which is always nice

Favell/Waverly- Very similar properties both right next to each other probably about 30ft between the entrances. I'm not to familiar with waverly but told it's identical to Favell so shoved them together. 2 Bathrooms per 6 people. Double beds some rooms are double the size of marketgate (luck of the draw). kitchen's can be quite small though. Has a wider mix of people from my experience with quite a few from frenchay. The buildings are in worse quality than Marketgate. Pretty central with cabot being 10mins away and park street about 10mins away as well. Again I think it has a bus pass not 100%, sometimes the buses ignore the stop though because they're dicks.

Transom House- Bit of a dump, wouldn't reccomend at all. Have good friends there so have been there many a time. When the moved in the table literally fell apart, there was a hole in the wall which we have decided must have been someone's head. Shared bathrooms again, don't think bus pass is included.Had drug problems there this year and several robberies. Can't remember if this is a UWE property or not, don't think so though.

Hotwells House- Not worth the money. Hotwells road is basically one of two main locations you move to in the second year (like I am!). I'm only going off what a friend has told me so they may have different standards to me. There has been robberies to this property from external people, like they stole the WHOLE bike rack. It is also suprisingly isolated as all the other bower students are likely to be more city center and the other students areound you will be in non-halls and probably not as welcoming to freshers. alot closer to uni easily within walking/cycling distance. Not sure who manages the property it's not unite.

Pheonix Court-This is a non UWE Unite managed property that is literally on the side of Marketgate.It is very similar to marketgate but slightly more modern and better planned. However it is more expensive and you would have to buy a us pass which is like £300 for the year I think. It's ensuite again, room size is the same as Marketgate. People wise it has not just UWE but also UoB students. I found it has a larger number of international students than marketgate (probably due to the price).

Nelson/Drake Houses- I have very little/ no experience of these halls, sorry.

If I think of any more halls I will edit them in. If anyone is also interested I can provide more comprehensive images of marketgate than those online but you would have to wait until monday when I'm back in Bristol and have hovered.

Party wise Favell and Waverly are more the party house and has a withstanding reputation of drug related stuff. Marketgate is pretty mellow most of the time not much crazy out of hand stuff happens. Transom is the most boring place ever, nothing happens it's too small. Pheonix doesn't party that much neither does hotwells house.

Of course stuff like robberies/parties/drug abuse changes year to year based on the occupants of that year. This is my opinion I may well be horrifically wrong for your year, but it's alot better advice than I recieved :P

[madison24]

Thanks Weloveclover! Very useful post and I'd sure like those images!
I know stuff on the internet can be unreliable, subjective etc which sucks for people that don't have the opportunity to visit before agreeding to move..

[Cousanzibar]

Yeah, thanks a lot, that's great. I was a little sceptical about the same article, seemed a little too bad to be true (hopefully that's possible...?)
Based on what you've said, I'm thinking either Marketgate or Phoenix Court. The bus pass and gym membership sound good though, so Marketgate's winning atm.
Only Marketgate appears on the UWE website list, so perhaps that's the only one with a bus pass?
Also, are Favell/Waverly actually good? You say the buildings are worse quality - is this badly so?

Anyway, enough questions, thanks for the help!

[Cousanzibar]

Oh, I also just saw a post about Nelson house. Know anything about that one?

[Weloveclover]

(Original post by Cousanzibar)
Oh, I also just saw a post about Nelson house. Know anything about that one?

Unfortunatley I think I have been to Nelson/Drake once but was horrifically drunk so can't really comment on them, sorry.

(Original post by Cousanzibar)
Yeah, thanks a lot, that's great. I was a little sceptical about the same article, seemed a little too bad to be true (hopefully that's possible...?)
Based on what you've said, I'm thinking either Marketgate or Phoenix Court. The bus pass and gym membership sound good though, so Marketgate's winning atm.
Only Marketgate appears on the UWE website list, so perhaps that's the only one with a bus pass?
Also, are Favell/Waverly actually good? You say the buildings are worse quality - is this badly so?

Yeah the problem with student accomodation is that no one cleans and so they get problems from rubbish,stains etc. which they then blame Unite for. I find if they aren't doing what you have asked just make your problem known by seeing them on a daily basis and it will get done. I realised during freshers that there was a select group of people who all they did was complain saying they want refunds after 1 day, it's like how can you have had such a bad experience that demands financial reinbursment. /rant

I don't think they provide the gym membership anymore as it's completely pointless seeing as frenchay gym is close to an hour away. The SU president got everyone in marketgate a refund for the gym who were based on bower campus on the basis we don't go there. Saved us like £130 I think, you may have the option not to take it, personally I wouldn't bother with it as it's so far away. You might as well use the money for one of the gyms in the city.

Waverly and Favell aren't that bad I think they were partially re done for my year. The building in general just seems to take more abuse from the occupants than those in other places. Just small things as well like the floor corridors are carpeted in marketgate. Just those sort of little differences, again take everything I say with a pinch of salt I'm basing this off my experiences and my opinions! (Who knows they may even put carpet down in Favell this summer.....)

[Cousanzibar]

Ok, thanks a lot. One more thing: is it possible to apply for both UWE and Unite accommodation, and turn one down if I get two offers? UWE's system is a 4-way preference, but I'd imagine they'd make sure all the Bower Ashton ppl are in the right place, surely?

[Weloveclover]

(Original post by Cousanzibar)
Ok, thanks a lot. One more thing: is it possible to apply for both UWE and Unite accommodation, and turn one down if I get two offers? UWE's system is a 4-way preference, but I'd imagine they'd make sure all the Bower Ashton ppl are in the right place, surely?

As long as you have somewhere to live they don't care where you are, they obviously prioritise city centre for bower students. Pretty sure you can apply for uwe and unite but you may have to put a deposit on the unite property. Not 100%.

[natalietc]

(Original post by Weloveclover)
Hotwells House- Not worth the money. .Not sure who manages the property it's not unite.

??

hotwells house is actually cheaper than the other unite accommodations so that doesnt make much sense... and its run by Mansion Student x