By Millie Bloom, Third Year History
The Croft Magazine // These Bristol locations are the classic places that every Bristol student knows and loves!
Like most students, I’ve spent much of this year stuck indoors in my teenage bedroom watching trash telly. I can’t wait to get back to Bristol and its student hotspots. If you’re starting at uni this year, use this list as a guide to these locations and you’ll soon know your way around (and be well on your way to the perfect Bristol student Instagram!).
Park Street
Park Street is one of the most iconic streets in Bristol and it is definitely the one you trudged up on an open day. Full of vintage stores, it’ll have you kitted out in typical Bristol flares in no time. It’s also home to Mrs Potts Chocolate House. A nice atmosphere to work in or meet friends, Mrs Potts has chocolate on tap (and I mean that literally, there are seven types of hot chocolate available). Further up is The Last Bookshop, where everything is less than £3.
It’s an unspoken rule, passed down through generations of Bristol students, that you can’t visit The Florist without posting the floral wall on Insta or The White Rabbit pub without checking in on Facebook and consuming your body weight in pizza and pints. Both are definitely worth the hangovers.
ASS Library
You’ll also soon get to know the ASS library, that is, if you can find a seat. You’ll likely have an all-nighter essay crisis here and develop a fierce opinion on whether or not it should be reserved solely for arts students. The ASS is the scene of many an unrequited Briscrush and although it has a café, smuggling in a Parsons meal deal from the outside is a common (and cheaper) occurrence.
Clifton Observatory
The Clifton Observatory is a classic photo spot with views of the bridge and gorge below. Next to it is a slide carved into the rocks. You will either attempt this slide while drunk and end up in a crumpled heap at the bottom, or spend three years telling yourself you’ll make the trek up there to try it, but never actually will.
Bag of Nails pub
If you’re missing your pet, the Bag of Nails pub really hits the spot. It smells a bit, but this is very much excused as it is home to 14 lovely cats. It’s cheaper than the cat café in Cabot and easier to find than the fickle halls cats (which despite their active Facebook accounts are rarely seen unless food is cooking!).
At some point in your Bristol life, you will definitely find yourself halfway up a hill, completely out of breath. While not so great when lugging your shopping home, the daily trek will cause you to develop legs of steel, handy when you’ve eaten nothing but Taka Taka and instant noodles.
This list barely scratches the surface of the locations you’ll come to love as a Bristol student. I know it’s a cliché to say but try and explore the city as much as you can, it all goes by so quickly!
Featured Image: Epigram / Millie Bloom
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