Bridgewater Heights (Liberty Heights)

Located in the centre of Manchester and within a 15-minute walk of the city’s universities, Bridgewater Heights (previously Liberty Heights) provides an ideal home for the 520 students that live there.

There’s a range of accommodation to choose from at Bridgewater Heights. Our en-suite rooms come with a comfortable bed, a study desk and lots of storage space, plus a fully-fitted kitchen and living space that’s shared between flatmates. Like your independence? Our studios give you access to your very own kitchen facilities.

Spend some time exploring Bridgewater Heights and you’ll quickly stumble across a spacious common area that has a pool table, ping pong and foosball. In addition to that, there’s plenty of seating and areas for studying. Enjoy keeping fit? An on-site gym gives you the chance to exercise whenever you want.

Thanks to its central location, Bridgewater Heights is within walking distance to many of the city’s highlights. Manchester is home to a diverse range of restaurants, bars and shops, which are all a short walk away. Just around the corner, you’ll find Nando’s, the O2 Ritz and Junk Yard Golf Club - an adults-only crazy golf venue.

Bridgewater Heights is located centrally in the vibrant city of Manchester, just a few moments from the city centre. You’re no more than 10 minutes’ walk away from the major universities; Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Manchester and Royal Northern College of Music. The position of our student accommodation means you’re literally at the heart of everything awesome that this Northern city has to offer.

If you aren’t the greatest chef or you’re just a massive foodie, there are some great restaurants available around the centre. Manchester is one of the biggest cities in the UK, so you will discover a whole host of cultures and cuisines.

There are plenty of restaurants in the Northern Quarter of Manchester, which is the somewhat artsy part of the centre located just down the road. You’ll absolutely have to try Dough Pizza Kitchen, Simple, Cane and Grain, as well as Wood Deli and Wine Bar.

As you’d expect, the city centre is also home to a variety of national chain restaurants to keep those cravings in check including; Nando’s, TGI Friday’s, Frankie and Benny’s and many more.

Manchester is famed for its nightlife; there is literally always something going on so you’ll never feel let down. The most popular areas to go out in include Canal Street (Manchester’s Gay Village), Deansgate Locks and the Northern Quarter, all within a 20 minute radius or less on foot.  

With two of the biggest universities in the UK, there’s no wonder that the student life in Manchester is impressive. To get you started, we recommend that you try Tiger Tiger, Gorilla, Factory 251 or 42ndStreet – a popular indie club. Manchester is also famous for ‘The Warehouse Project’, an ongoing event showcasing the best DJs the world can offer.

If you don’t want to go too far, you can head to Black Dog Ballroom, Sound Control or Font, all literally a stone’s throw away. Sound Control has great gigs, and Font does incredibly cheap and tasty cocktails. There’s also The Thirsty Scholar as well as The Zombie Shack for plenty of fun. Of course, you could always just stay home and enjoy the 24-hour common room area, for a relaxing night in.

Located on Great Marlborough Street just off Oxford Road, you’re in the perfect place to get to any of the brilliant universities and colleges in the city. At Bridgewater Heights, we’re pleased accommodate students studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, as well as from Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Manchester, and Manchester Business School.

Whether you like shopping, sport, culture, or anything else, there will be something for you in Manchester.

For that bit of retail therapy, the centre offers an extensive range of high street stores, boutiques and designer shops. Manchester is home to large department stores: Selfridges, malls like the Arndale Centre right in the middle of town and even the Trafford Centre (one of the largest indoor shopping centres in Europe) –just a 30 minute bus ride outside of the city centre.

If you enjoy live shows, comedy, gigs and concerts, the Manchester Arena is the major gig venue in the city, playing host to loads of big names. You can even walk there! Other venues include Manchester Academy and the Apollo – both 15 minutes’ walk from the residence, and then you’ve got Sound Control, too, right under your nose.

Something to look forward to is the ‘Pangaea’ festival which is run twice a year by the University of Manchester Student Union. The festival is a huge celebration marking the end of exams and it always features famous faces.

Other seasonal attractions include Manchester’s Christmas Markets, which are among the best in the UK. You can look forward to a giant Santa, ice skating and hundreds of quaint stalls. Parklife Festival also runs each year and is 10 minutes away from your new home.

For something more culturally enriching, why not visit Manchester Museum; 5 minutes’ walk from Bridgewater Heights? Entry is free and it displays great works of archaeology, anthropology and natural history. Additionally, Whitworth Art Gallery is just around the corner and was voted Museum of the Year 2015 - so it'll be well worth a visit!

There are numerous cinemas around the city including the quirky HOME just off Whitworth Street West, a short walk from Oxford Road.  It has five cinema screens, two performance venues, a 500 seat theatre and a 150 seat flexible studio space, gallery space, cafe bar and restaurant. Additionally, Manchester houses a number of theatres, like the Royal Exchange Theatre Company, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hallé Orchestra.

If you enjoy the outdoors, visit Hulme Park; it’s perfect to relax in during your downtime and you can, be sure to have a game of Frisbee or a BBQ with friends.

If you like to keep fit, you’re in luck. We’ve got a gym included in the price at Bridgewater Heights, so you can exercise right around the clock from the comfort of your own home, and there are places to store your bike, too. If that’s not enough, there are loads of gyms close by which offer student discounts and fantastic rates. The nearest gym to the residence is The Gym on Faulkner Street – less than 20 minutes’ walk away.

The big question on everyone’s lips in Manchester is of course “are you a red or a blue?”. Manchester United(the reds) and Manchester City (the blues) Football Clubs are based in the city. Their grounds aren’t far away at all, and we really recommend catching a game. Of course, you can have a kick about yourself in one of the city’s many green spaces and parks! You can also have a jog around, too, or even try the free weekly Park Run at Hulme Park.

Enjoy swimming? You’ll feel right at home. The Aquatics Centre is located less than a 5 minute walk from the residence and features an Olympic-sized swimming pool which was used during the Commonwealth Games.

When you stay with us at Bridgewater Heights, you have Manchester Oxford Road train station just outside your front door. The station will take you all over the country, so you’ll be spoiled for choice of places to visit – that’s if you get a break from the fun in Manchester! Piccadilly train station is about a 15 minute walk away too, so popping home or to see friends at the weekend can be done easily from there as well. Manchester is just under 2 hours away from Newcastle, less than 50 minutes from Liverpool and around 2 hours away from London. For a cheaper alternative, you could use National Express or Megabus services which go here, there and everywhere for a super low fare.

The bus system in the city is cheap and reliable. Students tend to especially love the free bus shuttle system which runs through the city centre, and bus numbers 1&3 go to all the main spots in and around the city centre, too. There are also a lack of hills around the city, which means walking and cycling around can be done without too much effort. Manchester even has its very own tram service, so there are extra ways to enjoy the city easily.

For those who want to jet away (or jet home!) Manchester International Airport is less than a 20 minute drive away, just south of the city. The airport offers a range of routes across the world, in case you’ve got a serious case of wanderlust (or homesickness!).

The residence is located within the city centre, so there are loads of supermarkets all over the place including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. For a larger selection, there is an Asda Supermarket in Hulme just 10 minutes’ drive away as well as an Aldi on Market Street, and that’s only a 15 minute walk.

All high street banks can be found around the city centre, as well as a Post Office and plenty of Bureau de Change services. Oxford Road is a few seconds’ walk away and has a variety of shops, cafes, takeaways and restaurants to choose from.

Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan all have libraries on campus, with all the resources you’ll need to geek out in your exams. You can also try John Ryland’s Library at Deansgate, which is a 20 minute walk from Bridgewater Heights.

You’ll always be able to receive free, confidential advice regarding whatever you need when studying at any of Manchester’s universities, including finances, careers and general welfare. Bridgewater Heights is located close to campus so you’ll never be too far from assistance.

The nearest GP Surgery to the residence is Vallance Centre, and it’s about five minutes away from your new home. Manchester Royal Infirmary Hospital is a 15 minute walk from the residence and has an A&E unit and a walk-in centre, but of course in an emergency you should call for an ambulance.

At Bridgewater Heights, you’re in good hands. The Residence Team are on-site 24 hours a day to guide or assist you throughout your time with us. You won’t be on your own!