The City

“Wolverhampton is the place to be. With its student-friendly nightlife and eclectic range of restaurants, pubs, clubs and bars, there is absolutely nothing that a student could not want.”

Things to do

There are a number of things that are great about Wolverhampton which are not just about partying. It is impossible to just pick one. As a lifelong resident, I have had time to think about the lesser-known quirks that make Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton.

• The people who live here would be first on the list and when walking down the High Street, the city comes alive. The High Street oozes culture and plays home to many a busker – and not just teenagers with guitars trying to make an extra couple of pounds on the weekends. Here, you’ll find tambourine players, organists, violinists; even Caribbean steel drums, pan flute players and bagpipes!
• During the run up to Christmas, the High Street also welcomes the annual, much-smaller-than-Birmingham, German market, which features many traditional Christmas German dishes.
• However, the High Street would not be the same without its resident doughnut man, who is known to sell ‘the best doughnuts ever’ according to his customers.
• Shopping in the city is exactly what you’d expect from a city. There are two shopping centres (Mander and Wulfrun) comprising of all the major high street retailers, and also an award-winning market open most days of the week.
• Located on the outskirts of the city centre in Whitmore Reans is West Park.  West Park, although free to enter during the day, is used for a plethora of events, such as The Classic Car show, funfairs and Bonfire Night celebrations. There is also a boating lake for those who wish to try something out of the ordinary on their day off.
• Transport around Wolverhampton is brilliant. The tram takes 30minutes to get into Birmingham city centre and it’s particularly reliable. You can also get the train to cities like Manchester and Liverpool (an hour away)

Arts & Culture

• Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is a beautiful building dating back to the 1800s, and sees a number of productions hit the stage from West End musicals, to musical legends showcases, to comedy spectaculars.
• For the art lovers, Wolverhampton Art Gallery has a great collection of paintings with artists such as Gainsborough on show.
• The Lighthouse Cinema is an independent arts space showing various films, quizzes, jazz, opera and more. It’s worth a pop in every now and again. They also put on language meet-ups for anyone wanting to learn a new language.

Music & Nightlife

• My idea of a great night out is getting my friends together for a pint in rock n’roll venue, The Giffard Arms, laughing at them attempt drunken Karaoke at Irish tavern, McGhee’s (just off King Street), and ending the night with a chicken and bacon foot-long from Subway.
• Across the road from the University entrance is the Royal London. This is the most student-friendly pub in the city centre. Every Tuesday, the Royal London hosts Piggy Tuesdays, where virtually all drinks are £1 between 7pm and 3a.m. Further to this, they host in-house discos, have a games room – complete with air hockey and pool – and they serve hot, delicious food. Be sure to pick up one of their ‘More Cards’ for further savings during the rest of the week!
• The Hogshead is also a thriving hive of activity with its ‘2 for 1’ deal. Home-cooked mains and desserts, televised sporting events, seasonal drinks offers, sheltered beer garden and a pool table are all on offer here.
• For those who prefer a more toned down approach to ending their study-filled day, there is one of Wolverhampton’s lesser-known pubs – The Lych Gate Tavern. The Lych Gate Tavern is situated in one Wolverhampton’s oldest buildings between the Man on the Horse (M.O.T.H) and St. Peter’s Church. This traditional tavern has a homely feel as well as specialising in traditional house ales (subject to change). It also boasts a function room, commonly rented out by University lecturers for group readings.
• If you’re looking for a club to end the night in, Gorgeous , Yates  and Popworld are the city’s biggest places.

Places to Eat

Wolverhampton has an array of fast-food, chain restaurants and takeaways. You’ll never go hungry!

• If you want something a little different, then try Cosmo or  Indigo, both serve great Asian food.  Made in Thai serves authentic Thai food with rustic Asian décor.
• Johnny Spice is an unlimited buffet of Indian food. From just £7.95 you can eat as much as you possibly can.
• For Italian cuisine (who doesn’t love a good pizza) one of the best places is Rosso e Nero on Darlington Street. If you go for lunch then you can get two courses for just £9.50!
• The Bentlands is a great pub which serves food throughout the day.
• The Brook Coffee House is a fantastic place to go for breakfast and for their cakes. The coffee is also pretty good!