Student Life 2013/14 January 2014 | Page 176

SOUTHAMPTON city guide HI, I’M LEWIS, A STUDENT AT SOUTHAMPTON SOLENT UNIVERSITY STUDYING A PROMOTIONAL MEDIA DEGREE. I HAVE LIVED AND STUDIED IN SOUTHAMPTON AND IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO BE; A PROPER ‘STUDENT CITY’ THAT CATERS FOR ALL. by Lewis MaClean GREAT NIGHT OUT? Southampton has come a long way from its humble origins as a medieval market town to its present day status as a cosmopolitan student nexus. When arriving in Southampton, before starting Uni you might consider taking a stroll around the civic centre. The Guildhall Square stands across the park from Solent Uni, boasting a number of 176 www.accommodationforstudents.com places to eat and drink. Southampton has many friendly pubs and I recommend ducking off the high street for some R&R at Goblets, a quiet little hideaway just below street level. Afterwards, I normally nip around the corner to The Cellar, where I have enjoyed so many wicked gigs, including performances by Craig Charles, Don Letts, Kate Tempest and Scroobius Pip to name but a few, and I know I will be back again soon. When it comes to live music though, there is only one place to go; the Joiners Arms, the premier live music venue in Southampton and recognised as such by the NME. The Joiners has hosted the likes of Oasis, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and, on more than one occasion, Frank Turner. It’s anybody’s guess who will be playing this year or next.