One area that hasn't been mentioned yet and is worth looking at is Marston; it's linked to the university area by a foot/cycle path which makes it much closer than it might seem just by road.
The path is in the centre of this map, running from the end of Ferry Road to the corner of South Parks Road and Parks Road. Very occasionally, it floods, which is annoying when it does but is typically only a day or two each year.
Marston looks really nice! About how long of a walk would you say it is to the city? I will probably be the only non-cycling Oxford student, but I don't mind a long walk.
That path is good to know about, whether or not I end up in Marston - it looks like it would make for a lovely walk, just for recreational purposes.
Hmm, I can't really remember as I almost always cycled it. Probably the path itself is about half a mile long - so about a 10 minute walk.
At the town end, that puts you fairly near the University science area and also the English faculty - perhaps another 5 minutes walk. (If you look up the location of Linacre College, that's very close to the town end.)
The city centre itself (and Pembroke, which is pretty central) is quite a bit further away. Probably another 20 minutes walk.
Obviously depending on where exactly in Marston you end up, it'll be a variable amount to the path. You could be very close, or anything up to a mile or two away. There's a recreation ground that provides useful shortcuts on foot/bike from quite a large area, so if you stay west of Marston Road and south of Marston Ferry Road, you can probably keep it to a minimum.
I'd second Marston as a convenient place to live. I lived in Jesus college accommodation for my undergraduate degree (first year in the college itself, subsequent years in a shared college flat up Woodstock Rd probably counting as Jericho area, which is also nice with a bit more going on) and then lived with my boyfriend in Marston for my DPhil (and indeed still live there now as a married academic working in the Headington area). Summertown in north Oxford is also nice, Headington has a lot of Oxford Brookes students so is well served by their buses during their term-times but is up a very steep hill
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I did the medieval MPhil so if you have any questions let me know. I've lived all over the city and West is my favourite but the least studenty and most residential. Central is loud and expensive but convenient. North felt the most safe but also a bit boring and expensive. East is the most fun. People always describe it as "vibrant" and "diverse" and there's loads of good food, but it also one of the less safe areas in terms of bike theft, etc. Jericho is a great are but housing is very tightly packed and most housing s right up against a sidewalk. if you want to live near Pembrioke, check out the Folly Bridge/St Aldates/Abingdon Rd area.
West is very residential and consists of Botley Rd and the Roads off it. You're never more than a mile from a decent supermarket and there are a few convenience stores, a sandwich ship, laundromat, canals, open fields you wan walk through, and pubs. Two of the most celebrated Oxford pubs, the Fishes and the Perch, are on the fringes of West Oxford. There is a community centre with mostly dance and fitness things going on, and a community garden if you're into DIY vegetables. Rent is fairly reasonable. I'm a bellydancer so I keep crazy hours and I've never had problems coming home from gigs after midnight. The only disadvantage is that if you want to _do_ anythng besides have a horsebackriding lesson or go for a walk you do have to trek to town as we don't have much in the way of food or entertainment.
So you'd feel safe walking back from events in the city at night? If I'm going to be a ways out from the city/my college, I really do want to live somewhere where I won't have to worry about getting back early or getting a cab back or something (bus would be fine though, of they run late).
Also, how do you find the walk into/back from the city generally? I know it depends a lot on where exactly you live.
I actually do have the option of living in Pembroke accommodation off Botley Road and had been leaning toward declining it and going for something a bit more central/studenty, but perhaps I should reconsider?
Thanks so much for the feedback; it's really helpful!
I just finished my DPhil in the English faculty and I lived in East Oxford for all three years. It is a bit far, but I never found it to be a major problem, and the prices are far more reasonable than Jericho.
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The path is in the centre of this map, running from the end of Ferry Road to the corner of South Parks Road and Parks Road. Very occasionally, it floods, which is annoying when it does but is typically only a day or two each year.
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That path is good to know about, whether or not I end up in Marston - it looks like it would make for a lovely walk, just for recreational purposes.
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At the town end, that puts you fairly near the University science area and also the English faculty - perhaps another 5 minutes walk. (If you look up the location of Linacre College, that's very close to the town end.)
The city centre itself (and Pembroke, which is pretty central) is quite a bit further away. Probably another 20 minutes walk.
Obviously depending on where exactly in Marston you end up, it'll be a variable amount to the path. You could be very close, or anything up to a mile or two away. There's a recreation ground that provides useful shortcuts on foot/bike from quite a large area, so if you stay west of Marston Road and south of Marston Ferry Road, you can probably keep it to a minimum.
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I've lived all over the city and West is my favourite but the least studenty and most residential. Central is loud and expensive but convenient. North felt the most safe but also a bit boring and expensive. East is the most fun. People always describe it as "vibrant" and "diverse" and there's loads of good food, but it also one of the less safe areas in terms of bike theft, etc. Jericho is a great are but housing is very tightly packed and most housing s right up against a sidewalk. if you want to live near Pembrioke, check out the Folly Bridge/St Aldates/Abingdon Rd area.
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I tend to prefer safe and low-crime over fun, so I'll keep that in mind with East.
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Also, how do you find the walk into/back from the city generally? I know it depends a lot on where exactly you live.
I actually do have the option of living in Pembroke accommodation off Botley Road and had been leaning toward declining it and going for something a bit more central/studenty, but perhaps I should reconsider?
Thanks so much for the feedback; it's really helpful!
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