The Student Room Group
Well, Lenton is a bit rough around the edges, but we lived there as undergrads because it's where our friends were living. Both of the houses we lived in were overpriced compared to where we live now, and the first one was a bit of a hovel.

The Park has some seriously beautiful properties!
Reply 2
Thanks for the help. :smile:
Reply 3
I think Lenton's one of the biggest examples of the difficulties you get with "studentification" of an area. It might be something worth considering for your coursework. The majority of residents in Lenton are students, and so you get some very specific problems that you don't get so much in other areas, e.g. Beeston, Wollaton etc. where students make up a smaller percentage of the population.
Students don't pay council tax, so in areas like Lenton with a high proportion of students, the revenue falls and there is less money for public works and services. I wouldn't be surprised if it also put up rates for the non-student residents.
Students rent properties; they don't own them, and only live in them for one or two years, so they don't have much of a stake in keeping the property in good condition, especially gardens, walls, gates etc. Houses with anything from four to eight or more adults sharing also manage to produce a lot of waste, and so it's not uncommon to see overflowing bins in Lenton. This makes the area look more run-down than it is. Parking can be a problem, as few houses have off-street parking and, although not all students have cars, there are multiple students living in each house.
Students are away a lot of the year, meaning there are a fair few empty houses over Christmas, Easter and the Summer, filled with laptops, DVD players and stereos etc, which makes them attractive to burglars. At one point Kimbolton Ave was the most-burgled street in Britain, or so I've heard.
Students have a much narrower range of things that they buy, so the local shops in Lenton tend to be takeaways, convenience stores, off-licenses etc. Lenton Boulevard looks and feels a lot different to High Road in Beeston, for example.
Reply 4
philjw
At one point Kimbolton Ave was the most-burgled street in Britain, or so I've heard.


Thanks a lot. :biggrin: Some good points I hadn't considered.

And I think that's still true, and if not the rent of the houses on that street are still massively lower than elsewhere because of it. :p: :smile:

Once again thanks. :biggrin:
Reply 5
The park is posh residential area, some students there. lenton is studentville. i've known of the odd bit of crime going down there - mates have been mugged for example - but i never personally had any problem.
Reply 6
I'll be damned if I'm going to help a bloody Geographer with their coursework, but have you ever heard of this concept of asking a specific question? What exactly do you want to know about Lenton? What exactly do you want to know about the Park? Asking people how they "feel" about something isn't really objective, is it?

In any event, I hate Lenton. It's a **** hole. It's noisy, the bins overflow, you always have scummy local kids trying to cause trouble in one place or another, and of course there is the burglaries and the muggings. The park is a lot nicer, but much more expensive. My girlfriend paid £90 a week last year, which is just so extortionate it's a joke. That said it's very peaceful, it's clean, there are no scummy locals, and you don't feel as if you're in some sort of ghetto. Quite the opposite infact. You still get the occasional bit of crime but nowhere near as bad as the rest of Lenton. The problem is that all of your mates will live in Lenton. So it makes no difference - you have to walk through Lenton to go to Uni, you have to go through Lenton to go to the shops, you have to walk through Lenton to go to your mates pre-lash/house party etc. So you may as well just bloody live there and not pay the extra £30 per week. Oh, the park is also stupidly far from Uni. You're looking at 30 minute walk just to Biochemistry, so if you're a lawyer or historian add an extra 10-15 minutes. That's a significant amount of time spent just walking, really.

That said, there are no viable alternatives. Beeston is equally as scummy, Woolaton is again, scummy. The problem is just Nottingham in general. The place is a scum-hole. The only nice area in Nottingham is the Park, and parts of Mapereley Park, the rest of it is horrible. If the Uni had any sense they'd turn all of the halls on campus into self-catering residences and fill up all the green space with cheapish accomodation so that students could live on campus all three years. They'd make a killing, because campus is the only truly nice, safe place in Nottingham really.
Reply 7
Barny
I'll be damned if I'm going to help a bloody Geographer with their coursework, but have you ever heard of this concept of asking a specific question? What exactly do you want to know about Lenton? What exactly do you want to know about the Park? Asking people how they "feel" about something isn't really objective, is it?

I'm looking at the correlation between socio-economic factors and peoples perceptions of the area, so it's kinda essential to ask peoples opinions. :p:

Barny
In any event, I hate Lenton. It's a **** hole. It's noisy, the bins overflow, you always have scummy local kids trying to cause trouble in one place or another, and of course there is the burglaries and the muggings. The park is a lot nicer, but much more expensive. My girlfriend paid £90 a week last year, which is just so extortionate it's a joke. That said it's very peaceful, it's clean, there are no scummy locals, and you don't feel as if you're in some sort of ghetto. Quite the opposite infact. You still get the occasional bit of crime but nowhere near as bad as the rest of Lenton. The problem is that all of your mates will live in Lenton. So it makes no difference - you have to walk through Lenton to go to Uni, you have to go through Lenton to go to the shops, you have to walk through Lenton to go to your mates pre-lash/house party etc. So you may as well just bloody live there and not pay the extra £30 per week. Oh, the park is also stupidly far from Uni. You're looking at 30 minute walk just to Biochemistry, so if you're a lawyer or historian add an extra 10-15 minutes. That's a significant amount of time spent just walking, really.

That said, there are no viable alternatives. Beeston is equally as scummy, Woolaton is again, scummy. The problem is just Nottingham in general. The place is a scum-hole. The only nice area in Nottingham is the Park, and parts of Mapereley Park, the rest of it is horrible. If the Uni had any sense they'd turn all of the halls on campus into self-catering residences and fill up all the green space with cheapish accomodation so that students could live on campus all three years. They'd make a killing, because campus is the only truly nice, safe place in Nottingham really.

And thanks for your help. It's a shame you don't seem to have had a good experience of Nottingham. I'm suprised you don't like Wollaton, from my experience and its reputation it's a nice area, especially Wollaton Park.

And if they converted all of campus into accomodation the quality of living would most likely decrease due to the lack of open space, not to mention the environmental factors of that, or the aesthetic issues. :p:

Anyway, once again thankyou for sharing your opinions. :smile:
Reply 8
Barny
That said, there are no viable alternatives. Beeston is equally as scummy, Woolaton is again, scummy. The problem is just Nottingham in general. The place is a scum-hole. The only nice area in Nottingham is the Park, and parts of Mapereley Park, the rest of it is horrible. If the Uni had any sense they'd turn all of the halls on campus into self-catering residences and fill up all the green space with cheapish accomodation so that students could live on campus all three years. They'd make a killing, because campus is the only truly nice, safe place in Nottingham really.



There are plenty of other nice areas in Nottingham, in addition to Mapperley Park and The Park. However, I agree that there is a lack of decent alternatives to Lenton, for students wishing to rent a property close to campus. This is because:

-There are no houses to the north, south or east of University Park campus (instead, there is Wollaton Park, Dunkirk Industrial Estate and QMC respectively).

-To the northwest of campus lies Wollaton and Bramcote, which are very nice suburban areas, but contain mostly 'middle-class' owner-occupied family homes, with very few houses available for anyone (let alone students) to rent.

-To the southwest, there is Beeston which is quieter and has less crime compared to Lenton, but it's a boring place and still not very nice. There is also Lenton Abbey, which is a very run-down council estate, so NO!!!

-To the south east, there is Dunkirk, which, in my opinion is much worse than Lenton.

-To the north east, there is the eastern part of Wollaton, which is a mixed residential area. This includes Adam's Hill (located just opposite North Entrance, hidden behind the brick wall), which is the most expensive street in Nottingham, with HUGE and beautiful family homes worth around £1 million; but once again nearly all are owner-occupied so are not available to rent. Similarly, there are a lots of nice houses located along and near Wollaton Hall Drive and Oundle Drive, but generally only available for sale. The areas around Middleton Boulevard and Orston Drive contain mostly council and ex-council houses, and are much less pleasant that the rest of Wollaton (perhaps this is why you think that Wollaton is a scum-hole - the rest of Wollaton is actually very nice).


HOWEVER -

-Properties in Nottingham are very cheap to buy - and this is very feasible if you you rent out a few rooms to your friends. This can help overcome the problem of the lack of rental housing in nice residential areas such as Wollaton and Adams Hill.

-There are some relatively nicer parts of Lenton - e.g. Lenton Village (around Heron Drive), the northern ends of Harlaxton/Harrington Drives, Arnesby Road, although they still contain a fair amount of crime. Also, if anything, Lenton is far nicer and safer than Radford, and virtually all of your neighbours will be students (apart from those chavs living in the tower blocks).

-Castle Marina is still quite close to campus and has some very nice apartments, and is a gated community, so there isn't much crime. Although landlords are not allowed to let properties to students, there is nothing to stop you from buying an apartment yourself (I have a few friends who have done this).

-If you have a car, you can easily rent a place in the Park and drive onto campus (although you're unlikely to get a parking permit, there are plenty of ways to overcome that problem...).

-I disagree that the university should provide more self-catering accommodation on campus. Anymore development and the campus will become less attractice. Besides, there is already the option of living in Broadgate Park for all three years, and plenty of international students do that.


Overall, I consider Nottingham to be a very nice city (and this is coming from someone who grew up in a very nice part of London). Nottingham has plenty of designer shops (esp. along Bridlesmith Gate), lots of decent restaurants (including one which is Michelin-starred), lots of swanky bars, and plenty of nice houses and apartments (whether close to the city centre, e.g. The Park, or in the suburbs). Also, I've found that apart from weekends, I can call a taxi and it will arrive within 10 minutes (and often five minutes), so transport is not an issue. I have to admit, though, that living in Nottingham has turned out to be a lot more expensive than I originally anticipated, and I often spend more money on nights out here than in London. Also, despite Nottingham's reputation for crime, I feel much safer living here than in London.

OK - I'm getting carried away (I love this subject and scored close to full marks in A-Level geography) - should really be revising law right now.
Reply 9
Beeston's lovely, and far from boring. There's a much better range of places to get groceries and general household stuff than in Lenton, Dunkirk or Wollaton, and the locals are pretty friendly in my experience. Our neighbours even made us an apple crumble last month! It is also close to campus - it's a 15 minute walk from my street to the Trent building; 25 to the QMC, which is on a par with Lenton Boulevard/Harrington Drive. It's also flat, so you can cycle in a lot more easily than if you live in Lenton near the top of Derby Road. The only downside of living in Beeston is that it's a long way to Lenton and town, so what you save in rent you lose in bus and taxi fares.
Reply 10
Nottslawyer
There are plenty of other nice areas in Nottingham, in addition to Mapperley Park and The Park. However, I agree that there is a lack of decent alternatives to Lenton, for students wishing to rent a property close to campus. This is because:

-There are no houses to the north, south or east of University Park campus (instead, there is Wollaton Park, Dunkirk Industrial Estate and QMC respectively).

-To the northwest of campus lies Wollaton and Bramcote, which are very nice suburban areas, but contain mostly 'middle-class' owner-occupied family homes, with very few houses available for anyone (let alone students) to rent.

-To the southwest, there is Beeston which is quieter and has less crime compared to Lenton, but it's a boring place and still not very nice. There is also Lenton Abbey, which is a very run-down council estate, so NO!!!

-To the south east, there is Dunkirk, which, in my opinion is much worse than Lenton.

-To the north east, there is the eastern part of Wollaton, which is a mixed residential area. This includes Adam's Hill (located just opposite North Entrance, hidden behind the brick wall), which is the most expensive street in Nottingham, with HUGE and beautiful family homes worth around £1 million; but once again nearly all are owner-occupied so are not available to rent. Similarly, there are a lots of nice houses located along and near Wollaton Hall Drive and Oundle Drive, but generally only available for sale. The areas around Middleton Boulevard and Orston Drive contain mostly council and ex-council houses, and are much less pleasant that the rest of Wollaton (perhaps this is why you think that Wollaton is a scum-hole - the rest of Wollaton is actually very nice).


HOWEVER -

-Properties in Nottingham are very cheap to buy - and this is very feasible if you you rent out a few rooms to your friends. This can help overcome the problem of the lack of rental housing in nice residential areas such as Wollaton and Adams Hill.

-There are some relatively nicer parts of Lenton - e.g. Lenton Village (around Heron Drive), the northern ends of Harlaxton/Harrington Drives, Arnesby Road, although they still contain a fair amount of crime. Also, if anything, Lenton is far nicer and safer than Radford, and virtually all of your neighbours will be students (apart from those chavs living in the tower blocks).

-Castle Marina is still quite close to campus and has some very nice apartments, and is a gated community, so there isn't much crime. Although landlords are not allowed to let properties to students, there is nothing to stop you from buying an apartment yourself (I have a few friends who have done this).

-If you have a car, you can easily rent a place in the Park and drive onto campus (although you're unlikely to get a parking permit, there are plenty of ways to overcome that problem...).

-I disagree that the university should provide more self-catering accommodation on campus. Anymore development and the campus will become less attractice. Besides, there is already the option of living in Broadgate Park for all three years, and plenty of international students do that.


Overall, I consider Nottingham to be a very nice city (and this is coming from someone who grew up in a very nice part of London). Nottingham has plenty of designer shops (esp. along Bridlesmith Gate), lots of decent restaurants (including one which is Michelin-starred), lots of swanky bars, and plenty of nice houses and apartments (whether close to the city centre, e.g. The Park, or in the suburbs). Also, I've found that apart from weekends, I can call a taxi and it will arrive within 10 minutes (and often five minutes), so transport is not an issue. I have to admit, though, that living in Nottingham has turned out to be a lot more expensive than I originally anticipated, and I often spend more money on nights out here than in London. Also, despite Nottingham's reputation for crime, I feel much safer living here than in London.

OK - I'm getting carried away (I love this subject and scored close to full marks in A-Level geography) - should really be revising law right now.

I'd give you 18/20 (you lost a couple for not writting in full sentences :wink:). :biggrin:

Anyway, thanks, that's really useful. :biggrin: I'm focusing on Lenton and the Park as they're quite contrasting, but that will give me a lot more to talk about. And Radford is worse than Lenton, as in the census data it's in a ward with the Park, and its statistics are extremely similar to that of Dunkirk and Lenton, and as the park is a better area in regards to statistics on the census, that means that Radford must be worse to bring the average down. :p: :smile:

philjw
The only downside of living in Beeston is that it's a long way to Lenton and town, so what you save in rent you lose in bus and taxi fares.


But if you're in Beeston you're near Sainsbury's, and also you can get the bus to Long Eaton if you want to go to ASDA or Tescos. :p: :smile:

Anyway, thanks everyone, you've really helped. It's interesting how the students view on the areas also mirrors those of everyone elses. :biggrin:

:hugs:
LozengeC


Anyway, thanks, that's really useful. :biggrin: I'm focusing on Lenton and the Park as they're quite contrasting, but that will give me a lot more to talk about. And Radford is worse than Lenton, as in the census data it's in a ward with the Park, and its statistics are extremely similar to that of Dunkirk and Lenton, and as the park is a better area in regards to statistics on the census, that means that Radford must be worse to bring the average down. :p: :smile:
:hugs:



Yeah - Radford & Park ward contains three main areas: (1) The Park which is very nice and with few students; (2) The "Lenton Triangle" i.e. Derby Grove/Kimbolton Ave/Lenton Village, which is very studenty; (3) Radford, which is awful, but with an increasing number of student residents (e.g. St Peter's Court). So as you can see, each area is completely different, so the figures for the ward as a whole can be taken with a pinch of salt.


If you're really interested in statistics, Nottingham City Council produces a set of statistics based on community boundaries, rather than wards boundaries:

http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/sitemap/services/social_issues/population/census_homepage/community_data.htm

As you can see, 61% of residents aged 16-74 in The Park have degrees, compared with just 20% in Radford, and 24% in Lenton.

Likewise, 52% of residents aged 18-74 in Lenton are students, compared with just 10% in The Park, and 10% in Radford.

Also, 79% of households in The Park have cars, compared with just 54% in Lenton and 37% in Radford.