Living out of halls in first year - what are good areas to live in?

I'd say no to Hulme, Very rough! Fallow field is good, but you'll most likely find you'll have to share with 5 or so others and it is where all the students go to house parties (like every night!). If I were you, i'd look in the centre (M1 postcode) or salford quays as the quays have nice flats and have a tram stop right outside some flats which is only a 15 minutes journey by tram to piccadilly gardens. x

Thats not too bad. My ex lived there and was okay with it however I wouldn't choose to live there. It's not too rough or anything but its not exactly giving off 'safe' vibes if you get me. Try Deansgate? Not exactly amazing but is close to a tram stop, close to the clubs and cinema and you can get some affordable flats there. I only lived in manchester for two years and even then it was right in the centre so I'm not the best for places further out but I know which places to stay clear of from what I've heard. I'd say;

-Deansgate
-Salford Quays
-Piccadilly

Some can be very expensive in those places but if you're lucky you'll find a bargain one here and there

Most students live along the Oxford / Wilmslow Road corridor, in areas like Fallowfield, Rusholme and Withington. I've lived in both of the first two areas I've listed, and they were absolutely fine. Others live in areas like Longsight, Levenshulme and Didsbury.

I'd caution against living in Salford Quays - it'd be a pain to get to, and you'd be nowhere near your new friends.

There's a useful map of places that students (well, freshers) tend to frequent here https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=211506846237564271066.0004d4f6dcbcfcc178f8d&msa=0&ll=53.44142,-2.217522&spn=0.0034,0.009162

One thing to consider is if moving straight in with your bf is the best idea. Few relationships survive the move to uni - everything in your life (and therefore everything that acted as a support to your relationship) changes - where you're living, who you're living with, occupation, job, schedule, membership of any social / sporting organisations and so on. I know only one couple whose relationship survived the move to uni, and they're still together now they've graduated, but the rest all foundered at some point (including one couple who broke up within a week of starting at the same uni...). It should be noted that if you were to break up and were renting a flat together, it would be very difficult to move out before your tenancy is up at the end of the academic year.

So, it may be better to consider living separately in first year, and just seeing quite a lot of each other but also making sure that you expand your social circle beyond each other. If you're still together come second year, that's a good time to move in together (FWIW, the couple I know who are still together didn't live together in first year either).