With around 20,000 students and thousands of tourists visiting the city all year round, York really is a lively place to be. It’s great for nightlife of all kinds, it has pubs, wine bars, restaurants and cafés to suit every taste imaginable and it’s fantastic for shopping. York St John is literally minutes away from the city centre, so is perfectly placed for nights out and retail therapy jaunts.
York is said to boast 365 pubs - one for every day of the year! Real ale lovers are in for a treat, as are those who like the more modern café bars. There’s something for every taste and pocket, and there are always special rates and student discounts to be found. The city is also brimming with restaurants and cafés - just choose to suit your mood and your price range.
As well as having many late night bars, York has a number of nightclubs that cater for students. These include: The Gallery, Toffs, Nexus, BPM and Ziggys.
York is paradise for shopaholics. Everything from large department stores to tiny specialist shops is available within easy walking distance of the campus. York offers a mixture of famous high-street names and a whole host of intriguing specialist and curiosity shops. The outdoor Newgate Market, in the centre of the city, offers a more traditional shopping experience, with stalls selling everything from fruit and vegetables to clothing, all at brilliant prices.
Shopping and socialising aside, you can’t fail to notice York’s history and culture. It’s hard not to find history fascinating when it lives and breathes around you. York Minster is world renowned and
well worth a visit. The city’s Viking heritage comes to life every year in a rowdy, fun-packed festival with hoards of Vikings taking occupation of the streets. You can also step aboard a time car in the world-famous Jorvik Viking Centre to travel back to 948AD. The condemned cell - where the infamous highwayman, Dick Turpin, spent his last night in 1739 - lies within the walls of York Castle Museum.
The National Railway Museum is not just for train spotters (so we’re told!) and you can even catch the plague at the York Dungeon. The arts feature strongly in York’s cultural life. The York Mystery Plays continue a tradition of community performances dating back to the 14th century. Contemporary drama, and much more besides, is on offer at the Theatre Royal and the Grand Opera House. Film buffs will appreciate City Screen - an arts cinema housed in a refurbished printing works. Music, in all its guises, finds an audience in a variety of venues across the city.
Students come from all parts of the UK and abroad to study with us. Some, who live within travelling distance, choose to live at home, but for those who need accommodation, the staff in the Accommodation Office can give you advice on what’s available and help you find the right place to live.
All first years who want to live in University accommodation are usually able to do so. Also if required the University can help you find alternative accommodation by providing information on a wide variety of private sector lodgings/houses and flats in York.
If you decide that you wish to study at York St John University and make it your firm choice, the Univeristy will send you full information about accommodation together with an Accommodation Application Form in May/June. Accommodation will be allocated after the publication of the A2 Level results in August.
