The Student Room Group
Mappin Building
University of Sheffield
Sheffield

Postgrad Accommodation

This question has probably been asked many times over, but I am trying to get a clear perspective. I am an incoming postgraduate student to Sheffield beginning in September and I am trying to determine the best option for accommodation.

I am in my early-mid 20's and coming from the USA. I don't know anyone in Sheffield, so I am looking for the best choice that allows me to meet new people, study, and also those who like to go out and travel.

I have read about the University accommodation options online, and I can't say I am sold on any options. I like the social aspect of Endcliffe, but I am more inclined to live close to the city center and the central campus. Also, I am a bit partial to having a little bit of a larger bed, if it's available.

Another option that I would like to consider is the private accommodations. Are there buildings that are more desirable and cost effective than others? It is difficult to gauge this from their websites.

Ideally I'd like to live with those who's primary language is English, as I think it will be easier to relate. Any insight is appreciated, and thanks to everyone who's still reading.

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Hiya I am in the same boat as you, trawling through tonnes of properties at the moment trying to find a decent one and some housemates! Would you consider a house share?
Mappin Building
University of Sheffield
Sheffield
Hi,

Choosing where you live really depends on the type of housemates you'd like to have. As a postgraduate, if you apply for university accommodation, it is likely you will get placed in a flat with other postgraduate students. Though there is postgraduate accommodation in all three of our student residency areas, I have to say that Endcliffe is predominantly undergraduate (the only postgraduate flats are in the Rivellin Halls, or in two of the university-owned shared houses). Though a lovely place (I lived there in my first year of university and loved it), Endcliffe is known as the least quiet of all the three residencies, so if you're after a more laid-back, study-based atmosphere I would suggest you opt for Ranmoor, which is a smaller, quieter village with more postgraduate-aimed accommodation (mostly en-suite apartments or self-contained studios which have their own kitchen and bathroom). Ranmoor is also only 5 minutes further up the road than Endcliffe, so you'll still have access to all the same amenities, and you're close enough to Endcliffe to take advantage of their facilities and activities should you want to. The only downside to Ranmoor (based on your specifications) is that there are no deluxe (double bed) rooms available in shared flats here - those are only available at Endcliffe and the City & Central Campus. If you want to be closer to the town centre, the City & Central accommodation is very close to both the city centre and the university buildings, which is great for socialising. Postgraduate accommodation here is mainly flats and apartments, and although this accommodation perhaps doesn't always have the "village community" feel of Ranmoor or Endcliffe, it's probably where you'll find the most postgraduate students.

You can find more about our postgraduate accommodation here: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/accommodation/prospective/postgrad

Opting for a house-share is sometimes less easy to apply for, but gives you more control over who you live with (who you live with in university accommodation is often the luck of the draw - although, don't let that put you off! It can work out marvelously - the girls I lived with in my first year are still my best friends five and a half years later). If you do want to go down this route, the university can help you - propertywithUS are a University team who help students find private accommodation. They have a great list of houses/ house-shares on their books and they'll be able to advise you on all matters related to private housing. Here's their website: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/propertywithus. I would suggest dropping them an email and asking for advice if you decide you want to look for a house-share.

Other good websites to search for house-shares on are Gumtree Sheffield and Accommodation for Students. On both these sites, you can browse adds from people looking for housemates, and you can also post your own add stating what you're after and then people can get back to you with offers.

I also thought that you might not be completely familiar with Sheffield, so I've included a run down of some of the more popular student areas below, which I hope you'll find helpful if you are planning on looking for private accommodation. I've lived in all these areas (apart from Nether Edge) and have been equally happy in all of them for different reasons. One of the best things about Sheffield is that it is so compact, so most places you need as a student are only a short walk away. It's also a very green city, so you'll never be too far from a park, and there are trees everywhere (about 4 to every inhabitant, I think). In general, the city is a very pleasant, attractive place to live so I'm sure which ever area you choose, you'll be happy.

On a final note, if you're concerned about meeting like-minded people, I cannot recommend getting involved in a society enough. We have over 300 to choose from, including sports, academic, media, faith, volunteering and special-interest societies, so you're bound to find a group of people who have the same interests as you to socialise and have fun with. :smile:

Let me know if you've got any questions and I'll do my best to answer them!

Best wishes,

Georgie, Student Communications Team at the University of Sheffield.

---

Broomhill - a great student area about 20 minutes walk away from the main university campus (or you can take the 120 bus - all bus fairs for students are a standard £1 in Sheffield, regardless of how long the journey is). There's everything you need here, including two supermarkets, several independent shops, a butchers, a greengrocer, a couple of hairdressers, plenty of cafes and restaurants and a couple of really nice pubs. It's en route to Endcliffe and Ranmoor, so it's a very popular area for students.

Crookesmoor - very close to the University (as close as a 10 minute walk to some buildings, depending on where you live). A good range of shops located on the main street of Barber Road, close to the Goodwin Sports Centre (which is the University owned sports centre, comprising of leisure facilities, a gym, a swimming pool and the Matrix bouldering wall) and close to three nice green spaces - Crookes Valley park, Western Park and the Ponderosa. You'd also be close to the amazing Beanies greengrocer and health food shop, which many students consider to be a massive plus.

Crookes - slightly further away than Crookesmoor, but not much, this is probably the most popular student area in Sheffield. There is a very good range of shops and amenities on Crookes High Street (very similar to those you have in Broomhill, although Broomhill is only a 10-15 walk away anyway, depending on where you live), as well as the lovely Hercule cafe and chocolate shop and several good pubs and restaurants. It's about a 25 minute walk to the main University campus (again, this depends on where you live) and the Goodwin Sports Centre will usually be on your walk to and from uni. You can also take the 52 bus from outside the University, which runs very regularly (about every 2-3 minutes at busy times).

Walkley - this area tends to be popular with final year/ postgrad students as it is a little further out and the properties tend to be slightly cheaper to rent. It's about 30 minutes walk away from the campus, or you can take the 95 bus (which runs about every ten minutes). It's a lovely residential area, with a local super market and an excellent farm shop and butchers located on the high street (I believe there is also an artisan bakers that has opened recently). There's a couple of large supermarkets a short walk away, or there's also a pretty decent Asda on the high street.

The Groves - technically part of Broomhall, the Groves is a really lovely area located close to the Sheffield Botanical Gardens and about 20 minutes walk from the University campus (there's no bus, but the walk is really flat so you probably wouldn't need one!) It's close to Ecclesall Road, which is a really bustling, vibrant street full of independent shops and restaurants (you can get a bus from here into the city centre really easily too). Less students tend to live down this way (I'm not sure why), but it's a great area to live in if you can find a place.

Hunters Bar - generally more popular with Sheffield Hallam students, but still in reasonable distance of the University of Sheffield. Very close to Eccelsall Road and also Sharrow Road, which is full of interesting little shops, galleries and restaurants. Plenty of student accommodation and excellent transport routes to the city centre. You're also close to the amazing Endcliffe park, through which you can walk through right out in the Peak District National Park.

Nether Edge - probably the furthest area from the University Campus, but it's still a great area - very leafy and green, with some lovely houses. Again you'd be close to Ecclesall Road and the equally lovely Sharrowvale Road, but it would be a bit of a walk to University (probably about 45 minutes) and there isn't a direct bus as far as I know.
Hello :-)

I'm just going to jump in on this conversation! Thank you so much for all of the info above, having never been to Sheffield in my life it's very interesting. I'm going to be a postgrad student too and am really not sure where is the best place to stay. I've been reading as much as I can about it and I've seen a few mentions of Opal 2 - is this better or worse than uni accommodation? Are there any other privately run halls that I should consider? Also, which of the halls are the most modern? I'd probably rather not be in really old fashioned accommodation!

Thank you X
Reply 4
Hello everybody,
Im gonna do Msc in Economics, so Iv already chosen three halls, which are very close to my Department. IQ Brocco, Opal 2 and Broadlane Courts. But Iv also found so many comments and opinions of these halls, not good at all :frown: , they r all with one voice say about red light areas, exactly near my Department. Im a girl, so would prefer to be safe. Do u have any suggestions or opinions of other accommodation, cos Im really confused now. :s-smilie:
Thank u
Reply 5
Thanks everyone for the replies. Does anyone have a breakdown of the private accommodation halls such as IQ Brocco, Broadlane Courts, Opal 2, ect. in regards to price, room options, proximity, types of students, safety? I think something like this would be very helpful. Additionally, is it possible to find a house without know everyone who would be living it in. It seem these options are all a lot cheaper than University accommodation and may include a better group of postgrads to live with.
Original post by hannahbanana4545
Hello :-)

I'm just going to jump in on this conversation! Thank you so much for all of the info above, having never been to Sheffield in my life it's very interesting. I'm going to be a postgrad student too and am really not sure where is the best place to stay. I've been reading as much as I can about it and I've seen a few mentions of Opal 2 - is this better or worse than uni accommodation? Are there any other privately run halls that I should consider? Also, which of the halls are the most modern? I'd probably rather not be in really old fashioned accommodation!

Thank you X


Hi Hannah,

I'm glad you found he information useful!

Opal 2 is university accommodation - it is part of our City and Central campus accommodation. There are some privately run halls in Sheffield, I believe, but unfortunately I have no experience of those so wouldn't be able to advise you on that. I can say, though, that they are unlikely to be as close to the University of Sheffield campus as our own student residencies.

All of our halls are very modern in which postgraduates are normally placed are very modern (Opal 2 included). We do have some more traditional halls at Sheffield, but these are all typically catered and reserved for undergraduates. If you apply for university accommodation as a postgraduate, you should be sure of getting a well-appointed and modern place to live.

Hope that helps answer your question!

Best wishes

Georgie, Student Communications Team at the University of Sheffield.
Perfect, thank you!

One last question - which of the residences have parking? I'll be taking my car :-) Oh and if I remember correctly, only Endcliffe offer 51 week contracts? I'm coming on my own and don't really want a studio - is there no way of getting a standard ensuite room at Ranmoor on a 51 week contracts?
Apologies for yet another thread hijack!

I actually already live in Sheffield, moved up a few months ago (mostly for the climbing) and currently live near Banner Cross. I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons of remaining where I am versus going into university accommodation.

I remember it being a worthwhile experience as a fresher, but then private accommodation seems much cheaper, not to mention I really like having a double bed. Plus, I can't imagine the university would look too kindly upon me drilling big holes in the walls to mount a fingerboard.
Reply 9
Original post by Aleuha
Hello everybody,
Im gonna do Msc in Economics, so Iv already chosen three halls, which are very close to my Department. IQ Brocco, Opal 2 and Broadlane Courts. But Iv also found so many comments and opinions of these halls, not good at all :frown: , they r all with one voice say about red light areas, exactly near my Department. Im a girl, so would prefer to be safe. Do u have any suggestions or opinions of other accommodation, cos Im really confused now. :s-smilie:
Thank u


Hi I firmed my offer for Msc Economics as well and am looking for a suitable private accommodation these days but I have no idea about the distances of different areas from the campus since I am an international student. Can you please tell me which areas are closer to our campus so that I can look for houses in those areas. I would really appreciate your help :smile:
Private houses are hit and miss. I wouldn't advise blindly picking any - because the quality varies significantly. I spent several months trying to get damp sorted out in my house last year. It was grim to live in, and the stress of getting through to landlords doesn't help. Some are cold and very large so hard to heat etc. It's a very national problem, unfortunately. Thankfully i've landed on a gem for next year at £66/week and very nice! If you find people with houses already signed for just get them to send you some pictures if they can, and honest opinions. The problem is you usually don't find these problems until you've been living there.

IQ Brocco looks fairly nice - I was considering it for next year, although I didn't go visit it in the end. It's located near the engineering/management buildings. I'd imagine it's no more than 15 mins to the IC/union (physics, biology, chemistry buildings here, law not too far either iirc). For subjects like politics you probably want to look more towards Crookesmoor and Broomhill because of where the department is, but you'll have lectures in multiple buildings which makes it difficult.

The university places are all very nice, and usually involve some security so the sites themselves are safe. The main walking routes are lit and there's usually a lot of foot traffic (other students). Broomhill/Crookes etc. are the main areas so again have reasonable foot traffic, but mostly you're going into large residential areas so it's quieter than where the university accommodation is, as there's shops and pubs nearby which tend to mean there's more people around.

As a city, it's reasonably safe on a crime front, but there will always be some. Closer to the city centre itself probably holds more risk, and personally I wouldn't feel too comfortable walking back through some of the areas there on my own. The buses aren't too bad though usually and just planning to go places with your flat mates etc. isn't too bad.

Spare Room is quite a good site. I'm currently renting a room from someone I found on here, while i'm on placement away from Sheffield. I notice some people put rooms up on here - not all will be students, some will be professionals etc. and may not want students. I'd look around the S10 postcode area, and you can always ask them how far the university/city is and about the transport. It's a possibility anyway, for finding a private rental.
Original post by m_h1990
Hi I firmed my offer for Msc Economics as well and am looking for a suitable private accommodation these days but I have no idea about the distances of different areas from the campus since I am an international student. Can you please tell me which areas are closer to our campus so that I can look for houses in those areas. I would really appreciate your help :smile:


Hi,

You closest areas to campus would be Crookesmoor, Crookes, Broomhill and the City Centre. Slightly further out but still very walkable to university are Walkley and Hunters Bar. These are all very popular student areas and there is generally plenty of private accommodation. I've included a run-down of all these areas elsewhere in this thread, if you'd be interested in having a look.

Hope this helps!

Best wishes,

Georgie, Student Communications Team at the University of Sheffield
Original post by hannahbanana4545
Perfect, thank you!

One last question - which of the residences have parking? I'll be taking my car :-) Oh and if I remember correctly, only Endcliffe offer 51 week contracts? I'm coming on my own and don't really want a studio - is there no way of getting a standard ensuite room at Ranmoor on a 51 week contracts?


Hi Hannah,

There is parking available at both Endlciffe and Ranmoor, but 9as far as I know) not at the City and Central residencies. To use residency parking, you will have to apply for a permit from the university, which I believe is £80 for the year. You can find more information about parking permits here: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/parkingservices/studentresidences

As far as I'm aware, the only standard en-suite accommodation available on a 51 week contract is at Endcliffe (Rivellin) and City & Central (Opal 2). However, I would recommend getting in touch with our accommodation services to confirm this - you can email them on [email protected].

Any more questions, just let me know!

Best wishes,

Georgie, Student Communications Team at the University of Sheffield.
Reply 13
Sorry I cant help at all, Im in the same boat as u :frown:
Original post by m_h1990
Hi I firmed my offer for Msc Economics as well and am looking for a suitable private accommodation these days but I have no idea about the distances of different areas from the campus since I am an international student. Can you please tell me which areas are closer to our campus so that I can look for houses in those areas. I would really appreciate your help :smile:
Reply 14
Hi Nymthae,

Thank u for ur info, I found it very useful. Could u say anything about Broadlane Courts as well, and maybe Opal 2.
So as I understand the area around the campus is quite safe, ofcourse if the one will follow some rules to be safe.

Thank u

:smile:))
Aliya
Reply 15
Original post by Aleuha
Sorry I cant help at all, Im in the same boat as u :frown:

No worries. Applied for Broad Lane courts just now. Good to see a class mate though :smile:
Reply 16
Original post by The University of Sheffield
Hi,

You closest areas to campus would be Crookesmoor, Crookes, Broomhill and the City Centre. Slightly further out but still very walkable to university are Walkley and Hunters Bar. These are all very popular student areas and there is generally plenty of private accommodation. I've included a run-down of all these areas elsewhere in this thread, if you'd be interested in having a look.

Hope this helps!

Best wishes,

Georgie, Student Communications Team at the University of Sheffield


Thankyou for your help. City Center it is :smile:
Reply 17
Original post by Aleuha
Sorry I cant help at all, Im in the same boat as u :frown:

Btw I will go to IQ Brocco I guess, u can join if u want. Hope to c u this September :smile:
Anyone has tips on accommodation for postgrad students with families?
I'm looking at ranmoor but was told that the path to school is incredibly hilly and contrary to what the uni website says, is walkable only if you want a work-out everytime you head to school.
My only alternative then would be the ones in the city centre? Would they be noisy? Considering that I have a young kid in tow, I would want a place that's preferably quiet and which isn't too far from amenities so that my wife has things to occupy herself during the day when I'm in school.
Original post by m_h1990
Thankyou for your help. City Center it is :smile:


No problem! :smile: Be aware that some City Centre accommodation might be further away for the university campus than accommodation In Crookesmoor (10 minute walk), Crookes (15-25 minute walk depending on where you live) and Broomhill (15-20 minute walk), so don't feel like you have to restrict yourself to looking in one area. Accommodation is also cheaper outside of the city centre, so you have plenty of options for affordable accommodation that's very close to the campus.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

Best wishes,

Georgie, Student Communications Team at the University of Sheffield.

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