Middlesbrough - Shopping Malls and the Supermarkets

The Iconic Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough, you might have heard it from football, football or football. (I've only noticed that there's a Middlesbrough Football Club after a month!) Anyway, it is a small town which is close to River Tees, the seaside and Newcastle. There are buses and trains that will bring you to the outskirts and other cities, and this allows travel to many major cities like Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, London and more.

The town centre is 10 minutes walk away from Teesside University, and it has 4 single storey shopping malls. (But as it is situated in a small town, don't expect Sunway Pyramid shopping mall's size.) There are a few supermarkets situated around the town centre, as well as local markets to get groceries.

Shopping Malls and its surroudings
1. Cleveland Centre


~ This will be the first mall you'll see when you step into town from Linthorpe Road, which is one of the long stretch main roads in Middlesbrough. In it you will find bookstores (WH Smith, which the post office is situated in, which, is where you need to get your BRP card), pharmacies (Boots), Poundland (where everything in it is £1, the same concept as Daiso), H&M, Topshop and Topman, New Look and more.

2. Hillstreet Shopping Centre

~ Just 2-3 minutes away from Cleveland Centre, this is the shopping mall that you will find yourself visit quite often for shopping sprees, because it holds the ultimate shopping haven for students: PRIMARK. It is the cheapest place to get tons of different clothing designs, and the first place to go to to buy pillows and *duvets that will keep you warm in winter. (If you did not purchase a bedding pack from the uni.) It also holds Burger King, Argos, Clanks, Marks & Spencer, Sports Direct, Superdrug and more.

*When you buy a duvet, depending on how well you can take the winter cold, take note of the "tog" unit. The higher the number, the warmer it is. The university's bedding pack gives you a 10.5 tog duvet, which might not be warm enough for people who can't stand the cold. I bought a 15 tog duvet, that is very warm for the winter, but might be slightly warm for the summer. But no worries, the summer in UK is not scorching hot like Malaysia.*

3. Dundas Shopping Centre

~Possibly the least visited shopping mall for me, it is opposite Cleveland Centre and Hillstreet. The most notable shop is B&M, which is a place to buy cheap items, food, kitchenware and more.

4. Captain Cook Square

~A place that I often visit, it is near Cleveland Centre, when you see Boots, there will be a small turning street, and the first thing you'd see is Poundland. Yes, there are two Poundland shops in Middlesbrough. Notable shops include TJ Hughes, Wilko, TK Maxx, and a nice bakery called Thomas the Baker. It is connected to the Middlesbrough bus station, so you will frequently pass by if you are a frequent bus passenger. 

The simplified map :

Supermarkets and Local Markets (the ones you'd most probably go to)
1. Sainsbury's 

~ One of the big supermarkets that you will find in Middlesbrough, it has a wide range of groceries and clothing to choose from. Slightly pricey than usual, you pay a little extra to get fresh and good quality groceries, so it depends on your budget. It is near Hillstreet and the bus station.




2. Sainsbury's Local

~ One of the smaller marts closest to the Uni, it is located at a corner just beside Akbar's (restaurant) and TS:One. It sells basic necessities, although if you want a wider variety of brands, you should go to the big one as stated above. From the Curve building in the uni, walk towards Linthorpe Road, then turn right at the traffic light and you will see the mart.

3. Aldi

~Ahh, good ol' Aldi. It is by far the cheapest place to get groceries. If you're on a tight budget, do consider coming here to get your groceries. But do take note that it is slightly far away from the uni, and it's a 10 minutes walk back to the uni from here, so on a cold winter's day, it ain't the best option for the weak-hearted. (I'm joking! Partially.) It is near Sainsbury's and the bus station, but do take note that although it has low prices, certain food might not be the best quality that you will get. (Pssst, steer away from certain meat. But the veggies and fruits are fine.)

4. Tesco Express

~You might be veeerrryyy familiar with Tesco, as it is also seen in Malaysia. The word "express" means that it's a local mart with the same size as Sainsbury's Local. You can find basic groceries here, as well as a nice £3 quick meal deal if you're in a hurry. It is located on Linthorpe Road, from the Curve building, turn left and continue to walk down the road utill you see it on your right. It is also opposite Iceland, another mart.

5. Iceland

~Another supermarket that you will find yourself going often if you like frozen food a lot. As the name says it, it sells ice. And more. I'm kidding. It sells not only ice, but a lot of different types of frozen food too. It also sells normal groceries like fruits and veggie, and cheap eggs. It is the place I go to buy meat, because it has a fairly good quality for a reasonable price, and it is definitely cheaper than Sainsbury's meat. This is the place that sells £1 frozen pizzas, so if you're not a picky eater, you might as well buy some to try. (A few of them are quite good!)


Other Supermarkets:
6. Red Star Supermarket (Chinese/Asian Groceries)

~Situated on Linthorpe Road, this is the nearest place to go to for Chinese Groceries. You'll see familiar brands like Lee Kum Kee, or other brands from Korea, Japan and China. They also sell tofu, bean sprouts, drinks and serve dim sum on the first floor. They also have frozen food at the back, which includes dumplings, dim sum, paus, wraps and more.

7. Multi Culti (European Market)

 ~ Although we might not understand 90% of the groceries in there, it is still a cool place to check out if you feel adventurous with your groceries, your budget and your taste buds.

8. LiDL
~It's another big supermarket franchise that is not as near as the ones I've mentioned. It takes almost 20-30 minutes walk from the uni. It is also a cheaper alternative to buy groceries, but it depends if you think it's worth it to walk all the walk to and fro.

9. Tesco
~It's the big one I'm talking about, that is located on the outskirts of the town centre. It takes almost an hour's walk from the uni, so if you're really interested, I suggest you get a cab.

Next post coming up : Food in Middlesbrough
Stay Tuned!

Student Accommodation - what, which, where, and how

Have you applied to Teesside University? If yes, then welcome! Here we will talk about the different types of student accommodation and how far they are from the campus.

Here is a link to the main Teesside website for accommodation, there is a 360 degree view of the rooms which will give you an overview of the rooms:

http://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/accommodation/

The website also provides a lot of information about how to pay, apply, and the process.
In general, there are 6 types of accommodation that is provided by the uni :

1. King Edward's Square
2. Woodlands Halls
3. Parkside Hall
4. East Parkside Village/West Parkside Village
5. Central Halls
6. University Managed Houses

The time taken to walk to the center of the campus

All accommodations are located in the campus, while university managed houses are terraced houses within walking distance from the university. Facilities that are provided include wi-fi, bathrooms, kitchen, laundry facilities, common room, heating and lighting. You can buy a bedding pack and kitchen pack before you arrive if you would like to skip the hassle of going to town to buy necessities.

Room Sizes 

All the accommodation room sizes vary, depending on which accommodation, single or shared room. I have not physically seen all of the types of rooms provided, but I can give my review based on my friends' comments about the place.

West Parkside Village (Where I live) :

West Parkside Village

There are 16 houses in total, and there are 6 students in each house. There are 3 floors and 6 rooms; 1 on the ground floor, 3 on the first floor and 2 at the top floor. There are 2 bathrooms and 3 toilets (the top floor only has a toilet and no shower cubicle). In the kitchen, there are 2 freezers, 2 refrigerators and 2 cooking hobs. The room size is fairly reasonable, with some walking space between the bed and the table. For laundry, you have to walk to parkside halls (3 mins walk) to the laundry room as there is no laundry facility/room here. Advantages :

Parkside Halls :

Parkside Hall

Shared rooms are quite big, it's 2.5 times the size of a west parkside room. Not entirely sure about the single rooms. There is a big common room, and the kitchen is split into 2 halfs, one opposite the other. The toilets and bathrooms are shared, although there is a basin in each room.

King Edward's Square :

King Edward's Square

The shared rooms are quite small, it's 1.5 the size of west parkside rooms and there is limited walking space. Once again, I'm not sure about the single rooms. The laundry room is at the far left end of the house. The pros of living here : it is the closest to all the uni buildings!

Woodlands Halls :

Woodlands Halls

There are 7 halls in total, and each flat has 3 floors. Each floor has 2 halls, and each hall has 6 rooms and a kitchen. The common room is on the ground floor. The rooms are en-suite, which makes the room seem smaller than other accommodation rooms. The kitchen is slightly small, with 1 big fridge, 1 cooking hob, and a sink. The laundry room is situated at the center of all the halls. As for advantage, it is the second closest to university buildings, and the closest to the library. Disadvantages? The room is not soundproof so you can hear all the noise from the outside. (Based on my friend's review)



Alright, that's all I have for accommodation. I will keep updating and provide accurate information about the accommodations if I get a chance to visit them. If you have any basic questions about student accommodation, feel free to ask me or e-mail the university. Until next time! :)