Nottingham is to London what your slightly strange and artsy cousin is to you. They’re smaller and more compact, yes, and they don’t quite have your mania.
Nottingham is to London what your slightly strange and artsy cousin is to you. They’re smaller and more compact, yes, and they don’t quite have your mania. But that’s not to say that they’re Zen. Oh, no, they’ve got some crazy too, it runs in the family.
That, I think is the most charming thing about Nottingham – having come from the throngin’ fray of noise and life that is London; (1) the quaint – but not diluted buzz. I imagine that if you’ve come from a village in Lincolnshire or Yarmouth – for example, you might enjoy Nottingham in reverse because it’ll be a step up for you. Anywhere with more than one tavern and buses that run more than once an hour would be a step up – no offense. And hey, villages have their charms too; mouthy people like me get hushed down or chased away into cities with pitch forks and torches.
That brings me onto another thing I love about Nottingham; (2) the diversity of everything. Of opinions, nationalities, culture, nightlife, activities…. just everything. However; there are only two major universities. Number (3) has to be that’s the inter-uni rivalry. It’s not the actual rivalry that makes me laugh. It’s more the chants. They’re a bit too rude for Kettle, but they’re funny as hell.
And there are all sorts of antics being gotten up to and to be getting up to in Notts. Thus, (4) you should never be bored in Nottingham – it takes footwork but the cheap stuff is all over the shop.
On your travels you will notice my fourth reason for loving Notts. Walking the streets never feels like just getting from A-B with all of the architecture, strange accents and (relatively) friendly faces. Streets tuck themselves away in the dark, and open spaces expand in the light as if the city is a moving living breathing creature… which sounds more ominous than it is. Promise!
So (5) to reassure you is that it’s honest but it’s not in your face like London. That old Shottingham tag seems redundant to me.
The creativity of the city I think helps. (6) Nottingham is a place where the network of artists is cosy enough that collaboration instead of outright competition happens. The absence of cut-throat-target-hunting definitely gives the city its mellow vibe.
Final London comparison; (7) the rent prices are cheap, whilst you don’t lose out on quality.
Another cake-having-and-eating pleasure of Nottingham is the proximity of the Lakes and the shire. (8) You’re in the city, but you can easily hop on a bus or train to some open space if you need to.
So (9) is an extension of (8); the location of the city. Nottingham is pretty much in the middle of the country, so in terms of simultaneous proximity to Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and other major cities, it doesn’t get much better.
(10) Finally, Nottingham’s specified music scenes are pretty spot on. The reggae/soul scene is pretty fierce in particular – how could it not be with venues named; Bad JuJu bar, Jam Cafe and The Bodega?
To highlight how awesome Nottingham is, this young hack is having a stab at poetry. This poem was inspired by not only World Event Young Artists but 10 things I hate about you (from which you’ll notice the structure minus the rhyme pattern) and of course dear old Notts town.
I love the cities bright night lights and their warm embrace,
The smells and sounds you find around the last bell at the pub,
I love the cute and quirky happenings that really make one smile,
I so do love the local, personal feel which is often lost in cities.
I love that Nottingham makes me feel anew,
I love the hundreds of restaurants and bars,
I love the rush, the vibe and the lifestyle,
I love the contrast of the shires lush greens with the cities stone paved streets,
I love the possibility of the people you’ll meet.
I even love the morning sun here – and I am not a morning bee.
