Is Bradford an exciting place to live?

Student moving from Canada

I mean don't be stereotypical on the basis of norms. The people on this thread are just being judgmental either or they have heard all this crap about Bradford from their friends etc. I mean as said above it is totally up to the person, some people find Manchester as crap as anything just because there is too much theft, and it is considered unsafe to be out in Manchester at 12 at night a warning which comes directly from their local police. So there are good and bad people everywhere, you just got to stay focused on your goals the environment shouldn't be impacting you greatly after all you are there to study not to have a good night life I think. Between if you don't mind discussing are you joining Bradford university in September ?

Hi Janelle, Im also moving from Canada to study my master in Bradford! any suggestion, please?

I am the new marketing officer at Bradford College and University Centre and I have just graduated from University myself this year, so I know how hard it is to choose the right place. No town or city you decide to study at will be perfect. The best advice I can give is that your university experience is what you make it, how much you get involved with societies and sports, the friendships you make and exploring the town and surrounding areas to find your own personal favourite places.

Bradford is currently underdoing many redevelopments. For example; they are currently building a brand new shopping centre and our centenary square in the city centre has been modernised so it now includes an outdoor paddling area and lots of restaurants and a great bar. There is also a cinema, Alhambra Theatre and Media Museum in the city centre. There are a few night clubs in the town centre which do great student nights. Flares Refelx, Tokyo, Che Bar, Weatherspoons, Tequila and Candy are just some I can think of.

And not to mention the changes which are currently happening here at Bradford College. The new state of the art, David Hockney building is opening in September 2014 and next year a new Advanced Technologies building will also be opening to provide our students with extra facilities to improve their studies here.

Here is a useful website which I hope can clear up any doubts and will tell you a little bit more about Bradford... http://www.visitbradford.com/

Bradford here for 9 years. Absolute terrible place to live. I made loads of friends and the place just held me back. Safer than manchester?? haha have you been out in Bradford? I would def suggest not to live here and to stay as little time as you can. The university itself is a joke. I am glad I didn't go there to get my degree complete waste of time. Faculty don't all speak english and admissions prefer to lose money and take the easy route. Willing students get turned away so they can probably make more money from international students. The nightlife is ruined and local pubs are all being closed because doesn't fit in with the area. Fights in the street are a regular are is the bums asking for change. The only good thing is they built centenary square where there is water fountains and people all get together. Not so good though as it brings all the drunks out but hey this is Bradford a city lost its culture and full of people who got left here. Most people who use to live here have left. Including me. It's not a stereotype its the truth. Live here and you'll see. If your asian you will fit in but from anywhere else you'll find it difficult unless you are open to making friends from different places which I am and still was crap place to live. All the best

Bradford here for 9 years. Absolute terrible place to live. I made loads of friends and the place just held me back. Safer than manchester?? haha have you been out in Bradford? I would def suggest not to live here and to stay as little time as you can. The university itself is a joke. I am glad I didn't go there to get my degree complete waste of time. Faculty don't all speak english and admissions prefer to lose money and take the easy route. Willing students get turned away so they can probably make more money from international students. The nightlife is ruined and local pubs are all being closed because doesn't fit in with the area. Fights in the street are a regular are is the bums asking for change. The only good thing is they built centenary square where there is water fountains and people all get together. Not so good though as it brings all the drunks out but hey this is Bradford a city lost its culture and full of people who got left here. Most people who use to live here have left. Including me. It's not a stereotype its the truth. Live here and you'll see. If your asian you will fit in but from anywhere else you'll find it difficult unless you are open to making friends from different places which I am and still was crap place to live. All the best

I lived in Bradford for 8 years. I can definitely agree with you. This is a city bent on segregation rather than integration. Like most places in the world, if you're trying to 'up' a place to get more people to come, you have to wonder why and how much effort are they putting into it. I have a very multi-cultural background and never found it difficult to fit in wherever I've travelled. When I arrived in Bradford back in 2009. I was able to do the same, fit-in. Over the years I made countless friends and joined a variety of societies and sports groups, but as mentioned in the comment above, people like to differentiate their differences and fights was a common occurence. The police are like most of the police in the UK, barely giving a sh**. They are used to taking homeless people to the hospital or putting them in a cell for a night. They often give the country a bad name because instead of protecting the public and standing up for the law, they just want to get the paper work done and finish their shift. It is common to see them chatting up staff wherever they are. The female officers are a bit more down-to-earth, however they are far and between and I don't blame them.
All in all unless you have an asian background and you want to follow your religious beliefs, you're better off moving to Manchester. Salford side of Manchester is much nicer and although there is a problem in the UK in general about mixed cultures clashing. There are areas where you can find a nice mix and welcoming atmosphere. Salford side was definitely that. After 2 years in Salford and checking out all the sights I knew the UK just wasn't for me. My family live down south and as much as I liked to visit them. I needed to get out. So i moved to Thailand and my lifes been a breeze. Thailand is a country where once you get out of Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and Koh Samui, the people are all welcoming because they won't see you as a tourist or necessarily an outsider. Something I wish I found in the UK. The university is very much a joke and so is the college. I've met some pretty poor lecturers in my time and as a teacher now, I can definitely say that even in Manchester they're always going to be the good teachers and the bad teachers. There is just higher concentration of bad people in Bradford and Leeds, so ofcourse that reflects on the town and institutions.