The most popular city in the UK: Here are eight things York students love about their city

As students at the Uni of York, we are so lucky to be able to live and study in such a beautiful, vibrant city brimming with culture, character, and diversity. Steeped in Viking heritage, York is a lively yet cosy city, filled with charming cafes, bustling characterful markets, and all kinds of quirky little nooks and crannies. York is also home to many world-famous landmarks: The breathtaking architecture of the Minster, and the spellbinding aura of the Shambles (which served as inspiration for Diagon Alley in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter). It’s unsurprising that York has recently been named as the most popular city in the UK, attracting more and more visitors every single year. It truly is loved by students, locals and tourists alike.

Being a tourist hotspot, it’s the students job to find the hidden gems of the city. There are endless things about York that students studying in this city love wholeheartedly. The York Tab invited students at the Uni of York to describe what they love most about their uni city, and here is a compiled list of things that students love the most about York. If you’re a fresher, get even more excited for moving-in day!

The student-friendly cafes and coffee shops

As a uni student, cafes and coffee shops are the perfect places to write up a draft of that formative, or to get that essay done. It’s unsurprising, really, given that a slice of cake and a caffeine fix are only ever a short trip away. Also, the cosy ambience of cafes always sets the perfect relaxing yet focused mood for uni work, and you can grab a few aesthetically-pleasing pictures of your surroundings (and your coffee) before you settle down to work.

Luckily for York students, there are a plethora of student-friendly cafes dotted across the city. Some of my personal favourites are Cosy Time, Drift-In, and Over The Rainbow Cafe, York’s only LGBTQIA+ cafe, that is located above the Portal Bookshop on Patrick Pool. And if you’re a cat-lover and in need of a break from that essay, then look no further! York’s cat cafe, The Cat’s Whiskers, is another of my personal favourites, serving cakes and drinks, and offering a relaxing space in which you can interact with adorable cats and spend some time with the cutest feline friends!

The brunch and lunch spots

When it comes to treating yourself to brunch or lunch in town, you’re spoilt for choice if you happen to be a York student. There are so many cute and quirky brunch and lunch spots dotted around the city, and many of these cafes and lunch spots are small, independent, local businesses. A few student favourites are Drift-In, Rise, and Brew & Brownie. Many brunch and lunch spots across York offer discounts for students so be sure to ask when ordering food and drinks, and bring along your student ID card to claim.

The pubs and bars

Legend has it that there’s a pub for every day of the year nestled within the confines of York’s city castle walls.

As York students, we really are spoilt for choice when it comes to lively bars and historical pubs. Popular student-friendly bars include Dusk, Evil Eye, Stone Roses (student discounts available), and Yates, which offers exciting events such as club nights, quiz nights, and karaoke nights. A brand new Roxy Ball Room has also recently opened on the Stonebow in York, offering ball games and booze for fun nights out with friends.

If you prefer pubs to bars, The Lowther is a popular student pub that offers student discounts if you own a Lowther NUS card. The Guy Fawkes Inn, located on High Petergate, is steeped in history as the birthplace of the infamous historical figure behind the failed Gunpowder Plot. Other pubs across York offer open mic events, popular with a student crowd, for spoken word poetry, song, or both, sometimes with discounted drinks for performers. I absolutely love the spoken word poetry open mic events, hosted by the York Howlers, at The Blue Boar on Castlegate.

Did you know that the Golden Fleece Inn in York is said to be haunted by fifteen ghosts, including the ghost of a lady who wanders the pub in the middle of the night?

The bookshops and libraries

As a city steeped in rich literary culture as well as history, York is home to a plethora of quaint and quirky bookshops.

The Minster Gate Bookshop is a Georgian townhouse that boasts an extensive range of antique books and collections across five floors. Its compact layout, encouraging a sense of intimacy between customers and books, allows you to get up close and personal with some incredibly old and valuable bibliographical gems. One of my favourite bookshops in York is The Portal Bookshop, located on Patrick Pool. The Portal Bookshop is York’s LGBTQIA+ bookshop that sells queer-themed books, Pride flags, pins and jewellery.

The York Explore Library & Archive is open seven days a week for all of your studying and research needs as a student, and King’s Manor Library, part of Uni of York whilst in the centre of town, offers non-bookable study spaces as well as an extensive bibliographic collection to browse for your research or assignments, or to peruse just for fun.

The York Literature Festival is a charitable organisation that seeks to promote literature, spoken word, and liberal arts in the city. You can find out more about the festival, get involved, and support the charity by visiting its website.

The York Minster

At the heart of York lies the Minster, an all-too-frequent appearance on the BeReal’s of York students. Because if you haven’t taken a BeReal of the York Minster, do you even go to uni here? All jokes aside, the Minster is a beautiful seventh-century cathedral that offers free entry for York students (just bring along your York student ID card). The building itself is majestic and breathtaking, towering over the city of York.

Did you know that the York Minster boasts Britain’s richest stained-glass collection, and that the Minster’s Great East Window is larger in size than a tennis court, making it the most extensive stretch of glazing that still exists from the medieval period?

The markets

York wouldn’t be the same without its vibrant, lively markets. The Shambles Market features independent stalls selling unique, handmade products and gifts, such as artisan crafts and fresh flowers. At the Shambles Food Court, located on Silver Street, there’s a huge range of delicious food stalls that are perfect for a quick bite to eat!

Of course, every year the students of York look forward to the city’s beloved, cosy Christmas market as the festive season draws near. Christmassy stalls selling beautiful, unique crafts, and delicious, hearty bites and drinks, line Parliament Street as the warm glow of the festive lights welcomes you into the city. A fair warning to you though, it gets very, very busy. Take advantage of living here and go when you’ve got a random bit of free time, rather than on a Saturday night – nightmare.

A trip to the York Christmas Market is, of course, never complete without a ride on the iconic carousel. Go on. You’re never too old for a ride on the carousel!

The cosiness and unique charm of the city

You can’t deny that there’s just something so cosy, warm, and welcoming about York’s ambience as a small, yet lively and inclusive city. Strolling down the cobblestone streets of the city, there truly is a certain warmth that resonates from the rich history of the buildings around you. There’s nothing quite like admiring the picturesque views and exquisite architecture of the ancient structures surrounding you – every student has had there “wow, I live here” moment. It’s no surprise that students really do love York.

The diversity of the city

Despite its historical castle walls and medieval architecture, York is a warm and welcoming city that is vibrant with diversity. York’s uniqueness as a quirky, characterful city shines through its charming historical architecture and its literary and cultural richness: York is unapologetically itself, and this is reflected in the diversity and inclusivity of the students of York, and what they love about their uni city.

An annual event that demonstrates the city’s celebration of diversity is York Pride. Every year on a weekend towards the beginning of June, the York Pride parade illuminates the cobblestone streets of York with rainbow colours and Pride flags, demonstrating the city’s commitment to inclusivity and the celebration of diversity. The celebrations then continue with the festival at the Knavesmire, featuring stalls, food-vendors, fairground rides and musical performances.

As you can see, there are so many amazing things about York that students love. From the iconic Minster to the characterful markets, York is truly a melting pot of culture and diversity. I’m incredibly lucky and grateful to be able to call York home while I’m at uni, and I hope that you, too, will feel the same way once you move into your new room on the outskirts of this beautiful city.

Related articles recommended by this author:

•A letter to York freshers, from a third year: How to make the most of your time at uni

•Inside Uni of York’s colleges: We asked for your honest opinions on first year accom

•We asked Uni of York students for their best advice for incoming freshers