Newcastle is a highly popular choice for students when picking universities, with its affordable accommodation and famed nightlife. The city promises to offer a classic and unforgettable university experience. It is estimated that around 42,000 students flock to the city each year to attend one of the two universities – Newcastle and Northumbria.

Accommodation may be a secondary thought when deciding on where to go for university, but it is an equally important decision. Moving to a new city can be daunting but knowing you have picked accommodation that is right for you should ease the transition. There is a variety of accommodation in Newcastle, including university halls of residence, purpose-built student accommodation (typically managed by private accommodation companies) and privately rented house/flat shares. It is essential that you research each of these choices and decide on which option would suit you best.

University Halls of Residence

University halls are purpose-built accommodation provided (and owned) by the university itself. These halls can sometimes be situated on-campus, and off-campus too. They usually offer a range of living options such as shared rooms with a communal bathroom and kitchen, En-suites rooms with a communal kitchen or studio flats. Both Newcastle University and Northumbria University have owned accommodation, please look at their respective websites if this is what you are interested in.

Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA)

Purpose-built student accommodation is very similar to the above, however it is owned by a private company. This would be where providers like us step in. PBSA is housing that’s constructed and specially designed to accommodate students. There is a wide range of rooms available at PBSA sites, like university halls, that cater to many different budgets. Typically, there will be shared rooms with cluster kitchens, En-suite rooms with shared kitchens, studio flats and even the possibility of sharing with people you may already know. Some PBSA accommodations will do their best to accommodate friends living together in flats if they know in advance, contact the individual company for more information on this. There are plenty of PBSA accommodation options in and around both Newcastle universities.

Privately Rented House/Flat Shares

Privately rented house/flat shares are exactly how they sound; they are houses or flats shared with other students and rented off a private landlord (usually one dedicated to students and university living). House and flat shares tend to be most popular amongst second and third year students but that’s not to say that first years don’t opt for this choice. In Newcastle, there are endless options for privately rented accommodation, just ensure that you are comfortable with the house/flat itself, the area and the landlord.

Student accommodation is dotted across various locations in Newcastle. The favoured areas tend to be in the city centre, Jesmond, Ouseburn and Heaton. These locations are all close to the university campuses and are affordable for students. Again, researching the location of the accommodation is key. You want to ensure that you are close enough to university, that there are good transport links and that you’re close to town for essential shops and of course, for nights out. You also need to think about whether you’d prefer to live in a quiet area or a more bustling area.

Newcastle City Centre

Newcastle city centre is a vibrant hub, jam-packed with bars, cafes, shops and entertainment venues. It is the ideal location for any student. Newcastle city centre is also home to the Utilita Arena and St James’ Park, which is perfect for any music and football fans. Whether you support Newcastle United or not, there are also plenty of sports bars around the city where you can enjoy a multitude of sports along with a pint.

The city centre does tend to be on the pricier side for accommodation as you are right in the hustle and bustle. If you decide to stay with us, in Ouseburn, it is around a 15 minute walk to the heart of Newcastle, where you are then surrounded by endless options of shops, pubs and restaurants.

Jesmond

Jesmond is one of the most popular places to live amongst students studying in Newcastle. Osborne Road, the main road in Jesmond, is lined with many bars, restaurants, convenient shops and cafes. Jesmond offers a perfect mix of convenience, social and study as everything you need is extremely close by. Student’s favourite hotspots include Spy Bar and The Holy Hobo, which both offer deals for students and are great places for nights out. As well as offering a social aspect, Jesmond also has a lot of greenery for refreshing walks in between studying, including Jesmond Dene.

The area is just a short Metro ride away from the centre, or a 25-minute walk. From our location in Ouseburn, Jesmond is around a half hour walk.

Ouseburn

Ouseburn is well known as Newcastle’s creative quarter, it plays host to several indie entertainment venues, many pubs and bars as well as trendy restaurants. It is a stand-out area for students to live in, especially those looking to live somewhere that has a creative and indie vibe. Ouseburn is home to live music venue The Cluny, here you can grab a pint and see your favourite indie artist perform live. There are also plenty of pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes to eat and drink your way around, including The Ship Inn with its quirky beer garden. Similar to Jesmond, there is a surprising amount of greenery for an inner-city area. You can take a relaxing walk along the Ouseburn River and take a trip to Ouseburn Farm, an urban farm located in the middle of the quarter. Ouseburn Farm houses a whole host of animals and is a popular place for students to spend the day.

The area is slightly quieter than Jesmond but has tons going on and has a strong sense of community. We manage eight accommodation sites in Newcastle, and all are situated in the heart of Ouseburn.

Heaton

Heaton is situated just outside of the city centre and provides a quieter student life, but also a more affordable one too due to where it is located. This area is jam-packed full of pubs and independent eateries, including The Chillingham and The Tipsy Toad.

It is within easy reach of the city centre and the universities via the bus or Metro. If you are staying with us in Ouseburn and would like to visit Heaton, it is a half-hour walk, or you can jump on the Metro.

Abodus Student Living manage eight PBSA sites in Newcastle, available to all Newcastle students. We have Portland Green Student Village (which consists of five buildings – Bryson Court, Turner Court, Rosedale Court, Marshall Court and Newton Court), The Bridge, Stepney Yard and the newly-refurbished Union Square. All our housing sites are situated in the heart of the sought-after location of Ouseburn.

If you’d like to find out more about the accommodation we offer in Newcastle, please check out our website or get in touch with our helpful team.