Can everyone please stop dissing Portland Street

When anyone thinks of Lincoln, everyone thinks of the good parts of it. The traditional beauty of the city centre, the breath-taking sight of the cathedral lit up at night, walking up the narrow streets of steep hill whilst feeling like you’re in a Harry Potter film and of course the stunning Brayford waterfront.

However, what no one speaks of is the not-so-spectacular underbelly of Lincoln, Portland Street.

That’s right, that place, the bit where when our parents visit we try anything and everything to get them to avoid it, where whenever someone mentions it you shudder with the thought of stepping anywhere near it.

Home, sweet, home

The place just looks bloody rough, the buildings look tired and dull which cracks in every orifice, the people that walk along the streets look miserable as sin and unfortunately Sincil Bank Arena, owned by Lincoln City Football Club, does nothing to help the place.

Everyone knows the desired places to live in Lincoln, most of which is in the West end, nestled up near the cathedral overlooking the University and the dismal corners of the city, but not everyone is lucky enough to live there.

If you do live on Portland Street, or even near it, you must embrace the typical bad press it gets from local media and your fellow students and take it in your stride whilst being proud of where you live.

But Portland Street is really not that bad, and there is definitely some element to the things people say about it being fabricated and wrong.

She loves her Portland Street home

Krsitina Hollier, a third year Drama student, who lives on Portland street, said: “It’s really not that bad. To be honest it’s like living on any other street in Lincoln, apart from the houses are a bit cheaper which suits me just fine!

“People have such high expectations of a uni house, but to me it’s the people you live with that matter the most.” Exactly.

Perfectly adequate

Another supposed downside to living in this area of Lincoln is the locals that also reside there with many students having relatively negative opinions on them, but this isn’t really fair.

Kristina said: “They aren’t that bad to be honest. They just tend to mind their own business. Of course you get the odd drunkard mumbling and yelling to themselves, but it isn’t doing me any harm!”

Natasha Bourke a second year Journalism student agreed: “Whilst I don’t actually live on Portland Street I live quite close so get the same stick when I mention where I live. It’s a nice area, the people are very friendly and my street is mainly students of families and I have no problems with the area where I live.”

Portland Street certainly doesn’t seem to be quite as shit as some students make out. Sure, it might be a little shabbier than some of the other estates – but you’ve got to have a toss up between being skint in a nicer area or being fifty quid better off every week.

And you never know, you could be sipping your luxury Smirnoff in your house on Portland street, but guaranteed those on the other side are scrounging up the dosh to buy a quarter bottle of Tesco’s value whilst freaking out about their rent.