City of Oxford
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Oxford is a small city situated roughly halfway between London and Birmingham. Noted for the famous university, it is also the administrative centre, and has most of the best shopping and entertainment of the surrounding area.
Although the centre of the city is dominated by university, the reality is that town and gown are very seperate entities. In fact Oxford is home to one of the largest housing estates in Europe (Blackbird Leys/Greater Leys).
Oxford is a very cosmopolitan city with large Asian, African, Carrabian and Turkish communities. There is little friction between the ethnic/cultural groups, but as with town and gown there is little mixing. Oxford has a very compartmentalised culture.
It is similar to parts of London in that poverty and wealth often exist side by side, but to generalise, North Oxford is where the money lives and East Oxford is where the students without rich parents, ethnic minorities, income support recipients, and otherwise skint people live. The beauty of the city centre is not reflected in the suburbs and outskirts which could be described as grim and dirty.
If you wished to experience both sides of Oxford I would recommend a wander through Christchurch meadows along the Thames to start with. This is a very nice bit of Oxford indeed, and very bizarre because within a minutes walk of the city centre you can be sat in a field watching cows grazing. After this you could get on a number 52 bus and go to Cowley centre, an abomination of concrete and ugliness, then if you were feeling especially brave, continue to Blackbird Leys. City of Dreaming Spires will probably not be the image you leave with.
There are many pubs and clubs in Oxford catering for most tastes, but trying to get a drink after two am is near impossible. The night clubs are pretty bad to be honest, the only two rising above high street disco standards being the Zodiac on the Cowley road, also the premier live music venue of the city, and the Coven II on Oxpens road. The Zodiac is more indie/alternative and the Coven is housey dance. There are several smaller clubs which are OK such as YesBut and Poo Naa Naa.
There are two main theatres in Oxford. The Playhouse on Beaumont Street, which is excellent, and the Appollo on George street, which is usually pretty trashy.
Most of the classical music in the city is tied up with the university, but usually open to the public. The Holywell music room has a particular reputation for hosting quality performances.
Oxford has some truly excellent museums. The Asmoleum museum on Beaumont Street houses several large galleries covering many areas, and artifact collections from the ancient world and the east. The Pitt Rivers/University museum has more of a natural history vibe, and a huge collection of ethnic/anthropological thingies including genuine shrunken heads. The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is also worth visiting, though you do have to pay to get in.
In the city centre cafes are multiplying like bacteria in an especially nutritious growth medium. Outside of the centre the Cowley Road offers eating from just about anywhere in the world. You could dine out every night for a month and not eat in the same place twice. There is also a wide selection of chip shops, kebab vans and other fast food vendors.
Shopping in Oxford is pretty good. There are two malls in the city centre, and lots of shops selling all the usual stuff and some rather unusual stuff as well. The covered market has an excellent selction of smaller traders and is well worth a visit. There are also the usual out of town shopping parks if you really fancy being depresed.
Driving is not advisable in Oxford, especially in the centre, but thankfully there is a generally excellent bus service and many taxis.
Oxford is a very expensive place, most of the prices are comparable to London.
Although the centre of the city is dominated by university, the reality is that town and gown are very seperate entities. In fact Oxford is home to one of the largest housing estates in Europe (Blackbird Leys/Greater Leys).
Oxford is a very cosmopolitan city with large Asian, African, Carrabian and Turkish communities. There is little friction between the ethnic/cultural groups, but as with town and gown there is little mixing. Oxford has a very compartmentalised culture.
It is similar to parts of London in that poverty and wealth often exist side by side, but to generalise, North Oxford is where the money lives and East Oxford is where the students without rich parents, ethnic minorities, income support recipients, and otherwise skint people live. The beauty of the city centre is not reflected in the suburbs and outskirts which could be described as grim and dirty.
If you wished to experience both sides of Oxford I would recommend a wander through Christchurch meadows along the Thames to start with. This is a very nice bit of Oxford indeed, and very bizarre because within a minutes walk of the city centre you can be sat in a field watching cows grazing. After this you could get on a number 52 bus and go to Cowley centre, an abomination of concrete and ugliness, then if you were feeling especially brave, continue to Blackbird Leys. City of Dreaming Spires will probably not be the image you leave with.
There are many pubs and clubs in Oxford catering for most tastes, but trying to get a drink after two am is near impossible. The night clubs are pretty bad to be honest, the only two rising above high street disco standards being the Zodiac on the Cowley road, also the premier live music venue of the city, and the Coven II on Oxpens road. The Zodiac is more indie/alternative and the Coven is housey dance. There are several smaller clubs which are OK such as YesBut and Poo Naa Naa.
There are two main theatres in Oxford. The Playhouse on Beaumont Street, which is excellent, and the Appollo on George street, which is usually pretty trashy.
Most of the classical music in the city is tied up with the university, but usually open to the public. The Holywell music room has a particular reputation for hosting quality performances.
Oxford has some truly excellent museums. The Asmoleum museum on Beaumont Street houses several large galleries covering many areas, and artifact collections from the ancient world and the east. The Pitt Rivers/University museum has more of a natural history vibe, and a huge collection of ethnic/anthropological thingies including genuine shrunken heads. The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is also worth visiting, though you do have to pay to get in.
In the city centre cafes are multiplying like bacteria in an especially nutritious growth medium. Outside of the centre the Cowley Road offers eating from just about anywhere in the world. You could dine out every night for a month and not eat in the same place twice. There is also a wide selection of chip shops, kebab vans and other fast food vendors.
Shopping in Oxford is pretty good. There are two malls in the city centre, and lots of shops selling all the usual stuff and some rather unusual stuff as well. The covered market has an excellent selction of smaller traders and is well worth a visit. There are also the usual out of town shopping parks if you really fancy being depresed.
Driving is not advisable in Oxford, especially in the centre, but thankfully there is a generally excellent bus service and many taxis.
Oxford is a very expensive place, most of the prices are comparable to London.
