STUDENT LIVING IN LONDON

If you’re considering studying in London, you’ve made a great choice! London is known as a global centre of excellence for education and has a reputation for having amazing academic facilities. With a student population of over 500,000 students studying in the capital annually. London is one of the oldest cities in the world, with a rich history. The metropolitan area is full of art, culture, fashion and food for you to explore. It is a great place to stay for your academic studies.

With seven locations around London, our student properties are the best places for city centre living. Everything you need is right by your doorstep, with groceries, pharmacies and other essential shops all near to our buildings.

Our area guides will show you what’s around the neighbourhoods and how you can journey there from our properties. If you’re looking to venture out further, there are plenty of ways to do so with easy public transport links making getting around the city so simple. Hop on a tube on the London Underground, rent a Santander Cycles, or Lime Bike, take a bus ride or even jump on a TFL boat to get up and down the Thames!

London is very well-connected with lots of transportation options. You're never far away from a tube station. There is a mode of public transport within walking distance of all the universities in London. For your trips across the capital, you might need to take one or a combination of the London Underground Tube, DLR, tram, train or buses. If you're looking to explore other parts of the UK, the mainline train stations are easily accessible. Head to Brighton and the South Coast from London Victoria, Waterloo, London Bridge or Charing Cross. If you're looking to visit Bristol, Bath or Cornwall, trains from London Paddington take you to Southwest England. Want to explore places like Manchester, Leeds or Sheffield? Hop on a train from Euston or St Pancras.

Staying out late and worried about how to get home? Don’t stress. It is worth knowing the London bus network runs 24hrs daily, and the Central, Victoria, Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly tube lines run for 24hrs daily on Fridays and Saturdays. Uber and Bolt are also reliable taxi services that you can book from the apps.

With so many things to do and places to visit, living in the heart of London is the perfect spot for your student life – it’ll never be boring!

London is home to a range of prestigious academic colleges and research institutions that sit under the umbrella of the University of London and attract domestic and international students from all over the world. There’s a lot of student housing choice, but our student halls are in the perfect places for London universities with just a short travel time to your campus, how convenient!

University College London (UCL) consistently features in the top 10 universities globally and the location of our Bloomsbury property is just an 8-minute walk away from campus and a similar distance from London School of Economics. London Metropolitan University is a quick tube ride away. Scape Kings Cross is also just down the road, ideal for postgraduate students looking for a more exclusive feel.

In the vibrant area of Shoreditch, City University and Bayes Business School are a short walk away.

In South London our property at Canada Water is close to several of the University of the Arts London campuses, including the creative University of Goldsmiths, University of Greenwich, within 20min travel to King’s College London campus and less than 40min to Imperial College London.

Hopping up to East London, Queen Mary University has Scape Mile End property situated on QMUL campus. Live within easy commute of UCL East and other Stratford based campuses.

And in the West our Scape Wembley property is home to many University of Westminster students and easily accessible for Brunel University, and Middlesex University. Plus, our brand new building in Hammersmith, with an easy 20 min commute to Imperial campuses.

London is diverse, full of neighbourhoods with different amenities and atmospheres. Whether you've lived in London before or moving here to study for the first time, you’ll be able to find an area to call home. Selecting a neighbourhood depends on your priorities. It is worth thinking about the following questions:

• Defining your budget, do you want everything in your rent or happy to pay for bills on top?

• Is quick travel time to your chosen university important?

• Do you want to live in the thick of it or somewhere a little quieter?

• Do you want to live within walking distance of tourist attractions?

• How close do you want to live to green spaces and parks?

The cost of living can come with an expensive price tag in London, with student budgets being squeezed. The type of student accommodation you choose, the location and the rent can greatly impact how much housing costs you will pay. Remember to consider the required size of a deposit when reviewing a lease or housing contract. You also need to factor in utilities, internet, other bills like laundry, groceries, transport fares, eating out, clothes, cost of beauty treatments and money set aside for having fun. Transport costs do vary significantly depending on which zone of London you live in.

At Scape, contracts on our student flats include all services like 24hr reception, parcel collection, maintenance, cleaning and regular events. All amenities and facilities in the building are included as part of your rental. Our amazing amenities include areas such as, fitness centres, gym, study zones, meeting rooms, communal kitchen bars, lounges, terraces, plus utility bills are included as standard. Often, when living in a shared house, there is an additional fee associated with each of these benefits, but at Scape these are included as standard.

If you want to find some more information about student life in London, then take a look at our blogs – Things every fresher should know before moving to London, and our guide to London and moving to the UK for overseas students.

We have years of experience building properties with students' needs in mind. Thousands of students live in our buildings in London, Guildford, Leeds, Dublin and cities across Australia. We've made sure you'll find everything you need here to make the most of your years of study. All our buildings have a 24/7 reception, offer a great sense of community, regular events, and are located in the best spots in town.

To make the moving experience hassle free, your student room at Scape comes with all bills included, no guarantor is needed when booking (take a look at our booking T&C for more info), and each property has modern facilities such as an on-site gym and cinema room – everything you need to live uni life to the full! Come and have a look for yourself and make Scape the university home of your choice.

Whether you want to be roommates with your best friend, live in an en suite apartment with other flatmates, or enjoy the peace of a private studio, Scape has got you covered. Whichever of our student rooms you choose, all come with an en suite bathroom and are fully furnished. We've thought of all the details. Each of our apartments also come with a double bed, and ample storage space for storing your suitcases, books, clothes and other personal items. We also take your safety and security seriously. Our buildings have CCTV throughout. Scape staff are available 24/7 and fob activated entry / exit to the building and student apartments.

From tourist hotspots and landmarks to world-famous attractions, London is a sightseeing haven. You may never have enough time to see and do everything in the capital city, but there’s tourist attractions to suit everyone’s interests.

Go for a stroll along the River Thames at Southbank, taking in the views of Big Ben and St Paul’s Cathedral. Stop off at one of the UK’s most popular tourist attraction, the London Eye, for an elevated view of the city. For fans of the Royal Family, head over to Buckingham Palace where you can go right up to the gates of the palace, and who knows, you might even be able to sneak a peek of the King! Or the Tower of London to swoon over the magnificent crown jewels.

Other popular tourist destinations include Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, London Zoo in Regent’s Park. For film lovers, you could always visit the neighbourhoods of your favourite London film sets and TV shows. Such as Notting Hill, Maida Vale, Southwark, Hackney, Bethnal Green, Richmond and Camden Town.

The capital has some of the best shopping destinations, including Westfield in Hammersmith and Stratford, or the O2 outlet in Greenwich.

For more detailed guides for each of our areas take a look at our blogs for – Shoreditch, Wembley, Kings Cross, Bloomsbury, Canada Water and Mile end.

Explore our more seasonal blogs too – like things to do in London at Christmas, where to see the best cherry blossom, the best brunch in Kings Cross, see much more content and inspo on our stories page!

London's neighbourhoods are bursting with flavours from around the world. The diverse nature of the city means you can have a taste of cuisines from hundreds of different countries!

There’s a whole host of restaurants that might tickle your fancy and suit your budget, from cheap and healthy meals at traditional pubs to Michelin stared venues. London also has a range of coffee shops, food halls, markets and street food where you can grab a quick bite to eat.

Borough Market is famous for its high-quality food and social connections, located just by London Bridge. Soho is an area buzzing with bars, pubs and delicious eateries, perfect for a meal and night out. It also hosts Chinatown, where you can find the best Chinese restaurants and shops in London. Why not head over to the East End and walk down Brick Lane to find food markets serving delicious street food every weekend.

For high end dining options, it is worth exploring Mayfair and Fitzrovia. For the summer months there are some great Thames side pubs to visit like the Ship in Wandsworth, and roof terrace bars in Peckham, Liverpool Street and Old Street to enjoy far reaching city skyline views. Take a look at our guide to the best places to eat in Bloomsbury and the best brunch in Kings Cross.

For a night out Drumsheds or Village Underground are good options.

Take a break from your studies and get inspired by London’s diverse range of art and cultural settings. London is home to some of the world’s best museums and art galleries with something to suit all tastes.

If you’re looking for art, design, fashion and textiles, the V&A is the perfect place to get inspiration from. Want to know more about nature, history and fossils? Visit South Kensington for the Natural History Museum. Or check out the British Museum and get up close and personal with dinosaurs, dodos and much more. Stroll through the National Gallery to discover art through the centuries and get up close and personal with key historical figures at the National Portrait gallery. If modern art is more your jam, explore the city's Tate Modern and Tate Britain who host art collections from a range of some of the world’s biggest modern artists, with regular exhibitions to immerse yourself in.

The best part about museums and galleries in London is there’s no breaking the bank just to get in – admission for most venues is free, or if not, students often get a great discount – so keep your student card on you!

If live music is your thing, London has got you covered. The festival scene in the capital is huge, with a whole host of world-famous artists flocking to the city to perform on the biggest stages and music venues. Festival headliners include Wireless, British Summer Time and All Points East to name a few.

Experience more intimate gigs, there’s venues across London that host smaller-scale concerts. Check out TicketMaster to see who’s performing in the city. We also can’t forget the famous London West End, offering theatre shows that are considered amongst the best in the world. London's West End is well known for musicals like Phantom of the Opera, Lion Kings, Wicked and Harry Potter.

Away from music, London hosts a range of cinemas to catch the latest blockbusters, and comedy clubs for a night full of laughter. The Top Secret Comedy Club charges only £1 entry on certain days, so what are you waiting for?