There is no doubt that the Brits enjoy a good pub. Pubs are the social hub of almost every evening and that still rains true in York, but York has way more to offer! I am writing this blog to share all the fun there is to do that do not require anything but yourself!
To start off, let me talk to you just about the University. Across campus, you will find dozens of snooker (basically pool) tables and dart boards scattered throughout. Every Monday, the floormates and I head down to D-Bar (my college’s bar) to play darts and pool. Everyone that does not play darts usually plays pool which is right next to the darts and vice versa. I won darts last week, so I need to keep my title this week. Fingers crossed! The player that comes in last must buy the other players bags of crisps (potato chips). Terrific way to start the week off.
On the weekends, Derwent (my college) holds all these events for students to participate in. The most famous being Quiz Night on Friday nights, but this changes periodically. For example, this weekend they are hosting this game show called “Take Me Out.” From what I gathered, it is a British guilty pleasure dating show where a man stands in front of like twenty girls and the girls pick if they want to go on a date with him after hearing some of his corks. Sounds dumb I know, but I can’t wait to see it!
Other examples of things that Derwent hosts:
- Club-D. This is when they turn the eating hall into a club and pick a certain theme for the night. Last Club-D event was called Frat-D and everyone dressed like frat guys. Super hilarious to be fair.
- A traditional Scottish dance that is extremely fast pace and gets you extremely sweaty. Before the dancing, they fed us traditional Scottish food and gave us traditional Scottish whiskey to taste.
- All the sports usually have socials on Wednesdays. Each week they pick a theme and go to the JCR (don’t know what it stands for but it’s a place for students to go and have fun). Last theme was best golf attire.
To get off campus, York has many places to enjoy a night out. Any day of the week, there are certain clubs that always have students for a night out, but if that doesn’t tickle your fancy York is actually known for its karaoke scene. One of the best karaoke scenes in all the UK surprisingly! People love getting together to listen to their friend’s hideous singing voice, right? I know of a couple places that host weekly karaoke nights! Super easy to find and guaranteed to have a fun time.
In addition, there are countless comedy clubs scattered throughout the city that will guarantee to make you crack up. The other day, a group of mates and I went to a “comedy poetry slam” at this one pub in town and I could not stop laughing for a solid two hours. The next thing I am planning is a night to go see some old films that they play in this small hipster cinema in the heart of town. Sounds cool right?
There are also plenty of things that I have not done myself but have heard about around the city. Some examples include old time movie showings in certain theaters, a massive trampoline park that offers adult only jumps on certain days, and York ghost tours around the city. ~spooky~
In the end, York has so many things to do every day/night of the week. No matter what the issue is, there is no excuse to stay in the dorm by yourself! York = Great Times.