Ranked: The best student areas to live in Lancaster

Lancaster students are rather fortunate that the city in which we live is quite a nice mix of rural and metropolitan, meaning you can either live in the centre of town in the hustle and bustle, or you can choose to live a little further out and enjoy the peace and quiet. But choosing your next place to live can be a little daunting for many students, so we’ve done the hard work for you and gathered the top intel on which area is the cream of the crop when it comes fo finding the best student area to live, having polled Lancs students on Instagram.

4. Hala

At the bottom of our list is Hala, the area in Lancaster you forget exists until you’re passing through, then realise you’ve taken the 100 bus by accident, and now your journey is four times as long. Sadly for its inhabitants, Hala won less than two per cent of votes as the “best” area. To add insult to injury, the closest supermarket is Booths, and no one wants to go there unless they’re willing to cough up a fortune to buy the basic necessities. With next to no takeaways and the atmosphere of a ghost town, there are definitely better places to spend most of your day procrastinating. Trust us, the views won’t improve your unproductive mood. The only saving grace is Bargain Booze, so if you’re a consistent party thrower, maybe consider living there for the drinks? Then again, party animals thrive in the town centre, so maybe not.

3. Bowerham

Next up is Bowerham. With a more respectable 17 per cent of votes, Bowerham is a great spot for those who don’t feel like being a 30-second walk away from Spoons is a necessity. Unlike the town centre, Bowerham is probably the only place in Lancaster where you can rely on getting a good night’s sleep without living in the middle of nowhere. If you’re one of the lucky ones who are blessed with sporty genes, Bowerham is close to Williamson Park and in the middle of both the town centre and uni, just the perfect distance for a walk. With a homely feel, there’s a likelihood that at least half of your road was living on campus with you last year. After adding in a suitable number of takeaways and lower prices, Bowerham is a reasonable spot to call your own, however it doesn’t quite have the shining resume of the top contender on our list.

2. Just outside of town

Want to be in on the action, but not prepared for the hustle and bustle of the town centre? Living just outside of town is the answer to all who understand the need to be close to town, after all, that’s where Aldi resides (though we do prefer Lidl). Just a few votes ahead of Bowerham with 21 per cent, just outside of town has some definite plusses. There’s good access to bus stops, you’re not that far from the nightlife, but not so close that you can hear the late-night antics of everyone who’s had just one too many drinks. Like all the spots on this list, the distance from town is a key factor. The closer you are the better, but as the people living just a bit further out will tell you, a quieter night before an exam is worth the extra five-minute walk into town.

1. Town

We’ve made it. The pinnacle of Lancaster living, with over 60 per cent of your votes, the town centre embodies everything you desire to have in a location. No need to stress, you’ve got Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Lidl or if you’re splashing out, M&S, all within a stone’s throw. Need to catch a bus quickly? Take your pick of stops, there’s practically one on every street. But the most important thing? That’s right, wherever you live in town, Spoons is just down the road. Gone are the days where you must travel back home on the bus, you can just stagger back. Your home is officially only a minute’s walk away. While Lancaster’s nightlife might not be the biggest, all of it is within a small radius, so really, the world’s your oyster. Finally, you can breathe a sigh of relief – you’ll never have to take the 100 again.

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