My New Home

Peyton Manning

Ill be moving up to Belfast come September to go to Queens University after transferring from W.I.T. Ive lived down south all my life and although Ive been in the north quite a bit, have only been in Belfast city once. I think i'll be living in Elms Village.

Basically, what can I expect living in Belfast? Is it a friendly city? Expensive/Cheap? Nightlife? Just a general review of what its like living there. Im quite an artistic person, i.e. I love reading, writing, music, movies, photography etc. so would my hobbies be well catered for?

Any info appreciated, cheers.

Arc

madgal

Well hello neighbour!!

I'm moving up from cork in 2 weeks but moving to elms village.

I'm moving up coz its a very friendly atmosphere and cheaper than Cork.

If you find the right places - they are cheap. I got a taxi from ma m8s house at the top of the Donegall Road into the city for £2.50 .. same distance in Cork cost me €12. (same time of day). The buses go every few minutes (literally) so its fab to get around

Their are some real classy restaurants, I'm not into nightlife, but I've heard its brilliant. You should request the guide book from the tourist office. I have last years one, and its a brilliant guide.

I could write an essay on this!

biko

Well, if I put it this way: if I didn't live in Galway I move to Belfast in a second. Lot's to do, friendly people, loads of amenities. Kinda like Dublin in that it's a big place but safer and better in many ways imo.

greenkittie

Its a good place to live but I would avoid the Elms if at all possible. They are extreamly over priced and a good 10/15 min walk further from the uni and city center than the normal student housing areas which when your stumbling home in the wee hours of the morning just isnt nice, plus the rooms are very small. I'd say your best bet if moving up alone is try and get a room in a shared house, it will be cheaper and in a better location and still social.

Jigsaw

It's a good city but does have its problems like any city but if anything I'd say they are less so in Belfast.

People generally be friendly and the nightlife is certainly good - plenty of bars to cater for a wide variety of tastes.

As regards what the previous poster said about Elms, while I can't comment on price because I just don't know, they are spot on about the distance. It is a fair auld walk to get there from many places.

Good areas to live in would be perhaps somewhere on Eglantine Avenue or round the Stranmillis. I live in Stranmillis myself and it is a great area. You could try these following websites for accommodation in Belfast;

www.belfast.gumtree.com
www.daft.ie
www.propertynews.com

I am going to go and get drunk now because it is 5.30pm on Friday afternoon and work is no place to be.

thegloriousend

What are you studying? Elms is the place to be for a 1st year, you move out in 2nd yr.

Benster

You'll have a ball. I was there for 3 years at uni in the 90's, lived on the Ormeau Road. Just watch yerself around the Donegal Pass area, also Sandy Row (obviously) and Shaftsbury Square can be like a warzone on Fri/Sat nights with the drunks, even now. Never seen so many breadvans (the beautiful cop cars you'll come to know and luv) in one place...

Serious about the warzone bit, just watch who hears your accent if your outside those pubs at chuckin out time.

Cheers,

B.

440Hz

biko wrote:

Well, if I put it this way: if I didn't live in Galway I move to Belfast in a second.

Snap!

Peyton Manning

Well, just confirmed that Im moving to Elms Village - cant wait. Im a bit confused as of the 11 people per apartment (as Ive read in the booklet) - is that true? Surely thats a helluva lot of people?!

Im excited, I cant wait to move to Belfast, I love the place - cant wait to explore it and find little places

Riverfarset

elms will definately be good for you if you wouldnt know many people to begin with, although its supposed to be crazy!. You would only be a 10/15 min walk from the main student bars like the Bot, egg and student union and im sure you will be taken under someones wing quite quickly regarding all the best spots. Also if having a few quiet pints during the day is your thing, renshaws do 3 pints for a fiver from 2 up until 10 o'clock most nites;) Queens film theatre is very good for those more 'arty' movies and think there is also movie, music and photographic societies at Queen's if thats what you are interested in. (although many of the societies tend to ebb and flow in terms of numbers as students leave.)