LONDON
Welcome to London!
Your Guide to Food, Transport & Culture near London South Bank University (LSBU)
art + Culture
braver spaces policy
events
food + drink
LSBU MAp
parks + green spaces
Program + aa
requirements
student housing
transport tips
food and drink
On-Campus Options:
Refectory – Budget-friendly breakfasts (a coffee and a croissant before 11am is £1!) and hot meals during lunch.
Costa Coffee – A range of hot & cold drinks, snacks, sushi, and hot slices.
Nearby Eateries:
Art Cafe London – A cosy local café serving panini, coffee, and fresh baked goods.
St John's Bakery – Famous for its incredible doughnuts and other pastries.
Mercato Metropolitano – A bustling food market with stalls offering global street food.
Lò Bánh Mì – Delicious Vietnamese bánh mì for under £10.
Nearby Pubs:
parks and green spaces
West Square Gardens – A peaceful, tucked-away garden square just a short walk from campus. Ideal for reading, picnicking or a breather between activities.
Tibetan Peace Garden – A sunny public garden featuring a beautiful mandala, stone inscriptions, and quiet seating areas.
transport tips
You can use your contactless credit or debit card on all public transport in London (buses, tubes, trains, and trams).
Closest Tube Stations:
Elephant & Castle (Northern & Bakerloo lines)
Borough (Northern line)
Southwark (Jubilee line)
Proximity to Major Train Stations:
10-minute walk to London Waterloo
15-minute walk to London Bridge
art and culture
Nearby Cultural Venues:
Tate Modern – Modern and contemporary art gallery (20-minute walk).
Southbank Centre – A riverside arts hub.
Arebyte Gallery – Focused on digital and emerging art practices.
SEAGER Gallery – An artist-run space supporting experimental exhibitions.
Gazell.io – Digital art platform with an onsite VR library.
Outernet – Immersive media spaces with large-scale digital installations.
V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum) – Design and Disability exhibition may be of interest.
event of interest
How We Made It with Marshmallow Laser Feast, Thursday, 17 July 2025, 7pm – 8.30pm
· Location: V&A East Storehouse, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London
· Admission: Free (booking essential)
travel requirements
Please note: students are responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodations.
As of January 2025, the UK is requiring visitors who don’t need visas (including US, Canada, and EU passport-holders) to submit Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for short stays. The ETA can be applied for online, has a processing time of up to three days (but is usually much shorter), and lasts for two years. More information is available here.
Don’t forget that travel insurance — covering refund/change of your tickets, as well as international health coverage in case of emergency — is required during Transart residencies.
student housing
Please note: students are responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodations.
While student housing is not available at LSBU, other university accommodation offices allow individual bookings during the summer. An option is available through University College London, which opens their dormitories to individual bookings during the summer months. UCL has several colleges with rooms available in July for between 52-115 GBP per night, including:
Schafer House, from 75 GBP per night (21 minutes from LSBU via the Northern Line)
Astor College, from 94 GBP per night (26 minutes from LSBU via the Bakerloo Line)
Gower Street Houses, from 65 GBP per night (30 minutes from LSBU via the Bakerloo Line or Northern Line)
Langton Close, from 68 GBP per night (30 minutes from LSBU via the Northern Line or bus)
Ifor Evans Hall, from 52 GBP per night (34 minutes from LSBU via the Northern Line)
St Pancras Way, from 82 GBP per night (33 minutes from LSBU via the Northern Line)
Ian Baker House, from 75 GBP per night (26 minutes from LSBU via the Bakerloo Line)
Goldsmid House, from 84 GBP per night (22 minutes from LSBU via the Victoria+Northern Lines of District+Bakerloo Lines, or 32 minutes via Bus 148)
UCL student housing bookings can be made online through a simple booking form and paid via credit card.
Sharing flats via Airbnb or Vrbo is also worth considering and can be managed at comparable rates.
getting to liverpool
Travel from London to Liverpool is best taken by train. The journey is approximately 2 hours, 20 minutes. You can compare train times and rates and book tickets through Trainline.
For directions to LJMU’s John Lennon Art and Design Building and other facilities, refer to this handy guide.
LJMU and Liverpool are considered to be relatively safe places to visit and live, including for LGBTQ+ people. Safety tips and emergency contact numbers are available here and here.
ljmu facilities
In Room 203 of the John Lennon Art and Design Building at LJMU, you’ll find the PGR Student Lounge.
This is a dedicated space for you to decompress, relax, work, and meet with other students. The student lounge has computers, couches, a balcony, and a coffee machine.
During the course of the residency, you’ll also have access to the LJMU Library, printing facilities at the School of Arts, as well as the facilities at the Student Life building, which is open 24/7. For more information about accessing LJMU libraries , please click here.
Wifi can be accessed using your student ID card, which you will receive at the beginning of the residency if you don’t already have one. There is also password-free internet available for guests.
Art supplies
Daycare
LJMU does not run a daycare.
Nearby are Blackburne House Nursery and Dukes & Duchesses.
Eating
Maray- Beautifully crafted small plates (and some of the best veggie food in Liverpool)
Backchich- a Lebanese and Moroccan kitchen
Mowgli- Bright and bold Indian street food
Mother - Cafe and coffee house with full breakfast menu
Down the Hatch- Veggie junk food for when you want to over-indulge
The Egg Cafe- Enter through the bright purple arch on Newington and you’ll find this lively, lovely vegan café.
Salt House- For a chilled-out, chatter-filled dinner…the tapas to keep you going all night
Quarter- Italian-inspired restaurant in the Georgian Quarter
Saffron- A family-friendly restaurant serving Indian and Nepalese food
A Tavola- Italian deli, restaurant and cookery school
Artefact - Cafe and vintage furniture shop, just around the corner from campus
Baltic Market - Street food hall in the Baltic Triangle
Arts Bar Baltic - Bar with live events near The Royal Standard
student housing
Please note: students are responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodations.
Student housing in Liverpool will be available via Unite Students. Apartments will be single or shared, depending on availability. The cost estimate of housing is 150-190 GBP per week. No deposit is required, and you can pay up front or at check-in. To book housing, please send this booking form to horizonheightsliverpool@unitestudents.com. Include your dates in the body of the email.
Please note that Transart does not have any say in how housing is allocated or arranged, so please direct all your student housing questions to Unite Students.
Other recommended Accomodations
LJMU recommends the following hotels in Liverpool:
Hope Street Hotel is in close proximity to the Art School.
Adagio is close to LJMU, the train station, and Lewis’s Building, one of the Liverpool Biennial venues.
Quest Liverpool City Centre
School Lane Hotel
Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Center is another option, a little further from LJMU (20 min train ride + 15 min walk). Nightly rates start at £20 per person. Read more about the site here. Reach out via email and mention that you are a Transart student.
Transart students also frequently coordinate to share Airbnbs or other rentals.