[HDNG]IN COLLEGE:[EHDNG][PARA][GRPH]A1[EGRPH][STAT][BULL] Catered: 18% [BULL] Cost: ú56-66 (31wks) [BULL] Self-catering: 17% [BULL] Cost: ú24-30 (30wks)[ESTAT][PARA][BOLD]Availability:[EBOLD] Most 1st years live in, after which most students choose to live out. However, 30% of the University's accommodation is kept for 2nd years, finalists and postgrads (enough for about 15% of them). The halls themselves are based mainly on the Vale Campus about 10 minutes from the main campus. Others are spread around the south-west area of Birmingham all within 2 miles of the campus. There is one, University House, the smallest, actually on the edge of the campus with some facilities for students with disabilities. Students can choose between all-male, all-female or mixed blocks. 30% of catered rooms are shared. There are also 5 blocks of self-catering student flats (2 on the Vale, one 10mins away by bus, 2 in Edgbaston) which comprise mixed, single rooms in sets of about 5 to a flat. Various new blocks are currently being built or planned.[HDNG]EXTERNALLY:[EHDNG][PARA][GRPH]A1[EGRPH][STAT][BULL] Renting: 64%[ESTAT][STAT][BULL] Ave rent: ú32[ESTAT][PARA][BOLD]Availability:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Accommodation is cheap and easy to find.[EITAL] Selly Oak and Selly Park are the closest and the most student infested. [ITAL]Harbourne is a bit posher, where yuppie, filofax-flashing students park their Golf GTIs (elsewhere parking ain't so easy, but cars aren't necessary). It's quieter and not so much of a student ghetto, unlike King's Heath and Moseley, the homes of the more bohemian students and which are really cheap and have a villagey feel, [EITAL]but are further from the University (2 to 3 miles).[ITAL] Edgbaston is Brum's poshest part, but, the part of Edgbaston that's near the cricket ground is a red light district, quite run down, poor, multi-racial - being so cheap, it's ideal for students. [EITAL] [ITAL]Incidentally, they often get propositioned (ú20 in the car, ú25 in a bed - fancy being a [EITAL][PUSH]push[EPUSH] [ITAL]researcher?). The scuzzier parts of Balsall Heath are best avoided. [EITAL]
