Essential Guides ving2014. In Essential SGhuidee To ffield Living In Sheffield. All you need to know about Lour city aind acvcommodaition. ng In When you become a Sheffield student it’s the start of your relationship with a special city. 2 Our city Sheffield is England’s 4th largest city. It’s home to over half a million people, including more than 60,000 students. Situated centrally in the UK and within easy travel distance of other major cities, it borders the beautiful Peak District National Park. Sheffield is a city like no other. It's friendly, it's beautiful, it's modern, it's safe. There are two and a half million trees. And three and a half million amazing things to do. You’ll find your own favourites but here’s just a few to get you started. 3 Central campus VISIT Weston Park Brilliant for sunbathing between classes, Weston Park is right next to campus, in fact, our library’s in it. The park is also home to a free children’s museum. EAT Coffee Revolution, Bar One and Interval Cafe and Bar, the Students’ Union Our Students’ Union has its own coffee shop and two bars. They’re always a hive of student activity. On sunny days everyone heads down to the Interval and Bar One garden – one of the biggest and best beer gardens in Sheffield. The University Arms, Brook Hill We have our own real ale pub. It supports local breweries and serves homemade, Weston Park locally sourced food. GeniUS cafes Wherever you are on campus or in the Student Villages (our student accommodation, see page 28) there’s a choice of GeniUS cafes nearby. They serve fresh coffee, hot or cold snacks and hearty meals. Film Unit CINEMA Film Unit, the Students’ Union Run by students, Film Unit is your own 400-seat cinema on campus. THEATRE The University Drama Studio, Shearwood Road A theatre in a converted church where you Interval and Bar One beer garden can produce, direct or tread the boards. 4 SPORT Sport Sheffield, Northumberland Road Our sports centre boasts a bouldering wall; a fitness centre; four squash courts; five synthetic pitches; outdoor netball and tennis courts; a pool with sauna and steam rooms and 45 acres of playing fields. As a student you’ll get discounted membership rates. Sport Sheffield Tuesday Club at the University is my “favourite place to play in the UK. The energy and hunger for new sound is unprecedented in Steel City. In fact I love Sheffield so much I moved here. MARY ANNE HOBBS DJ AND BROADCASTER Sport Sheffield AFTER HOURS The Students’ Union There’s something to do every night of the week. Club nights cater for all tastes, whether you want Dubstep at The Tuesday Club; Hip Hop at UGLY; dance at Space; chart anthems at ROAR; pop singalongs at Pop Tarts; or Yorkshire’s biggest LGBT night, Climax. The Students’ Union 5 Best in The UK’s The UK’s Students’ the UK No 1 for joint No 1 Union of 93% satisfaction, three years for two the Year National Student running years NUS Awards 2008 Survey 2013 The Times Higher running Education Student The Times Higher Experience Survey Education Student 2011, 2012 and Experience Survey 2013 2009 and 2010 6 The best Students’ Union The Union runs amazing club What the awards mean “nights, gigs and massive As you’ve probably guessed, the entertainment and the events, as well as being an social life are first rate. But there’s more to a successful incredible force for student representation. students’ union than cafes, bars and live music. INDIA-CHLOE WOOF, BA FRENCH AND LINGUISTICS The awards also reflect how effective our Students’ Union is at representing you and delivering the services you ask for. There are over 300 clubs and societies based at the Students’ Union. Our Give It a Go activities scheme gives you the chance to try something new, whether it’s scuba diving, judo or sushi making. Our volunteering scheme is one of the biggest and best in the UK. Investing in the UK’s best Our Students’ Union had a £20-million revamp in 2013 so you’ll be one of the first to enjoy our state-of-the-art new building. 7 The Students’ Union City centre EAT Leopold Square This beautifully redeveloped Victorian plaza was voted the people’s favourite new building in the 2010 Sheffield Design Awards. It houses seven bars and restaurants including Wagamama, Zizzi and Aagrah. Tamper: Sellers Wheel, Arundel Street Based in a former silversmiths’ workshop, Tamper is a taste of New Zealand coffee culture in the heart of Sheffield. Blue Moon Cafe, St James’ Street A vegetarian and vegan cafe serving hearty, wholesome dishes. Ask to try the homity pie. Winter Garden VISIT Winter Garden, Surrey Street Blue Moon Cafe The largest temperate glasshouse in any European city is home to more than 2,000 plants from around the world, many of which wouldn’t look out of place in Jurassic Park. The building is an architectural spectacle in its own right. It’s connected to the Millennium Gallery by the gallery shop. Millennium Galleries, Arundel Gate Known affectionately as The Lennie Gees, the city’s Millennium Galleries have close links with the Tate and the V&A. Graves Gallery, Surrey Street The Graves’ permanent collection is a stroll through the history of modern art, taking in works by Picasso, Lautrec, Bonnard, Spencer and Hockney. Temporary exhibitions have featured etchings by Goya, paintings by William Blake and the late drawings of Andy Warhol. The Lyceum 8 CINEMA SPORT The Showroom, Paternoster Row Ponds Forge, Sheaf Street The Showroom is the largest indie cinema Ponds Forge has a gym, fitness classes, a outside London. The restaurant bar is a diving pool, an Olympic size swimming pool popular meeting place. If mainstream and a plethora of sports clubs and lessons. movies are more your taste, the good old Great for keeping fit, or for when you just Odeon is five minutes away. want to ride the flumes. Running The Sheffield Half Marathon takes place every year and the city is also home to the Great Yorkshire Run. AFTER HOURS The Leadmill, Leadmill Road Former flour mill and Sheffield institution, The Leadmill brought the Human League and Cabaret Voltaire to the city when it opened as an artist-run space in 1980. Voted Best Live Music Venue by NME readers, it’s now a pilgrimage for top bands. Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes have all played here. Plug, Corporation and The O2 Academy These clubs put on student-friendly nights throughout the week so there’ll be something for you, whether you’re a niche Millennium Galleries music fan or just want to sing along to some cheesy pop. Every time I see the Millennium “Galleries it amazes me. It changes so often it’s like having an unlimited supply of galleries. JESSICA KIRK, BSC BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE THEATRE Sheffield Theatres – The Crucible, Studio and Lyceum, Tudor Square Three distinctive venues and a lively mix of family musicals, new interpretations of the classics, contemporary drama and groundbreaking work make this one of the most important theatre complexes in the UK. © The Leadmill 9 West Street and the Devonshire Quarter Five minutes’ walk from central campus, this area is the hub of student life in the city. West Street is loaded with popular student bars, cafes and restaurants. Division Street is where all the indie shops and boutiques are. The Forum SHOP Rare and Racy, Division Street A treasure trove of books, art, records and CDs, as well as a kind of centre for interesting cultural goings on in the city – be lured inside by out-of-this-world jazz, avant-garde electronica, or antique bluegrass; find rare first editions, textbooks, fanzines, local poetry, self-published comics and other surprises. The Forum, Division Street The Forum is an emporium of independent boutiques where you’ll find unique skate shops and carefully crafted menswear. The vintage trail Whether it’s 1920s flapper or 1970s surfer style you’re after, start at Cow on West Street. Cross the road and Bang Bang Vintage is just a hop and a skip away. Freshmans, the shop that kick-started the vintage trend in Sheffield, is a leisurely stroll down the street. 10 The Bowery © Tramlines EAT AFTER HOURS Division Street and West Street From traditional pubs to gigs or cocktail For lunch, try the burritos at surf shack, bars this area has it covered. DJs play California Fresh, traditional pub food at the regularly at Bungalows & Bears and the Frog and Parrot or fish and chips at the Bowery. The Old House and the Wick at long-established Devonshire Chippy. At Both Ends are great for cocktail night this area comes alive with people connoisseurs. A short walk up West Street eating out at the many Mexican, Thai, Indian brings you to The Harley, where you can see and Lebanese restaurants. the best new music talent. Devonshire Green 11 Ecclesall Road and Sharrow Vale Road Close to the Student Villages, Ecclesall Road is brimming with great restaurants and shops. Right next door is Sharrow Vale Road, which has a quirky village feel. This is where you’ll find all the independent cafes, delis and pubs. VISIT Botanical Gardens Across the road from The Endcliffe Village (see page 28), the gardens were the concept of a 19th-century gent named Robert Marnock. He knew a good picnic spot when he saw one. Marnock later designed the gardens of the Royal Botanical Society in London’s Regent’s Park.