Shelton

Being home to the highest student population, Shelton is nosier than the other student areas but closest to the University. There are plenty of cheap student pubs and takeaways; with more of the same down the road in Stoke...

Stoke

In Stoke you'll find a multitude of pubs and bars including Wetherspoons, the Talbot (great gig venue), the new Lomax club and Harry's late night bar with student discounts. Sainbury's and KwikSave are here, plus there's Maplin for computer gear, a regular market and Woolworths for everything else! Stoke and Hanley have the best transport links. Both are served well by local buses. Stoke has the train station while Hanley has the coach depot.

Hanley

Hanley is the city centre and is where you will find the more lively pubs, bars and clubs. There are a variety of themed venues, including Irish pubs, traditional pubs and feeder bars. Recently there has been a surge of many new bars, cafes and nightclubs within the city, which has not only created a real central night spot, but ultimately has increased the variety of venues provided. Whatever you want, Hanley can cater for everyone's personal tastes! The hot new Creation nightclub is really worth checking out - especially with free transport (courtesy of the Union) from the club to the Leek Road Venue on Monday nights. Plus, The Club on Hillcrest Street is the area's biggest gay venue.

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Newcastle-under-Lyme also offers a great student night out and, like Hanley, has great shops and restaurants. It’s home to the excellent New Vic Theatre and the Warner Bros cinema, which is one of the three decent cinemas in the area – the other two being the independent Film Theatre on the Stoke campus and the Odeon at Festival Park.

Festival Park

The Festival Park retail and leisure park in Etruria is packed with things to do: paintballing ten-pin bowling, cineplex, water slides, dry skiing and shopping galore.

Eating

As you would expect from an area so rich in cultural diversity, Stoke-on-Trent offers a tempting selection of places in which to enjoy good food. From award winning Indian food, to quality Chinese and Italian restaurants that are popular for students and locals. For those 2am kebab lovers there is an equal variety of fast food establishments in and around all of the towns.

Shopping

Hanley is a vibrant and exciting shopping and entertainment centre offering all the major high street stores you would expect, through to designer shops and small boutiques. The award winning Potteries Shopping Centre is an ideal place to spend spare cash (if you have any!) and has everything from coffee houses and fast food outlets to music and gadget shops. Hanley, in particular Festival Park, has many different superstores, whilst Stoke and Shelton have smaller corner shops, newsagents and off licences.

For more information see the following external websites: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/