UNITE Euston and Kings Stamford Street Apartments (Accommodation in general)

Member Name: grey0220

Product:	Accommodation in general
Date:	02/11/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some of the cheapest accommodation you can find in London

Disadvantages: The size, the temperature

I have lived in two types of student accommodation in London, both while working in the City for the summer. I stayed in the Stamford Street Apartments attached to Kings College, and the following summer in UNITE Housing in Euston.

The Stamford Street Apartments were pretty miserable temperature-wise in August, quite pricey, and very small, but otherwise were everything I asked for. They are a 5 minute walk to Waterloo Station, which was great for commuting to Canary Wharf via the Jubilee Line and catching national rail trains to the south-west. The scout came pretty consistently every day and hoovered, emptied the bins, and kept my en suite clean, which was great as I didn't have to worry about them. The fridge that came with the room was also very convenient, as it negated any food stealing problems. Also, the linens and things came with the flat, so I didn't have to provide them myself - one less thing to worry about when I moved in. But like I said above, in July and August they were barely liveable, even with a fan. They were also teeny - when my mom came to visit she was shocked at the size! Over the summer, they can't provide you with internet access. Also, I now know that cheaper accommodation in London DOES exist.

The following summer I lived in UNITE's accommodation in Euston - I sublet from a girl who was at LSE, and over the summer, lived with two BPP LPC students, a dental student, and a guy who was interning in Marylebone. I can imagine from its location it would be most popular with LSE and UCL students. It was a 8 minute walk from Euston station, and much cheaper than the Stamford Street flat, though it entailed a much bigger space, SkyTV, and internet access. I'm 5' and very petite, so I am always worried about safety, and never felt intimidated when walking to and from Euston station. The common room on the ground floor tended to get very, very overheated, but the rooms themselves were always quite temperate, even in the summer. The shared kitchen/dining room was also very pleasant as they came with couches, so you could lounge there - unlike in Stamford Street, where there was only a dining table in terms of seating in the common area. Also, a big plus - and a rarity amongst student housing - was that the bed was a double! No awkwardly long and narrow mattresses here.

I was a big fan of the UNITE accommodation and considered living there when I started my own MSc at LSE, but was turned off by the waiting list - there's a reason it's so popular! I would, however, probably not live in the Stamford Street accommodation again.

Summary: Student accommodation in London is a mixed bag, so to speak...