Choosing which university to join involves more than researching the university itself. As you’ll likely be living in that city for 3 or more years, a crucial part of deciding between universities is their location. This was one of the main reasons why I chose York. In this blog, I will try to give you some insight into some of the things that York has to offer.
Greenest city in the UK
One of my favourite things about York is all of the green spaces available. Coming from the countryside, I was worried that I would find it hard to adjust to living in a city but I’ve found the transition surprisingly easy. York has previously been named the greenest city in the UK as well as one of the best cities to live in. Even when you are in the city centre, you’re never far away from nature.
Rowntree Park is one of my favourite places to walk through and is lovely all year round. There is a lake in the park that is home to different varieties of birds. If you visit regularly, you can watch the ducklings and goslings grow up from chicks! Another great area is the Museum Gardens. It’s really close to the city centre and Kings Manor, the home of the Archaeology department. It’s a really nice place to visit when you’re taking a break from studying and is also the location of the York Observatory and St Mary’s Abbey.
St Nick’s environment centre is another great place to visit if you’re looking to reconnect with nature. They offer multiple volunteering opportunities that involve wildlife observation and conservation. If you’re not looking to volunteer, it’s still a lovely place to walk through.
Explore York’s rich history
Another thing that makes York unique is all of the activities that you can get up to while living here. You can hire boats with your friends to go up and down the river (this is something that I definitely recommend during summer). If that isn’t exciting enough, then you can have a go at axe throwing at The Hilt! This is one of the many things in York that takes inspiration from the city’s rich history. You can explore this further through visiting the Jorvik Viking Centre or the annual Viking festival which hosts tours, re-enactments and other events.
Search for hidden gems
Depending on the time of year, there are other events in the city centre with my favourite being the Christmas markets. Just by walking through the city, you’ll definitely notice many historical features such as The Shambles, Clifford’s Tower, York Minster and the city walls. All of these aspects give the city so much character which, along with the friendly people that live here, made me feel at home straight away.
I’ve mentioned some of York’s noticeable features like the Minster, but there are also loads of hidden gems throughout the city. There are many lovely cafes but perhaps the most unique one is Gatehouse Coffee. It’s located within the city walls themselves and offers some great views. There is also a cat trail to follow which involves finding 22 hidden cat statutes and the ice trail which is an annual event where ice sculptures are displayed for the day. Both of these trails take you around the city and make for a fun day out. After which you can have a drink at one of York’s many bars and pubs – rumour has it there are 365!
Beside this, there is so much more that York has to offer. I hope this blog has provided a glimpse into what it’s like here as well as some of the things that you can get up to.
Great start to highlighting some of the things that York has to offer. For those looking for adventure, there are plenty of activities to choose from such as kayaking down the River Ouse, mountain biking in the Yorkshire Dales or even some axe throwing at Live For Today.