Sheffield vs Nottingham vs Leicester vs Newcastle vs Leeds

Basically im a ignorant southerner applying for medicine at uni, but at least one of my choices will be coming from the above list.

So Im just looking for some helpful input from you guys. Which of these cities/unis is the nicest?? My initial thoughts - for no real reason at all - are that Leicester and Nottingham are the nicest cities, but PLEASE correct me if im wrong! By nice i mean nice architecture, culture, youth-life etc.

Also, are any of them campus-based or are they all inter-city unis?

Chars :o:

Reply 1

S1800

TheProcrastinator

Shottingham and Leister are campus
Sheffield is city
Leeds is campus in a city
Don't know about newcastle

Sheffield and Leeds are really nice cities but Nottinghams got a bit off a gun/knife crime reputation.
hope this helps :smile:

Reply 2

SirMasterKey

Nottingham is campus based (it has 2 campus' really) as is Leicester (which is split however, the Uni teaching buildings aren't in the same place as the accomodation.)

Can't you go and visit them all and make your own mind up?

You could do Nottingham and Leicester in one day and the other three over a weekend.

Reply 3

mynameisally

Ignorant southerner number two here :p:

I've only seen Newcastle and Sheffield out of them, but I loved them both.

I thought Sheffield seemed slightly more spread out, but it's really green and there is a massive park next to the Union and other fancy looking buildings. I didn't see much of the city itself, but the accommodation is about 20 minutes away if that's a factor.

Newcastle was more contained, but right next to the city center and it's a gorgeous place (I was surprised at how lovely it was after the fairly bleak tram ride into the center.).

Both of them are definitely inner city universities, but you do feel like you're on a university campus type area/zone thing when you're there, which was great.

Hope that helps, I know that visiting can be an issue when you're waaaaay down South. I had to fly up to Newcastle and drive up to Sheffield with my dad over two days, it was horrendous. (But worth it!)

Reply 4

River85

TheProcrastinator

Sheffield and Newcastle are city-based universities with Newcaste being directly in the city centre, largely based around its campus.

I'll go into great detail about Newcastle as it's the city I know best. Don't be left thinking the rest are dumps and can't come close :p:

Newcastle has the status as being the student and party capital of the country. In truth any of those universities can offer all the nightlife you need during three or four years as they're all major cities. But Newcastle is certainly a particularly vibrant and exciting city.

Newcastle is certainly the most attractive of those cities in terms of achitecture in my opinion. It has some of the country's best example of Neo-classical architecture. Although some of it has been lost due to deveopments in the 1970s there's still streets like Grey Street left.

The wider Grainger Town area, which includes Grey street, was designed by Richard Grainger who used Ancient Rome as his model.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grainger_Town

It has amongst the highest concentration of listed buildings in the ountry and, with the city centre being compact, it's all within walking distance from the university (with most of the streets being the main shopping streets).

Newcastle has an excellent cultural scene. There are the obvious places like the Theatre Royal - second home of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Baltic (one of the largest contemporary art spaces of its kind in Europe) as well as the Sage Gateshead - a concerthall hosting genres from pop, to folk, to jazz, to orchestras. But there there are also lesser known places like independent and smaller commercial galleries including the Biscuit Gallery and Tyneside cinema (showing independent and foreign films).

Newcastle also offers easy access to some of our best countryside and coastline. This isn't bias, it's recognised fact :p:

From the coastline of Northumberland (with its castes and long sandy beaches) to National Parks (Nothumberland, Lake District, North York Moors all not too far away) plus the Durham Dales.

This is briefly summarised in the university website

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/about/city/

Crime in all of the cities is low, with Sheffield and Newcastle often regarded as being particularly "safe". But it must be remembered that they are still major cities so of course crime still occurs and you can't be complacent. Whereever you are you are unlikely to be a victim of serious crime especially if you take obvious precautions and be sensibe.

Sheffield can also be a particularly attractive city to live in. Although I'm not a great fan of its architecture (classical architecture being non-existent compared to Newcastle :p:

) you are right on the border of the Peak District. So a National Park is within easy distance. It also offers an excellent student union.

My exerience of Leicester and Nottingham are limited, although I do like the campus' of both.

Leicester, Sheffield and Nottingham are too far from the coast for my tastes though :p:

mynameisally

Newcastle was more contained, but right next to the city center and it's a gorgeous place (I was surprised at how lovely it was after the fairly bleak tram ride into the center.)

Tram ride? What, the Metro?

Unfortunately travelling by the Metro isn't particularly great as you don't really go through the best of areas. Even when you do go through affluent areas like Jesmond you don't really see the better parts of them. I find this is often true with rail travel in much of the country though :frown:

Reply 5

Shelly_x

Leeds has some gorgeous architecture, both modern and older buildings (though most are older) and has good transport links ect. Also pretty good mix of pubs and clubs, depending on what you're in to.
The university is a campus located in the city center pretty much.

Reply 6

TheProcrastinator

River85

Wow. Just wow.

Thats my longest and best reply ever! :p:

And yeh im swaying towards Newcastle now (also ive already chosen Nottingham too). Think it may be my final choice! :biggrin:

EDIT: Upped ur rep too!

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 7

vickidougal

Original post by TheProcrastinator

Wow. Just wow.

Thats my longest and best reply ever! :p:

And yeh im swaying towards Newcastle now (also ive already chosen Nottingham too). Think it may be my final choice! :biggrin:

EDIT: Upped ur rep too!

sorry to bother but i would just like to ask what made you choose newcatsle and nottingham as these are two of my choices too :smile:

Reply 8

greekguy

Original post by vickidougal

sorry to bother but i would just like to ask what made you choose newcatsle and nottingham as these are two of my choices too :smile:

Which city is safer? Leicester or Newcastle?

Reply 9

I<3GraphicNovels

Original post by S1800

Nottingham is a lovely city. I did my first MA there and I loved it. I've never had any problems. Sure, there are dodgy parts but you probably won't be going into those areas.