Homes for Students offers a range of student rooms in Manchester, from large shared flats beside the curry mile to stylish studio apartments in the city centre. If you want to roll out of bed and into your lectures then Manchester House is perfect for you, a short walk away from University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and The Manchester Business School, it’s perfectly located. Do you love to indulge in delicious takeaway food from all over the world? Then Oxney House & Gardens and Heald Court are perfect for you - a two minute walk from the famous Curry Mile will mean you’re sorted for the rest of the year! Daiysbank Villas provides students with the options of having their very own large studio or to live with friends in a spacious student flat. Looking for great student accommodation in the city? Manchester Court is just minutes’ walk from the Northern Quarter, meaning you are just a walk away from the vibrant city centre for when you want a good night out or a shopping trip.
The vast majority of students moving to Manchester will be studying at either the University of Manchester or Manchester Metropolitan, although our student accommodation Manchester also serves students studying at the University of Salford, and The Manchester College.
The University of Manchester is the largest university in the city, and with 40,000 students it is in fact one of the largest single-site universities in the UK. It is widely regarded as one of the top research institutions in the country, with many courses designed and taught in a way that feeds into the needs of industry and long-term thought. The campus is all on one, single-site city centre location, and with all of our apartment sites you are in close proximity to the University of Manchester, either on foot from Manchester House, Daisybank Villas, or Manchester Court, or via local buses when living at >Oxney House & Gardens. The library at the University of Manchester is one of only five National Research Libraries and there are over 4.2 million printed books and manuscripts within the university libraries. The Student’s Union is also the largest in the UK, with shops, a café and bar on-site for students to enjoy during the days and during events at night. The Mancunion, Fuse FM and University TV Channel provide ample opportunities for students to try their hand at media, whilst there are over 450 clubs and societies that meet the interests of all students.
Manchester Metropolitan is home to over 38,000 students (with our Park View and Manchester House apartments within walking distance) and is based on a modern and aspiring approach to higher education that is accessible to a large number of students from all backgrounds, those with a passion for learning and the dedication to strive for knowledge and to build on potential. The Student’s Union is one of the largest in the UK, with the specialist Advice centre achieving national recognition for its work with advice, and case work for students involving housing, finance and academic service issues. The Student’s Union is located at the heart of the campus with a shop, bar, café, media suite and a venue for events. Student’s can make the most of access to over 150 sports clubs.
Students who are planning to study at the University of Salford, Manchester Medical School, or The Manchester Business School are all catered for in our superb Manchester student accommodation.
Manchester is definitely a city that has been on the up in recent years in many different areas, with the food scene no different. There are many successful independents and areas that are great for food. Whether you are looking for something fancy, or cheaper student eats there is an option open to you. From fantastic brunch options to help you with a hangover, city centre delights (that Manchester Court leaves you in prime position for) or a late night cheap curry house along the Curry Mile (if you live in Heald Court or Oxney House & Gardens you can stop off on the Curry Mile on your way back from a night out) Manchester has a wide range of cuisine on offer to students.
The Northern Quarter is home to plenty of vibrant foodie delights, and with This & That you have the ultimate in cheap treats for students studying in Manchester. They offer a large portion of rice with three side curries for a good price, all in an unassuming spot down on Soap Street. Crazy Pedro’s provides students with a good time, a beer and a slice of pizza in the heart of the Northern Quarter. Ever had a fried chicken and waffle pizza or a hotdog pizza? You’re missing out if the answer is no!
Another restaurant that offers authentic, high quality cuisine at a really good price is Rudy’s. Here, you can find classic Neapolitan Pizza at a price that won’t smash your student loan to pieces. I Am Pho in the city centre offer students a chance to experience the delightful, soul nourishing Vietnamese Pho in a simple setting. For something a little down and dirty Northern Soul Grilled Cheese is located close to the Arndale food market, with everything on the menu from a simple three-cheese blend to extras of beef patties, pickles and bacon. Mowgli has recently opened a second restaurant in Manchester, off Oxford Road, offering sublime Indian Street food at a great price. It is a real taste sensation worth checking out and is in the perfect location for Manchester House residents. If you are interested in a curry on your way home from uni or a night out, curry mile offers a large selection of curry houses on the walk from the centre down to Rusholme.
There is a buzzing nightlife scene in Manchester from the tiny and dirty drinking dens to the clubs and bars of Gay Village, and a massive live music scene throughout the city. Manchester is definitely a city that you can get lost in, dance the night away, make new life-long friends in an instant and find a brand new place for a favourite haunt every single night of the week. With two massive universities in the city you’ll be hard pressed to go out and not find a student club night whenever you head out on the town – with venues such as Gorilla and Albert’s Schloss just two of many examples of lively student nights that can be found in the city.
There are good student offers on across the city, with Trof on Thomas Street offering great drinks deals every single day between 4pm and 8pm. This is a great way to start a night before one of the city’s many club nights. Lazy Lizard is a club venue inspired by Ibiza, with club classics being played until 3 in the morning. Friday night is student night and there is free entry for anyone with an NUS card. The biggest club night in Manchester is on Store Street at The Warehouse Project. It’s not just for students and isn’t a cheap night, but it does give you the chance to enjoy some of the biggest names in the business. For cheaper student club nights head down to FAC251 on Princess Street where you can enjoy F//CK TH//RSDAY, and Quids In on a Monday, or over at the Deansgate Revolution there are £1.50 drinks all night every Wednesday at Hot Mess. 42s on Bootle Street is a firm favourite with the Indie crowd, offering regular themed nights, and another student favourite is Gold Teeth at The Deaf Institute every Tuesday night between 10pm and 3am, and a hip-hop, grime, funk, and Motown feel to proceedings.
If you’re looking for more of a relaxed vibe in the form of great craft beers and funky bars, there is plenty to enjoy about Manchester. From the historic, tiny Temple Bar in the disused Victorian toilets on Oxford Road, to Port Street Beer House in the Northern Quarter, and Marble Arch (Manchester Court is just a few minutes walk from this fantastic and historic pub), Manchester is a great city for an old-fashioned pub crawl!
Live music is the lifeblood of Manchester and there are so many great venues that cater for all sorts of musical genres and all sizes of crowds. There is Band on the Wall, Night and Day, and Soup Kitchen providing smaller venues, slightly larger gig venues include Gorilla, The Ritz, and Albert Hall, whilst big concerts take place regularly in the Academy, Manchester Arena, the Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
Check out our article on the 11 best nightclubs in Manchester for more information on Manchester's nightlife.
As a student in Manchester, whichever university or college you attend you’ll have access to a large number of sports clubs and societies. At the University of Manchester there are over 40 sports clubs that appeal to amateurs and more serious sportspeople alike within the Athletics Union, with Wednesday afternoon competition in the British Universities and Colleges Sport Leagues. For such a large student population Manchester is fully equipped to deal with those students looking to participate in sport, whether on a friendly level or to compete at an elite level. There are countless sports clubs and teams to take advantage of whether you are studying at the University of Manchester or Manchester Metropolitan, from football and rugby, to hockey and running clubs.
If you are looking for a fun day out with your friends, Chill Factore on the outskirts of the city can be easily reached via public transport from any of our student accommodation in Manchester. Chill Factore is a fantastic indoor real snow centre, with the largest indoor ski slope in the entire UK part of the Snow Park. It is a really fun place to ski, sledge, and have fun on the slopes all year-round.
Aside from participating in sport Manchester is world-famous for its football clubs, as well as being home to other top-tier sports clubs in various sports arenas. Of course, it is hard to start anywhere but with the football, as it is such a massive part of daily life in Manchester. Manchester United are the most successful English football club of all time, winning 20-league titles and 3-European Cups in its history, whilst Manchester City has a rich tradition that has been boosted in the last ten-years, as it has become one of the biggest clubs in the world, competing at the top table in England and Europe every year.
Its Etihad Stadium was originally built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, which was a sporting highlight of the city. Both clubs can be easily reached via public transport from our Manchester student accommodation, by bus, train, or tram. If lower league football is more your thing Greater Manchester and the wider North West is full of historic clubs, including Oldham, Bury, Rochdale, Wigan, and Bolton.
In terms of other sports there is plenty going on in and around Manchester. Although there isn’t a rugby league team in the city itself, Manchester is a great base to explore the many top flight rugby league sides in the region, including Wigan and St Helens. Old Trafford Football ground is the home of the Super League Grand Final however, hosting the biggest game in the sport every year. For rugby union Sale Sharks play top flight rugby on the outskirts of Manchester. Other elite sports teams based in Manchester include The Manchester Giants in basketball and The Manchester Storm in Ice Hockey, both of which play into the thriving amateur scene in the region. There is definitely something to get involved with if you fancy supporting a team whilst studying in Manchester!
Manchester is a city that is great for shopping, with a wide and varied selection of shopping centres including the best and the biggest of the high street brands, as well as the smaller independent stores and boutiques that add character to any city. The shopping is one of the main reasons people come to visit Manchester, and as a student living at Manchester Court or Manchester House you’ll be literally seconds away from some of the best shopping options in the city. Whether you are searching for the high street brands in the Trafford Centre, the Arndale Centre or around Spinningfields, or you are in search of one of the many independent stores in the Northern Quarter, Manchester has something for every student with a penchant for shopping.
In recent years the Manchester Arndale Centre has been modernised and extended to make it a bit of a more pleasant experience on the eye. It is a large, city-centre shopping mall with everything that you would expect to find from the high-street brands and chains, as well as a large food hall to cater for all tastes. These days it really does feel like a clean and calm environment where you can find everything you need without feeling rushed and overcrowded. As well as the high street chains (and a large Aldi), there is also an expansive market with fruit and veg providers, fantastic fishmongers, and fresh produce everywhere you look.
In terms of independents, Manchester has a lot to offer. You’ll discover a wide range of boutiques offering vintage clothing, large independent bookshops, record stores galore, as well as many independent arts and crafts stores (such as Fred Aldous in the Northern Quarter). There really is genuine choice within the vintage and independent shopping scene in Manchester. Afflecks Palace in the Northern Quarter is the perfect example of this vibe, with a multi-storey set-up of vintage, chic, retro-style spread across each floor. 
From independent boutiques to vintage vinyl and the smaller Pop Boutique, to tattoos and piercings to classic 1920s scarves, brooches and top hats at Kuhl Vintage, this place is an absolute gem that you can wander and get lost in for hours at a time.
The vinyl revival has been in full swing for a few years now and Manchester is a mecca for lovers of music in the North West. There are shops serving thousands of music lovers throughout the city, including the most famous of them all at Piccadilly Records. Running for over 40-years, it is the original independent record shop, with a large collection of brand new records and classics in every genre of music you can think of. It’s certainly worth a trip each week to delve through the crates of records. Vinyl Exchange has been selling second-hand vinyl for over 30-years and has two floors of great records from disco classics, to soul, techno and hip-hop.
For arts, culture, museums and galleries, as well as annual events delivered on a large-scale, Manchester has it all in abundance (read our article on things that Manchester is famous for if you don't beleive us!). If you are looking for a day out at art galleries and museums you have a wealth of choices, from The National Football Museum (close to our Manchester Court apartments), to the Museum of Science and Industry (just a ten minutes walk from Manchester House) for your museum needs. For art look no further than the Whitworth Gallery (5-minutes walk from Heald Court and Park View) or The Lowry in Salford. With such a treasure-trove of culture in Manchester you’ll never be bored.
As for annual events there is a wide range of opportunities to get involved to enjoy a big day out. Parklife Festival in Heaton Park takes place each June and is a popular event that sells out really quickly. It is a weekend that is home to several stages and some big names in music visiting the city each year to help get the party started. In August, the longest-running LGBT festival in the UK takes place with Manchester Pride. With the main festivities taking place in Gay Village there is 10-days of celebrations culminating in the Big Weekend over the August bank holiday weekend, including a 72-hour party with full-on parades, concerts and a Candlelight Vigil in Sackville Gardens.
Albert Square is home to a couple of large festivals on the annual Manchester calendar that shouldn’t be missed. The Manchester Food and Drink Festival has been running for over 20-years in September and October each year. It is the largest urban food and drink event in the country, and has samples and stalls from over 250 restaurants, cafes, bars, gastro pubs, and other pop up food stalls. You’ll find cooking classes, live events, kitchen tours, and so much more during the festival. At Christmas, Albert Square is the centre and main hub of the Manchester Christmas markets, which are the longest running in the UK, although market stalls and food offerings are spread throughout the city centre during these few weeks each year. It is a wonderful time to see the Christmas lights, and enjoy some mulled wine.
The Manchester International Festival brings together many of the leading exponents of art, film, music, and culture each year, with many different venues being used to create a truly unique experience each festival, from the large concert venues, to car parks, disused railway depots and churches. It has been home to some unique exploration of art since it was first launched in 2007, including projects from Bjork, Steve McQueen, The XX, Marina Abramović, Maxine Peak, and David Lynch to name just a few.
