12 reasons why Tang Hall is the best student area in York

Every town or city has a rough diamond. Pisa has its leaning tower, Egypt has a crumbling pyramid and Scunthorpe has Scunthorpe. York, however, has perhaps the most infamous of all. Tang Hall. Within Tang Hall’s great walls of fried chicken and pizza shops, you will find dressing-gowned residents, a gaggle of trackied youths and a rogue bachelor all within the space of five minutes. And when 11pm hits,  students emerge from the terraces, hopping into taxis after downing a final glass of prosecco ready to hit Flares.

We all have our faults, and Tang Hall owns up to theirs. I’m not a violent man, but I’ll deck the first person to slag it off. This is a love letter to Tang Hall, flaws and all.

The gardens

Everyone likes a trimmed bush, and when you’re lucky enough to get a gardener included in your rent, it makes maintenance a whole lot easier. A garden might not be suitable all year round, but when the sun hits, you can’t help but get your jugs out (sangria, of course).

One Stop

Image via Google Earth

A One Stop in Tang Hall is like a McDonalds in America. There’s one on every corner. A meal deal a day keeps the doctor away, said no one ever. Even just the smell of one of their cheese and onion sandwiches makes me want to vom. 

Oh, and you know you have a One Stop problem when the cashier knows you by name!

The community feel

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Say what you want about Tang Hall, but when the residents aren’t slagging us off for being students, you really do feel like part of a little community. You see the same faces every day and remember each and ever teenager who has ever hurled abuse at you.

House parties

I wish the interior walls of a Tang Hall terrace were as thick as the exterior ones because we didn’t get a single noise complaint. Friday wasn’t Friday if you didn’t hop on the prinks at five, get the disco light on and dance the night away until you could stand no more. If they could hear us, then I hope they liked Madonna. And Ms. Minaj. A lot.

The local tabby

Life’s a bitch and so was the cat who visited us every single day. It nipped, it bit, and it hissed. Sounds like me after a bev.

Cheeky BBQ

This goes hand in hand with the bliss of a Tang Hall garden. If my group is anything like yours, half are vegan and half are pretending to be. Get the veggie burgers on and pour me a cheeky vodka red bull. It’s gonna be a long night of nicking a pork sausage when no one’s looking. 

A chef’s heaven

If you’re anything like me, I find new ways to dodge work every day. I’ve taken up drawing, painting and with each seminar reading that needs doing, I’ve made a new cake. Personally, I think it’s a skill we should all adopt, and the big Tang Hall kitchens make it oh so easy. That is when we haven’t piled up the dishes, of course. 

 Tang Hall Beck

Shit a brick, it’s past five and we need to go to Lidl. Tang Hall is only ten minutes from the shops, but its Beck has been named one of the most dangerous streets in York, and when you’re walking across those unlit crossroads you can see why. 

There’s no going under, there’s no going over. You have to go through it. 

Fourth Avenue Shops

Image via Google Earth

There’s no shopping spree like a Fourth Avenue spree. It isn’t quite Saks Fifth Avenue, but I once found a lamp, a mirror and a loaf of tiger bread in one foul swoop. Quality.

The number six bus

Don’t know why this is on the list. It’s shite. 

Heworth Plaice Fish and Chips

Image via Google Earth

Shut up, I know it says Heworth but Judi Dench was born there and they have an excellent chippy. It’s only a few minutes walk from Tang Hall and you’ll come back with a butty the size of your head. It’s cash only too, so it’s basically free. Winner.

Hull Road Park

Image via Google Earth

Park yourself upon the lawns of Hull Road Park and enjoy the perils of incoming German Shepherds galloping towards you. I love a dog as much as the next person, but it’s unsettling to see what it had for dinner last night when it reaches me. Shit somewhere else, mate.

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