Belfast student area guide
Our guide to finding the right area to live in the city.
Outside of Queen’s high quality student accommodation, there are a range of student rental options in the city – all within walking distance of campus. What’s more, as Belfast has the lowest student rent in the UK (Natwest Student Living Index 2017), you’re sure to find something to suit your budget. There are five main areas where students choose to live after they move on from halls – each with something unique to offer.
The Holylands
Located directly behind Queen’s University, this area is dubbed the Holylands because of its biblical street names like Jerusalem and Palestine Street. The area is a mix of students and an ethnically diverse resident population, and offers cheap rent and an ideal location on the doorstep of the university. You can rent a room in a 5-8 bedroom house from as little as £200 a month, where you’ll have the McClay Library on your doorstep as well as Botanic Gardens, the Ulster Museum and Queen's PEC. There’s a large number of multi-resident houses in a relatively small area, so expect an extremely lively vibe.
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Image © Eric Jones and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
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Lisburn Road
This South Belfast area is a plush leafy suburb dotted with cool cafes and restaurants, and it’s within easy reach of the university’s MBC building. While the upper end of the road is populated with purse-popping boutiques and fine art galleries, closer to the university area you’ll find meal deals and takeaways that cater to student budgets. Rent and accommodation standards vary, and you’ll pay anything from £200 to £400 a month for a room in a shared terraced house around Ulsterville Avenue, Windsor Avenue or Wellesley Avenue.
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Ormeau Road
Head south-east across the River Lagan from the Holylands in lower Ormeau and and you’ll hit the heart of the Ormeau Road with a plethora of indie cafes, bars and restaurants. Still within a 20-minute walk of campus, you can take advantage of the trappings of suburbia: like the expansive Ormeau Park with multiple running routes, but still be a short bus ride from the city centre. A room around Ava Avenue in a 5-bed shared house will cost from around £225 a month.
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Le Petit Ormeau
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Stranmillis Road
Home to the famous Lyric Theatre, Stranmillis has a laid-back, bohemian vibe thanks to the huge number of artists, actors and musicians who have lived or worked here (including Sharon Corr, Liam Neeson and Errol Flynn). The stretch between the theatre and the Ulster Museum is packed with hip cafes, takeaways and bars, and it’s just a ten-minute walk to the main campus. Expect to pay around £250 a month for a room in a 4-bed shared terrace in Elaine Street.
Image © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Image © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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Botanic Avenue
Described as Belfast’s Shoreditch, the streets around Botanic are the perfect base to explore the 400-metres of international restaurants that line the buzzy Avenue. Slightly pricier than the neighbouring Holylands, but still an easy stroll to campus, you’ll pay from £220 a month for an apartment in a five-bed flat in Cromwell Road, or around £250 for a room in a four-bed terrace in Westminster Street.
© Copyright Rossographer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
© Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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