This discussion is now closed.
Check out other Related discussions
- Oxbridge interview for maths
- Confused
- What is the sports like at Oxford university?
- Need help choosing between oxbridge psychology courses?
- oxford vs cambridge?
- Oxford or Cambridge for Social Sciences
- Oxford vs Cambridge Psychology
- Oxford vs Cambridge Mature Student
- Oxford PPL vs Cambridge PBS?
- Why is the entrance rate for maths at Oxford so low?
- University Application Help
- International Student Cambridge vs Oxford Mathematics
- Oxbridge vs other top Russell Group unis
- Merton Oxford or St John's Cambridge
- Left-wing Cambridge colleges
- Applying for both HSPS and PPE
- Oxford PPL vs Cambridge PBS?
- Durham vs Edinburgh Vs York
- Would you rather attend...?
- PhD in Education - UCL or Oxbridge
My take on Oxford vs Cambridge
My take on Oxford vs Cambridge.
My Justification: I am at uni at Oxford Uni(biased) but I've lived in central Cambridge for around 10 years. I have many friends at Uni in Cambridge.
Aesthetic Considerations : Cambridge has alot of nice open area's in the centre. So the main city is situated around Parkers Piece, a nice large open area. There is also Christs Peace, Midsummer Common and Jesus Green, which are both nice for relaxing and drinking on. Oxford only has Christ Church Meadows, which is pleasent. The Colleges in both cities are nearly all very nice. The river in Cambridge is more central, which is nice. Oxford has some nice individual buildings such as the radcliffe camarra.
Cambridge wins on Aesthetics by a narrow margin for its area's of greenery.
Cambridge 1 - 0 Oxford
Pubs : Both cities have a slew of tiny, old man pubs which serve brilliant ales from all round the country (The Hobgoblin [Now St Aldates Tavern] has had every guest ale in the country). Oxford probably has some more famous pubs such as The Mitre. Generally though, students don't pub as much in Oxford, they go to vlubs much earlier, whereas in Cambridge people go to pubs much later after pubbing. Cambridge has one downer, in the form of the cheap and hideous wetherspoons monstrousity called "The Regal" in the centre.
Overall this is a draw, both have nice pubs.
Clubs : Cambridge has very few and all are very small. Coco's is ok, but generally plays the same R'nB every night. Balleri's is an "uptown", expensive club and frankly not decent. Life is over 21. The Fez has great student nights on Monday night, this is probably the only student club night in Cambridge! PoNaNa's has gone downhill since it lost fatpoppadaddys as promoters. The Junction sometimes have some ok clubnights and also good live bands. Drinks in most clubs are £2-4, so quite expensive.
Oxford has many clubs, they are also generally about 4 or 5 times the size of Cambridge clubs. The Studio Lounge [AKA Filth] has fantastic cheesy student nights most nights, including Filthy Friday. Cambridge's only decent promoters fatpoppadaddys who do monday night Fez are also coming to The Studio on wednesdays which will be awesome. Park End is huge, playing a variety of music including its wednesday stuednt night. The Bridge drags students for tuesdays and thursdays for its student nights, thats huge and quite nice. Other clubs include Greens, Maxwells, Purple Turtle, The Zodiac and many others.
Oxford wins hands down on the clubs front. Drinks are around £1-3 in Oxford, so much cheaper.
Cambridge 1 - 1 Oxford
Shopping : Cambridge and Oxford have very similar shops. The only differences i can think of is that Cambridge has more pawn shops and Oxford has more porn shops. Oxford also has some nice Musical Instrument shops that have competetive prices, something Cambridge sadly lacks. Cambrige has one nice feature, which is generally wider no-car streets which you can navigate.
Overall a negligible difference.
Cambridge 1 - 1 Oxford
Food : Cambridge has some nice eateries and coffee shops. Clowns is open untill midnight and pleasent (except for the scary clowns that cover the ground floor walls). Gardiniers is good for chips. There are a fair few kebab shops but they are all concentrated on Hills Road and Mill Road and almost nowhere else. There is also a huge lack for kebab vans, with just the trailer of life and trailer of death in the centre. Cambridge has Dojo's which gets you great noodles for about £6.
Oxford has G&D's which hasthe best ice cream in either cities. It also has some nice little food places in covered market. There almost no kebab shops but absolutely loads of kebab vans, one outside most colleges (so you'll get two within 30 yards sometimes). Oxford has the noodle bar which serves good noodles for £4. Pubs are also generally cheaper for food in Oxford (£3.50 all-day breakfast at the goose).
Both cities have your typical KFC/BK/McD takeaways.
Overall Oxford gets a narrow win on account fo some nicer little food places and more quait coffee shops and kebab vans.
Cambridge 1 - 2 Oxford
"Other" Aesthetic considerations : As a bloke I will tell you in general Cambridge lacks much ... how shall we say .... decent eye candy. You'll go down the highstreet and you'll be lucky if one in every 50 people is fit! In Oxford the girls are alot fitter on average. My tab friends also regretfully agree. On the other hand girls from both uni's debate on which has fitter blokes, so there is obviously some closeness there.
Overall Oxford has it.
Cambridge 1 - 3 Oxford
Can't think of more things to rate, but name the category and I'll do it.
My Justification: I am at uni at Oxford Uni(biased) but I've lived in central Cambridge for around 10 years. I have many friends at Uni in Cambridge.
Aesthetic Considerations : Cambridge has alot of nice open area's in the centre. So the main city is situated around Parkers Piece, a nice large open area. There is also Christs Peace, Midsummer Common and Jesus Green, which are both nice for relaxing and drinking on. Oxford only has Christ Church Meadows, which is pleasent. The Colleges in both cities are nearly all very nice. The river in Cambridge is more central, which is nice. Oxford has some nice individual buildings such as the radcliffe camarra.
Cambridge wins on Aesthetics by a narrow margin for its area's of greenery.
Cambridge 1 - 0 Oxford
Pubs : Both cities have a slew of tiny, old man pubs which serve brilliant ales from all round the country (The Hobgoblin [Now St Aldates Tavern] has had every guest ale in the country). Oxford probably has some more famous pubs such as The Mitre. Generally though, students don't pub as much in Oxford, they go to vlubs much earlier, whereas in Cambridge people go to pubs much later after pubbing. Cambridge has one downer, in the form of the cheap and hideous wetherspoons monstrousity called "The Regal" in the centre.
Overall this is a draw, both have nice pubs.
Clubs : Cambridge has very few and all are very small. Coco's is ok, but generally plays the same R'nB every night. Balleri's is an "uptown", expensive club and frankly not decent. Life is over 21. The Fez has great student nights on Monday night, this is probably the only student club night in Cambridge! PoNaNa's has gone downhill since it lost fatpoppadaddys as promoters. The Junction sometimes have some ok clubnights and also good live bands. Drinks in most clubs are £2-4, so quite expensive.
Oxford has many clubs, they are also generally about 4 or 5 times the size of Cambridge clubs. The Studio Lounge [AKA Filth] has fantastic cheesy student nights most nights, including Filthy Friday. Cambridge's only decent promoters fatpoppadaddys who do monday night Fez are also coming to The Studio on wednesdays which will be awesome. Park End is huge, playing a variety of music including its wednesday stuednt night. The Bridge drags students for tuesdays and thursdays for its student nights, thats huge and quite nice. Other clubs include Greens, Maxwells, Purple Turtle, The Zodiac and many others.
Oxford wins hands down on the clubs front. Drinks are around £1-3 in Oxford, so much cheaper.
Cambridge 1 - 1 Oxford
Shopping : Cambridge and Oxford have very similar shops. The only differences i can think of is that Cambridge has more pawn shops and Oxford has more porn shops. Oxford also has some nice Musical Instrument shops that have competetive prices, something Cambridge sadly lacks. Cambrige has one nice feature, which is generally wider no-car streets which you can navigate.
Overall a negligible difference.
Cambridge 1 - 1 Oxford
Food : Cambridge has some nice eateries and coffee shops. Clowns is open untill midnight and pleasent (except for the scary clowns that cover the ground floor walls). Gardiniers is good for chips. There are a fair few kebab shops but they are all concentrated on Hills Road and Mill Road and almost nowhere else. There is also a huge lack for kebab vans, with just the trailer of life and trailer of death in the centre. Cambridge has Dojo's which gets you great noodles for about £6.
Oxford has G&D's which hasthe best ice cream in either cities. It also has some nice little food places in covered market. There almost no kebab shops but absolutely loads of kebab vans, one outside most colleges (so you'll get two within 30 yards sometimes). Oxford has the noodle bar which serves good noodles for £4. Pubs are also generally cheaper for food in Oxford (£3.50 all-day breakfast at the goose).
Both cities have your typical KFC/BK/McD takeaways.
Overall Oxford gets a narrow win on account fo some nicer little food places and more quait coffee shops and kebab vans.
Cambridge 1 - 2 Oxford
"Other" Aesthetic considerations : As a bloke I will tell you in general Cambridge lacks much ... how shall we say .... decent eye candy. You'll go down the highstreet and you'll be lucky if one in every 50 people is fit! In Oxford the girls are alot fitter on average. My tab friends also regretfully agree. On the other hand girls from both uni's debate on which has fitter blokes, so there is obviously some closeness there.
Overall Oxford has it.
Cambridge 1 - 3 Oxford
Can't think of more things to rate, but name the category and I'll do it.
Scroll to see replies
Tom Holder
My take on Oxford vs Cambridge.
My Justification: I am at uni at Oxford Uni(biased) but I've lived in central Cambridge for around 10 years. I have many friends at Uni in Cambridge.
Aesthetic Considerations : Cambridge has alot of nice open area's in the centre. So the main city is situated around Parkers Piece, a nice large open area. There is also Christs Peace, Midsummer Common and Jesus Green, which are both nice for relaxing and drinking on. Oxford only has Christ Church Meadows, which is pleasent. The Colleges in both cities are nearly all very nice. The river in Cambridge is more central, which is nice. Oxford has some nice individual buildings such as the radcliffe camarra.
Cambridge wins on Aesthetics by a narrow margin for its area's of greenery.
Cambridge 1 - 0 Oxford
Pubs : Both cities have a slew of tiny, old man pubs which serve brilliant ales from all round the country (The Hobgoblin [Now St Aldates Tavern] has had every guest ale in the country). Oxford probably has some more famous pubs such as The Mitre. Generally though, students don't pub as much in Oxford, they go to vlubs much earlier, whereas in Cambridge people go to pubs much later after pubbing. Cambridge has one downer, in the form of the cheap and hideous wetherspoons monstrousity called "The Regal" in the centre.
Overall this is a draw, both have nice pubs.
Clubs : Cambridge has very few and all are very small. Coco's is ok, but generally plays the same R'nB every night. Balleri's is an "uptown", expensive club and frankly not decent. Life is over 21. The Fez has great student nights on Monday night, this is probably the only student club night in Cambridge! PoNaNa's has gone downhill since it lost fatpoppadaddys as promoters. The Junction sometimes have some ok clubnights and also good live bands. Drinks in most clubs are £2-4, so quite expensive.
Oxford has many clubs, they are also generally about 4 or 5 times the size of Cambridge clubs. The Studio Lounge [AKA Filth] has fantastic cheesy student nights most nights, including Filthy Friday. Cambridge's only decent promoters fatpoppadaddys who do monday night Fez are also coming to The Studio on wednesdays which will be awesome. Park End is huge, playing a variety of music including its wednesday stuednt night. The Bridge drags students for tuesdays and thursdays for its student nights, thats huge and quite nice. Other clubs include Greens, Maxwells, Purple Turtle, The Zodiac and many others.
Oxford wins hands down on the clubs front. Drinks are around £1-3 in Oxford, so much cheaper.
Cambridge 1 - 1 Oxford
Shopping : Cambridge and Oxford have very similar shops. The only differences i can think of is that Cambridge has more pawn shops and Oxford has more porn shops. Oxford also has some nice Musical Instrument shops that have competetive prices, something Cambridge sadly lacks. Cambrige has one nice feature, which is generally wider no-car streets which you can navigate.
Overall a negligible difference.
Cambridge 1 - 1 Oxford
Food : Cambridge has some nice eateries and coffee shops. Clowns is open untill midnight and pleasent (except for the scary clowns that cover the ground floor walls). Gardiniers is good for chips. There are a fair few kebab shops but they are all concentrated on Hills Road and Mill Road and almost nowhere else. There is also a huge lack for kebab vans, with just the trailer of life and trailer of death in the centre. Cambridge has Dojo's which gets you great noodles for about £6.
Oxford has G&D's which hasthe best ice cream in either cities. It also has some nice little food places in covered market. There almost no kebab shops but absolutely loads of kebab vans, one outside most colleges (so you'll get two within 30 yards sometimes). Oxford has the noodle bar which serves good noodles for £4. Pubs are also generally cheaper for food in Oxford (£3.50 all-day breakfast at the goose).
Both cities have your typical KFC/BK/McD takeaways.
Overall Oxford gets a narrow win on account fo some nicer little food places and more quait coffee shops and kebab vans.
Cambridge 1 - 2 Oxford
"Other" Aesthetic considerations : As a bloke I will tell you in general Cambridge lacks much ... how shall we say .... decent eye candy. You'll go down the highstreet and you'll be lucky if one in every 50 people is fit! In Oxford the girls are alot fitter on average. My tab friends also regretfully agree. On the other hand girls from both uni's debate on which has fitter blokes, so there is obviously some closeness there.
Overall Oxford has it.
Cambridge 1 - 3 Oxford
Can't think of more things to rate, but name the category and I'll do it.
My Justification: I am at uni at Oxford Uni(biased) but I've lived in central Cambridge for around 10 years. I have many friends at Uni in Cambridge.
Aesthetic Considerations : Cambridge has alot of nice open area's in the centre. So the main city is situated around Parkers Piece, a nice large open area. There is also Christs Peace, Midsummer Common and Jesus Green, which are both nice for relaxing and drinking on. Oxford only has Christ Church Meadows, which is pleasent. The Colleges in both cities are nearly all very nice. The river in Cambridge is more central, which is nice. Oxford has some nice individual buildings such as the radcliffe camarra.
Cambridge wins on Aesthetics by a narrow margin for its area's of greenery.
Cambridge 1 - 0 Oxford
Pubs : Both cities have a slew of tiny, old man pubs which serve brilliant ales from all round the country (The Hobgoblin [Now St Aldates Tavern] has had every guest ale in the country). Oxford probably has some more famous pubs such as The Mitre. Generally though, students don't pub as much in Oxford, they go to vlubs much earlier, whereas in Cambridge people go to pubs much later after pubbing. Cambridge has one downer, in the form of the cheap and hideous wetherspoons monstrousity called "The Regal" in the centre.
Overall this is a draw, both have nice pubs.
Clubs : Cambridge has very few and all are very small. Coco's is ok, but generally plays the same R'nB every night. Balleri's is an "uptown", expensive club and frankly not decent. Life is over 21. The Fez has great student nights on Monday night, this is probably the only student club night in Cambridge! PoNaNa's has gone downhill since it lost fatpoppadaddys as promoters. The Junction sometimes have some ok clubnights and also good live bands. Drinks in most clubs are £2-4, so quite expensive.
Oxford has many clubs, they are also generally about 4 or 5 times the size of Cambridge clubs. The Studio Lounge [AKA Filth] has fantastic cheesy student nights most nights, including Filthy Friday. Cambridge's only decent promoters fatpoppadaddys who do monday night Fez are also coming to The Studio on wednesdays which will be awesome. Park End is huge, playing a variety of music including its wednesday stuednt night. The Bridge drags students for tuesdays and thursdays for its student nights, thats huge and quite nice. Other clubs include Greens, Maxwells, Purple Turtle, The Zodiac and many others.
Oxford wins hands down on the clubs front. Drinks are around £1-3 in Oxford, so much cheaper.
Cambridge 1 - 1 Oxford
Shopping : Cambridge and Oxford have very similar shops. The only differences i can think of is that Cambridge has more pawn shops and Oxford has more porn shops. Oxford also has some nice Musical Instrument shops that have competetive prices, something Cambridge sadly lacks. Cambrige has one nice feature, which is generally wider no-car streets which you can navigate.
Overall a negligible difference.
Cambridge 1 - 1 Oxford
Food : Cambridge has some nice eateries and coffee shops. Clowns is open untill midnight and pleasent (except for the scary clowns that cover the ground floor walls). Gardiniers is good for chips. There are a fair few kebab shops but they are all concentrated on Hills Road and Mill Road and almost nowhere else. There is also a huge lack for kebab vans, with just the trailer of life and trailer of death in the centre. Cambridge has Dojo's which gets you great noodles for about £6.
Oxford has G&D's which hasthe best ice cream in either cities. It also has some nice little food places in covered market. There almost no kebab shops but absolutely loads of kebab vans, one outside most colleges (so you'll get two within 30 yards sometimes). Oxford has the noodle bar which serves good noodles for £4. Pubs are also generally cheaper for food in Oxford (£3.50 all-day breakfast at the goose).
Both cities have your typical KFC/BK/McD takeaways.
Overall Oxford gets a narrow win on account fo some nicer little food places and more quait coffee shops and kebab vans.
Cambridge 1 - 2 Oxford
"Other" Aesthetic considerations : As a bloke I will tell you in general Cambridge lacks much ... how shall we say .... decent eye candy. You'll go down the highstreet and you'll be lucky if one in every 50 people is fit! In Oxford the girls are alot fitter on average. My tab friends also regretfully agree. On the other hand girls from both uni's debate on which has fitter blokes, so there is obviously some closeness there.
Overall Oxford has it.
Cambridge 1 - 3 Oxford
Can't think of more things to rate, but name the category and I'll do it.
perhaps sport
and oh yeh academia!
Tom Holder
Clubs : Cambridge has very few and all are very small. Coco's is ok, but generally plays the same R'nB every night. Balleri's is an "uptown", expensive club and frankly not decent. Life is over 21. The Fez has great student nights on Monday night, this is probably the only student club night in Cambridge! PoNaNa's has gone downhill since it lost fatpoppadaddys as promoters. The Junction sometimes have some ok clubnights and also good live bands. Drinks in most clubs are £2-4, so quite expensive.
Clearly you haven't been to Tuesday Cindies (Ballare) which is definitely not uptown, not expensive, still not decent but very good cheesy fun. And Life on APU nights is good, never had an issue with my age there. Never been clubbing in Oxford though so I can't really compare.
I would do sport but i don't know enough about Cambridge University sport.
I was trying to stay away from Academics, but generally it seems that ON AVERAGE:
Sciences: Cambridge > Oxford
Arts: Oxford > Cambridge
Social Science Cambridge = Oxford
I was trying to stay away from Academics, but generally it seems that ON AVERAGE:
Sciences: Cambridge > Oxford
Arts: Oxford > Cambridge
Social Science Cambridge = Oxford
Helenia
Clearly you haven't been to Tuesday Cindies (Ballare) which is definitely not uptown, not expensive, still not decent but very good cheesy fun. And Life on APU nights is good, never had an issue with my age there. Never been clubbing in Oxford though so I can't really compare.
Brining it up to 3 nights within which you can go out in Cambridge, rather than near every night in Oxford and have choice. Not been to tuedays ballare, never heard good reports of Life in general.
Tom Holder
Brining it up to 3 nights within which you can go out in Cambridge, rather than near every night in Oxford and have choice. Not been to tuedays ballare, never heard good reports of Life in general.
Well, Oxford is bigger. Cambridge is FAR bigger than where I live, so I'm quite happy - clubbing terrified me before coming here and the thought of the big London clubs still does.
And I'm not sober enough to defend the place properly.
Tom Holder
Brining it up to 3 nights within which you can go out in Cambridge, rather than near every night in Oxford and have choice. Not been to tuedays ballare, never heard good reports of Life in general.
hang on hang on
monday night - fez
tuesday - cindies or life
wednesday - cocos
thursday - life
friday - ents
saturday - dot cotton or more ents
sunday - you might want a rest maybe.
It's kind of different being a student in cambridge, because ents are a much more likely prospect, and also life seems to be a much more likely prospect, and generally going to cindies on a student night is a much more likely prospect. (most people I know wouldn't dream of going to cindies on any night but tuesday, certainly wouldn't on the weekend). I have actually been on both though, and seriously Cindies just ain't the same on Tuesdays, and as Helen says definitely wouldn't be described as upmarket :P
fishpaste
It's kind of different being a student in cambridge, because ents are a much more likely prospect, and also life seems to be a much more likely prospect, and generally going to cindies on a student night is a much more likely prospect. (most people I know wouldn't dream of going to cindies on any night but tuesday, certainly wouldn't on the weekend). I have actually been on both though, and seriously Cindies just ain't the same on Tuesdays, and as Helen says definitely wouldn't be described as upmarket :P
Cindies is Wednesday as well, then Coco's used to be Thursdays but now they're closing it there's some new night at Life instead.
cambridge, being mostly brickwork, has suffered more from pollution over the years. brickwork is virtually impossible to clean. e.g. silver street and drummer street. those colleges that appear not to be made from cambridge brick have stone cladding e.g. pembroke.
oxford colleges are generally made of stone so appears 'brighter' - "a city of aquatint" (waugh). but personally, i don't like the heavier traffic in oxford city centre. all those buses on high street and around balliol. urgh! cambridge is prettier overall, but Ox colleges are prettier individually.
p.s. cambridge buses that run through the very centre are gas fuelled. has this not dawned on Ox city council yet? Ox traffic is skank!
oxford colleges are generally made of stone so appears 'brighter' - "a city of aquatint" (waugh). but personally, i don't like the heavier traffic in oxford city centre. all those buses on high street and around balliol. urgh! cambridge is prettier overall, but Ox colleges are prettier individually.
p.s. cambridge buses that run through the very centre are gas fuelled. has this not dawned on Ox city council yet? Ox traffic is skank!
I agree almost completely, though I'd give shopping to oxford - bigger city, more shops, always found far more stuff I want, be it food (covered market), clothes (a whole host of decent places) or anything else; and pubs to Cambridge, as there's probably as many (more per person, possibly less total though?) and they're cheaper, with far more serving decent beer. We have a few that do in Oxford, but many don't. Though the difference in clubs is far more marked than the difference in pubs, I would give Oxford the former and Cambridge the latter. Still 3-1 though.
But then I'd also add live music, with the Corn Exchange clearly outclassing the Zodiac, and thus making it 3-2 to Oxford.
But then I'd also add live music, with the Corn Exchange clearly outclassing the Zodiac, and thus making it 3-2 to Oxford.
Drogue
But then I'd also add live music, with the Corn Exchange clearly outclassing the Zodiac, and thus making it 3-2 to Oxford.
But then I'd also add live music, with the Corn Exchange clearly outclassing the Zodiac, and thus making it 3-2 to Oxford.
Are you serious? Have you ever been to the Corn Exchange? The acoustics are terrible, and it's basically just a theatre which occasionally plays host to bands. The Zodiac's actually a dedicated live music venue with far better sound. Also, there's the Bullingdon and the Wheatsheaf, even more significant when you realise Cambridge's only dedicated live music venue (The Boat Race) closed down last year. There's still the Moon and Portland, but they're not really the same (and are ludicrously far away)
calumc
Ugh. Not quite the Bodleian is it!
nope that it isn't. more often described as "auschwitz" :P luckily I should never have to go in there in my life. though 3rd years can borrow from it which is a bit different for a copyright library. it does have considerably more porn than the bod though apparently.
Related discussions
- Oxbridge interview for maths
- Confused
- What is the sports like at Oxford university?
- Need help choosing between oxbridge psychology courses?
- oxford vs cambridge?
- Oxford or Cambridge for Social Sciences
- Oxford vs Cambridge Psychology
- Oxford vs Cambridge Mature Student
- Oxford PPL vs Cambridge PBS?
- Why is the entrance rate for maths at Oxford so low?
- University Application Help
- International Student Cambridge vs Oxford Mathematics
- Oxbridge vs other top Russell Group unis
- Merton Oxford or St John's Cambridge
- Left-wing Cambridge colleges
- Applying for both HSPS and PPE
- Oxford PPL vs Cambridge PBS?
- Durham vs Edinburgh Vs York
- Would you rather attend...?
- PhD in Education - UCL or Oxbridge
Latest
Trending
Last reply 23 hours ago
Oxbridge applicants for modern languages - 2025 entry (applying in 2024)University of Oxford
60
134
Last reply 3 days ago
Any Oxford Phil & Theo applicants heard back about interviews?
