Southampton

Nice location, large areas that are great for summer such as the Common. Also very close to the new forest and nice beaches but only if you have access to a car. Is small enough that it doesn't feel too big/can get lost easily, but still feels like a city. Apart from outside things int he summer theres not much else to do compared to cities such as Bristol etc.

The night outside are good and probably the only thing you’ve can really do here the food shops are good shopping is excellent loads of shops to offer

Its okay. 3 to 4 years here and you'll have seen almsot everything it has to offer. That can be good or bad to be honest.

Its okay, but in 3 or 4 years you'll have seen almost everything it has to offer. So theres only so much to explore.

Southampton is a huge city with a few different activites to do, there’s 3 cinemas, loads of restaurants, a few of the top shopping retailers, as well as that there’s over 10 different clubs/bars to choose from with over 200,000 in population there’s plenty of cool people to meet, it’s decent

An adequate amount of access to shops, food, nightlife. West Quay is pretty much the hub of shopping, with every designer outlet imaginable, but Marlands is also a nice addition with some more independent stores. West Quay’s food court contains most of the major fast food chains, with Five Guys and Taco Bell serving as great recent additions. In terms of nightlife there’s the obvious big clubs like Oceana and Pop World, but there’s also some smaller gems such as Orange Rooms who do incredible cocktails as well as The Hobbit which is a great Tolkien themed place for cocktails.

Up and coming area, bit boring at times. Music scenes is getting a lot better, transports is okay. Wish there were more museums. Lots of parks

Nights out are great, definitely don’t miss Jesters but bring a special pair of shoes! Not much going on day-to-day, but get out to the New Forest if you can because it’s beautiful there. Shopping is obviously great because there’s West Quay shopping and some really cool and quirky shops around Portswood and towards the centre of town. It’s fairly friendly but lacks in atmosphere overall. In terms of valye for money, Southampton is cheaper than London but pricier than say the West Country or up North, but good budgeting helps overcome that- there’s a decent Aldi close to the centre of Southampton which is handy if sometimes a bit of a trek to get to.

Honest review time: the university is great. But the city of Southampton leaves a lot to be desired. The Uni is situated way out of town - 45 to 60 minutes' walk to the city centre - so you basically have to choose where you want to spend the day, up at the uni or down in town. Most of Southampton isn't very picturesque and thanks to the huge student and low income population away from the centre, small terraces tend to be unpleasant but the only affordable places to live. The city centre however, is lovely. Days out shopping or nights at the new cinema can be great. Plenty of food choices as well as old city features like gatehouses and walls are featured prominently. But just remember that this is a fair distance from the university. You can tell I have some gripes with this place. As someone who spends a lot of time in London, Southampton just doesn't compare.

Southampton was a bit of a dive when I moved here two year but it's improved tons since then. Lots of new cafes and cool bars have opened up and there are a lot more events going on in and around the city.