Kingston upon Thames

UNIVERSITIES

Your luxury Kingston upon Thames student accommodation is in the perfect location. From your cosy, lavish new home you’ll be a short walk away from Kingston University as well as all the popular shops, bars and restaurants. Just a 13-minute stroll from your accommodation is Kingston University, so you needn’t worry about a long, tiring morning commute! Extremely passionate about enhancing students’ life chances, Kingston University is ranked in the UK’s top 50 in the 2020 Guardian University Guide. Each campus is linked together with a handy free intersite bus service, so whether you’re studying at Penrhyn Road Campus, Kingston Hill, Kingston School of Art, Roehampton Vale or St George’s, you’ll be able to get around quickly and efficiently. Did you know? For the sixth year running Kingston is the top university in the country for graduate business start-ups, helping business-minded alumni get companies off the ground.

Its roots go back to Kingston Technical Institute, which first opened in 1899, offering courses ranging from chemistry, electric wiring, building construction, nursing, dress making and clay modelling! In 1999, the university celebrated its centenary and currently has over 19,000 students. Now specialising in arts, design, fashion, science, engineering and business, the university is organised into four faculties. The faculties include Kingston School of Art, Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education and Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing.

The university itself is in a fabulous location, just 30 minutes from Central London and has been consistently reported as one of the safest boroughs and happiest places to live in central London! The Union of Kingston Students offers more than 100 active societies who run and organise fun weekly activities related to faith, culture, arts, activities, academia, liberation and campaign. From street theatre to wine, or anime to cake, there’s bound to be a society out there perfect for you to get involved with.

In terms of the local area, there are plenty of union bars, cafes, libraries and canteens to relax in with your peers to crack on with studying. There are four modern libraries on each of the main teaching campuses, including 24-hour access to the libraries at Kingston Hill and Penrhyn Road. With a range of different study spaces (silent, quiet group) there are over 2,000 for you to choose from with more than 1,800 open access PC’s for you to utilise. Feel like doing a spot of reading? Fear not! There are over 330,000 books plus 275,000 e-books for you to get stuck into, as well as 78,000 journals available online.

For socialising, the Union of Kingston Students currently run two student bars on campus, each possessing a unique atmosphere. There are loads of fun events to look forward to, including comedy nights and karaoke, giving you a perfect excuse to go out with your friends! With plenty of sofas to sink into with free wi-fi and tasty food, you’ll feel right at home in no time.

EATING OUT

You’re absolutely spoilt for choice in terms of food when living in our luxury student accommodation in Kingston upon Thames! Just a hop skip and a jump away from your accommodation is M&S Kingston, perfect if you want to grab yourself a spot of lunch to take with you to the library for a study session.

Great news for coffee lovers, you’re also only a short walk away from Caffè Nero if you’re in need of a caffeine fix before you start your day! Caffè Nero also have some delicious lunch options available including paninis, wraps, and sandwiches. The best news is, McDonald’s is super close to your luxury accommodation, so if you feel like something naughty for dinner, you’ve got a double cheeseburger waiting for you virtually on your doorstep.

Let’s talk independents, Kingston upon Thames is brimming with independent eateries and cheap eats, destined to make your belly rumble! If you fancy a quick bite and love Vietnamese food, take a stroll to market house on market place, just a 6- minute walk from your accommodation, and visit Phoreal for some delicious Vietnamese street food. All their food is made from scratch and they offer a warm and friendly service guaranteed to put a smile on your face. We’d highly recommend the grilled chicken with rice, for a well-seasoned meal cooked to perfection. Other meals worth mentioning include the spring rolls and the noodles.

If you love Lebanese food, you’ll love Sidra on Church Road! Sidra mainly focuses on food to go, but they do have a couple of tables if you fancy sitting down whilst eating your lunch. The restaurant is about a ten-minute drive from your accommodation but is also easily accessible via public transport if you’d prefer. Sidra provides an intimate, relaxing setting perfect for lunch or dinner. We’d urge you to try the halloumi & roasted vegetable wrap, served with salad and hummus, topped with pomegranate seeds!

Fancy a coffee? You’ll be pleased to know that the quaint Beanberry Coffee is a mere 3-minute walk from your luxury accommodation on Fife Road. Beanberry Coffee opened in the summer of 2016, and offer a selected menu of origin filter coffees, cakes, pastries and teas for visitors. Popular sweet treats include the vegan blueberry cake and the pistachio and orange cookie.

Everyone loves a good hearty breakfast especially when you’ve had a heavy night! Popular café Wags N Tales on Brighton Road in Surbiton is a 10-minute drive from your luxury accommodation and serves up some seriously tasty brunches bound to make your mouth water. Wags N Tales is also easily reachable via public transport if you can’t get there by car, which is a great bonus. For brunch, we’d highly recommend the banana waffles, which includes sliced banana, fresh berries and maple syrup, a vegan option is also available with biscoff and Swedish glace ice cream.

Situated on Thames Street, just a 8-minute stroll from your new home is Local Hero, providing quality brunches and smooth tasting coffee. If you’re feeling extra hungry, we’d recommend the “Hero Breakfast” with scrambled or poached free range eggs, smoked back bacon, field mushrooms, roasted tomato, Cumberland sausage and sourdough or rye bread.

NIGHTLIFE

There’s a fabulous number of bars and clubs for you to choose from when studying in a vibrant town like Kingston upon Thames, all a stone’s throw away from your luxury accommodation making that stumble home much easier!

O’Neills Irish Pub is a great place to kick off your pre-drinks, this relaxed chain pub has a big screen for sports as well as live music and Irish influenced food and drink menus. They have a great range of classic cocktails, beer & cider, gin, whiskey, wine & fizz and shots if you’re feeling up to it! We’d highly recommend O’Neills for an all-round good vibe, offering great value for money in a buzzing atmosphere, perfect to get you in the mood for the next venue.

Another club worth mentioning is the Bacchus Late Bar, and the best news is, it’s only a five-minute stroll (or stumble) from your stunning accommodation! Bacchus crowns itself Kingston’s true alternative music venue for both students and regulars alike. The name “Bacchus” refers to the Roman God of wine and intoxication! On a Monday, you’ll find ‘Shenanigans’, their famous alternate Mondays from 10pm-3am with plenty of funk, hip hop, soul and jungle tunes, as well as an open mic. On Tuesday’s, you’ve got “Peace and Dub” and “Just a Groove” so if you’re into dubstep or disco music, get yourself down there on Tuesday! There’s such a variety of club nights on every night at this venue, it really is the place to be if you fancy a boogie.

If you enjoy a classic club vibe, you’ve also got PRYZM and The Viper Rooms to enjoy in this town, both providing loud booming music with fabulous drinks deals to match. PRYZM, originally a 1930’s cinema, has now been converted to 2 clubbing spaces and 5 bars to make a popular nightclub complex. It’s the largest club in Kingston upon Thames and they have some cracking student deals for you to take advantage of when visiting.

The Viper Rooms is a modern nightclub with 3 rooms, booth seating and a river-view terrace for cocktails and DJ nights, perfect if you want to let your hair down after some hardcore studying at university. The first room “Viper lounge” features an industrially styled bar area with classic house, R&B, funk, soul and disco music. The second room “Viper club” is a clubroom with a large VIP area hosting over 15 VIP tables and luxury booths.

7000 Jars of Beer is Kingston’s first bottle shop and tap room, and it’s super popular! The breweries they stock are small independently run businesses that produce either beer, wine, or spirits. All the beers and wines they list are available to drink in, or take away, but if beer isn’t your thing, they also serve wine, gin, negroni, and old-fashioned cocktails. This unique tap room is only a 6-minute walk from your new home, making it a super ideal location for a night out with your friends.

SPORT

If you love sports and want to compete for the university or commit to regular club training activities, there are plenty of opportunities at Kingston University! Most university clubs and teams are run by the Union of Kingston students, the sports clubs compete in inter-university fixtures on a Wednesday afternoon through British Universities and Colleges Sport.

Kingston Rowing Club is a popular choice among many students, regular training sessions are held throughout the week including training in the gym as well as in the water! If you contact Kingston Rowing Club personally and explain that you’re a university student, you may be entitled to a reduced annual membership. The training takes place four times a week, with river sessions on Wednesday afternoons.

If you’re thinking of joining a society, all you have to do is head to the Students’ Union on Penrhyn Road and speak to one of the receptionists about the sports club and they can process it for you. You can pay by cash or card making it a super easy, simple process. On their website, you can also scroll through an a-z list of clubs and apply and pay online, easy peasy!

The local football team in Kingston upon Thames is Kingstonian F.C, a semi-professional football club which currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The football club was founded in 1885 by YMCA and began competing properly in 1893 in the Surrey Junior Cup. The club nicknamed “The K’s” spent three seasons at the highest level of non-league football and have won the FA trophy twice in consecutive seasons, in 1999 and 2000.

Sport Kingston is the local collective voice for sport in the borough of Kingston, they provide a range of opportunities to participate in sports and leisure activities, whilst working in partnership with national, regional and local sports organisations. If you visit their clubs’ directory, you can find a club in your town or nearby choice of sport, whether that be tennis, judo, canoeing, and many more! You can also find a list of sports centres run by Sport Kingston on their website, providing great facilities for the public to use, perfect to take advantage of whilst studying in this town.

SHOPPING

Kingston upon Thames has some fabulous shopping facilities guaranteed to keep you busy in your free time. With over 300 different stores, the town offers a bustling Market Place, as well as vibrant independent shops and classic chain high-street shops.

The Bentall Centre is home to all the luxurious brands you can think of, including & Other Stories, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss and Swarovski to name a few! As well as fashion, they also have a vast array of places to eat and drink, perfect for a quick break midst shopping.

In the Market Place, you’ll find a more ‘boutique’ selection of shops, including Jo Malone, The White Company, and Space N.K. The Ancient Market Place is home to 17 permanent stalls, trading 7 days a week from 10am-5pm with a great selection of traditional market stall holders such as florists and fishmongers.

Old London Road in Kingston upon Thames is definitely worth a visit if you’re into more quirky items, or just fancy a meander around some unique shops. With a vast range of vintage shops on offer, you can grab yourself some bargains and some retro clothing to add to your wardrobe. If you’re into vinyl, we’d highly recommend visiting Shaks’ Stax of Wax, where you’ll find a huge selection of records for sale, as well as CD’s and cassette tapes, all genres are considered!

Need some self care? We’d recommend visiting Mr Mullan’s apothecary on Old London Road, specialising in skincare, grooming, and lifestyle products. Whether it’s hand sanitiser, face cleanser, moisturiser or beard oil you require, Mr Mullan’s has it all!

Kingston Monday Market trades from 9am- 2pm every Monday in the Cattle Market surface car park, and offers a lot of great value on clothing, fabric, books and cards, as well as household goods. If you’re in need of some fresh vegetables to rustle up a delicious meal for you and your university friends, look no further, because Kingston Monday Market is the place to get it!

EVENTS

It’s safe to say, you’ll never be bored in a town like Kingston upon Thames, with plenty of daily activities on offer bound to keep you entertained. When living in a town like Kingston upon, everything is within close proximity, meaning you won’t have to travel far from your luxury accommodation to have some fun!

Why not take a trip to The Rose Theatre on Kingston High Street? The idyllic theatre has an 822 seat capacity, with a vast array of performances on offer, as well as stage performances, they also hold various events at the theatre, including workshops and exhibitions.

Did you know that you’re only 30 minutes from London if you live in Kingston upon Thames? The city of London is always brimming with events and things to do, and you’re only a short train ride away! All you need to do is hop on a train to visit the bustling city, and you’ll be back home in your cosy, comfortable accommodation in no time.

London’s annual Winter Wonderland is always worth a visit during Christmas time, located in the famous Hyde Park. There are over 100 spectacular rides and attractions, shows, London’s biggest Christmas market and plenty of restaurants, cafes and themed bars to keep you busy, you’ll be in the Christmas spirit in no time!

You’ve also got Pride in London; the annual LGBT pride festival and parade held each summer. Pride celebrates the diversity of the LGBT community with colour at this London parade, as well as free festivity events in the famous Trafalgar square. Around 150 people volunteer year-round to help deliver what has become a world-class pride, so this is a must see when studying in Kingston upon Thames.

The Riverside Walk in Kingston upon Thames is a beautiful walk along The Thames offering amazing views with a few bars and restaurants along the way to ensure you’ve got enough fuel! We’d highly recommend taking a stroll with your friends on a sunny day to soak in all the scenes of the idyllic town you’re studying in.

As well as this, “Out Of Order” by David Mach is a famous piece of art featuring the most iconic symbols of Britain…the telephone box! This has to be one of the most iconic aspects of Kingston upon Thames, a fantastic photo opportunity for students and tourists alike.