Why would anyone want to live in Lenton?
No value for money, lazy estate agents and horrific bus journeys. Victoria Ibitoye wonders whether Lenton is all it’s cracked up to be…
Every year students flock to Lenton. As Freshers we’re filled with tales of how it’s the “place to be” and the “social hub” of all things student so by Christmas most of us have pretty much secured our houses.
However, when you look at Lenton, and I mean really look at it, it’s obvious that living there is not all it’s cracked up to be. With the run-down houses and rubbish on every street corner, it’s hard to see what’s so great about Lenton.
Value for Money
Lenton has little value for money. The houses are often bare and mouldy and don’t have much going for them. To put it frankly, if you live in a house that comes with a fully working kitchen, you’re one of the lucky ones.
We pay extortionate rates for what is effectively a glorified squat and the exploitation doesn’t stop there. Pop into the “Sainsbury’s Local” and you’ll witness the true meaning of price inflation. A midnight snack ends up costing you an arm and a leg, making a trip to the Tesco’s in Beeston all the more appealing.
As students we really do live by the phrase “every little helps” yet, for some reason, when it comes to Lenton our standards reduce and we settle for less even though we really should be expecting more.
Lazy Estate Agents
Estate agents are a pain in general, but the estate agents in Lenton take laziness to a whole new level.
If you have a problem it’s likely you’ll have to chase them up on more than one occasion and even then it’s unlikely that they’ll take your issues seriously.
We’re all warned about that one agent but they’re all generally incompetent. It’s either they don’t care, or they think we’ll eventually go away, but in all honesty why can’t they just do their job?
Packed Journeys on the 34
Positives: There’s free Wi-Fi.
Negatives: 200 plus students are expected to fit on a single decker bus, making journeys home an uncomfortable, packed, stuffy nightmare (and that’s if you can manage to get on the bus at all).
With so many students all battling to make that crucial 11 am lecture, something as simple as catching the bus becomes animal warfare.
Look Elsewhere
My advice? If you can’t find a decent house in Lenton, look elsewhere!
Yes, you’ll have to endure the taunts, and you’ll have to mumble an explanation as to why you can’t split the taxi fare home. But when your friends visit your lush pad you’ll be the one having the last laugh.