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Victoire

February 9th, 2022

Student Accommodation: A Review of Urbanest Westminster Bridge

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Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Victoire

February 9th, 2022

Student Accommodation: A Review of Urbanest Westminster Bridge

0 comments | 1 shares

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Looking for accommodation in London can be quite daunting : a new city, a fast-paced housing market, high prices…Having to navigate through all of this just as you leave your parents’ house or home country can prove stressful. 

The safest and most reassuring option if you’re moving into London for the first time is to live in student accommodation. LSE has several halls in which you’ll meet your future classmates (and maybe best friends!). Some are catered; some are not. Some offer studios and en-suite rooms while others only have single or twin rooms. But all will give you the opportunity to live in a safe and cosmopolitan student community. You’ll never feel alone there, even if you’re staying in your hall during the break! 

But some halls have a peculiar status. That’s the case of Urbanest Westminster Bridge. 

Some particularities 

Not only LSE students 

This student accommodation is part of the LSE halls. However, it isn’t exclusively reserved for LSE students and, if you live there, you can befriend people from KCL, Imperial College or UCL. It can be a nice way to escape the LSE microcosm for a moment! 

A huge building housing many people! 

Another particularity of Urbanest Westminster Bridge is its size, which can be quite impressive at first glance. The 18-storey building accommodates nearly a thousand students! Luckily, it is rather soundproof, so you shouldn’t be disturbed too much by your (many) neighbours. Besides, the size of the student population living there increases your chances of finding someone who’s willing to hang out with you in Urbanest’s common areas at any time!

Whether you want to study, relax with friends or meet new people, you can enjoy Urbanest’s spacious and modern common areas (most of them with an amazing view of Parliament!)

Time to learn how to cook

Urbanest Westminster Bridge is self-catered, meaning that you’ll have access to a kitchen (a shared one if you rent an en-suite room and your own if you go for a studio) and you’ll have to cook for yourself. While having to cook for oneself can understandably be considered as a drawback, it also entails more freedom, especially if you have a specific diet or a chronotype that makes you eat at unusual times. 

A gym and a pool!

Last but not least, Urbanest has a gym and a pool that tenants can use (you need to pay for a subscription though). How convenient to be able to do sports without even leaving the building!

Now that I have told you about the particularities of Urbanest Westminster Bridge hall. What about logistics? 

Where? 

This hall is very well situated. The building is on the Southbank, by the Thames. As its name indicates, it is across the Westminster Bridge. Urbanest Westminster Bridge can boast about having one of the best views of London from its 18th floor terrace. From there, you can spot some of London’s most famous landmarks such as Parliament, the London Eye, Saint Paul’s Cathedral or the City. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll even have a view of one or several of them from your room. The hall is about a 25-minute walk from LSE (but when I’m late I can do it in 15 minutes!) by the Waterloo Bridge and the route is pretty easy and safe. If you don’t feel like walking, you can take one of the numerous buses or the metro at the Waterloo station, which is just next to the building. 

Overlooking the city from the 18th floor terrace, you’ll realize you’re right in the middle of pretty much everything in London!

How much? 

Urbanest is a high-standing facility. Accordingly, prices are a little higher than for other LSE halls. However, as in other halls, your rent depends on your room and type of contract

What about cleaning? 

While common areas are cleaned daily by urbanest’s staff, you are responsible for keeping your room and kitchen clean. Nevertheless, you can choose to pay for a cleaning service if required, though it is probably unnecessary. Concerning clothes, there are two launderettes: one in the basement and one on the 18th floor. To use a washing machine or dryer, you need to pay using the Circuit app or card. To finish, a little tip: as many people might need to wash their clothes the same day and the number of machines is limited, I advise you to do your laundry in the morning or late at night. this way, you won’t have the disappointment of going all the way up to the 18th floor just to realise that all machines are already in use! 

 

I hope this blog helped you navigate through the many options available in London. If you still need some guidance, don’t forget to have a look at the related posts at the bottom of this page!

 

About the author

Victoire

Hi I'm Victoire! I’m a French GO LSE exchange student who likes Victorian literature and classic rock.

Posted In: Accommodation | Study Abroad

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