The review has two versions: short and fully articulate. My experience on this only applies to room 115 (Studio Room) on the highest floor (7th). My length of stay is one year, from September 2023 to August 2024.
In short,
- The place is surrounded by many good grocery stores(including Asian). UoE is 25 min walk (two bus stops 5 minutes from the accom).
- The facilities in the building are decent and cover all the needs of students (washing machine, table tennis, pool table, communal area, and coffee machine). Also Gym.
- All of the staff are lovely, and they have 24hr at the reception; cameras are in the vital area to keep you ppl safe, aint nothing to worry about.
- Usually, there is an event every month. If you feel like meeting other students, there will be an announcement to let you know sometimes indoors, such as drawing or having a burger party, some other times it is going outside to travel around Edinburgh.
In summary, if you can afford it, just live alone so you don't waste your time on the small things with your flatmate, and focus on your study and dissertation.
In long,
Location and nearby area
-The location is very well situated to many convenient stores in walking distance (Lidl (11 min), Tesco (9 Min), Sainburry (5 min), 3 Asian supermarkets (Baxing Chinese Supermarket, Thai@Haymarket, and Matthew's Food (8-14 Min) around the perimeter). There is also a canal walkway where you can walk or jog. The route is safe, and many people use this walkway daily. You will also live next to the Fountain Park leisure centre. If you like watching movies or feel confident about dating, the movie theatre is 5 min away.
The building and environment
The building has all the necessities, is generally clean with weekly cleaning, and has good soundproofing. Nevertheless, in the past several months, the building has been renovated, so there will be some days that you will hear a conversation from construction workers or the sound from their work affecting your peace and quiet (for me, since I live on the top floor, it occurs to me twice a week and three to four times a month, not continuously in the same week) The number might change for another tenant with different floor. And because of the renovation, some rooms might not see anything outside (see the attached pictures). I don't know the end date of the renovation, but you could ask the staff about this. My top floor might not be affected by the sightseeing and the frequent sound from construction. Still, there is one month that the elevator needs to be fixed, and I always complete a leg day for the entire month, but I still recommend you choose the top floor if you can.
My room (See the Vid)
Perfect for solo living. Great water pressure, induction-type stove, small fridge & oven, and TV with HDMI.
Staffs and support
All the staff are lovely and there to help you feel at home. Here's my good memory of them. (If I type their name wrong, I'm sorry)
- Alisdair always brightens my day with his smile and compliments, his positive energy is contagious.
- V provided helpful advice and tips about Edinburgh and offered support during stressful times.
- Michelle A's cheerful "Good morning" and "Have a lovely day" greetings are my favourite.
- Jessie had a loveliest "HIYA" and kind words made me feel welcome.
- Ahmed may seem reserved at first, but he's genuinely caring and a good listener, especially on tough days.
- Sharon's warm presence reminds me of my grandmother, always bringing a smile to my face
- Charlie has fascinating stories about Scotland and even knew about my home country, which made me feel seen and understood. He also remembers a lot of students and is on guard when someone unfamiliar comes into the building at night. He will approach them for our safety.
- OG taught me a cool handshake, which I'm still working on mastering
I believe these positive experiences aren't unique to me. Don't hesitate to reach out to the staff. They're genuinely good people.