Schmap Oxford Neighborhood Guide

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Oxford - Neighborhood Guide
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Oxford Home
Schmap Oxford guide and map

Central Oxford is, not surprisingly, compact, but many neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the town, away from the university, are worth visiting. The most central point of Oxford is the Carfax, at the crossroads of the High Street, Cornmarket Street, St. Aldate's, and Queen Street. The first of these, along with Broad Street which runs parallel to it, are perhaps the two most typically 'Oxford' streets in the City. Both of them are lined with Oxford Colleges, among them University College, Balliol College, Trinity College, and All Souls College Other architectural splendours abound along these two central streets, including two of Oxford's most famous sights: the domes of the Radcliffe Camera and the Sheldonian Theatre, built by Sir Christopher Wren. It is not just these specific buildings which are worth looking at however; make sure you don't miss the general architecture in central Oxford, where little seems to have been built more recently than a few hundred years ago. Even the shops, restaurants and offices would seem totally out of place in any modern city. Make sure you take the odd glance skyward: Oxford is famous for its Gothic gargoyles and spires.

Towards the west end of the High Street a few shops can be found, but the principle shopping area is around Cornmarket Street and Queen Street, with the Covered Market especially suitable for all those in search of quintessentially Oxford gifts. But fanatical vegetarians be warned: there are several butchers in the Covered Market, so if you don't look where you're going, you may soon find yourself bumping into something which used to look like a cow before it was shaved and beheaded.

Towards North Oxford

Continue up the pedestrianised Cormarket and you will come to St. Giles, which then forks into Woodstock Road and Banbury Road, both of which take you up to North Oxford and the wealthy suburbs. By taking a right off Banbury Road and down Keble Road, you can find the University Parks, where College or university sports teams can often be seen in action. In the summer, countless undergraduates may be found, lazing around and procrastinating. Continue through the Parks and you'll end up fairly near Headington, home of Oxford Brookes University in North East Oxford. West of St Giles we find the area of Jericho. As far as central Oxford goes, this is possibly the most chic residential area.

Towards South Oxford

St. Aldates has a few more shops, but exists primarily as the route South out of Oxford, though the Town Hall and Christ Church, among others, can also be found down here. Head a little way down this road and you'll come to the Isis River - actually the Thames, though it's not called that locally. All year round you can see students training on the river, and may even catch a glimpse of Oxford's world famous (though usually beaten in recent years!) Blues rowing crew, who slog it out against Cambridge in the annual Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race.

Cowley Road

The bulk of students who don't live in their Colleges tend to live on or just off the Cowley Road, reached by heading East along the High Street, and over Magdalen Bridge. The Cowley Road epitomises the bohemian side of Oxford, home as it is to a hotch potch of bars, restaurants, clubs and shops. From trendy cocktail bars to gloomy, empty pubs; from classy restaurants to filthy-looking greasy spoons; from bizarre shops that sell nothing in particular (and yet miraculously stay in business), to high street supermarkets, the Cowley Road has it all. Well worth a visit.

Instead of going down the Cowley Road off the Magdalen roundabout, take the next turn and head down the Iffley Road. You'll soon come to the Oxford University Sports Centre, where Roger Bannister first ran his record breaking four minute mile. On a Wednesday or Saturday afternoon between October and April, you may also see Oxford's other internationally-recognised sports team: the Blues rugby team.

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Central Oxford

Oxford
United Kingdom

Photo: Alexa Mingo

Central Oxford photo by Sarah L. Oldmixon

Photo: Sarah L. Oldmixon

Photo: Dave Cozens

Cowley Road

Oxford
United Kingdom
The bulk of students who don't live in their Colleges tend to live on or just off the Cowley Road, reached by heading East along the High Street, and over Magdalen Bridge. The Cowley Road epitomises the bohemian side of Oxford, home as it is to a hotch potch of bars, restaurants, clubs and shops. From trendy cocktail bars to gloomy, empty pubs; from classy restaurants to filthy-looking greasy spoons; from bizarre shops that sell nothing in particular (and yet miraculously stay in business), to high street supermarkets, the Cowley Road has it all. Well worth a visit.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: jim
Photo: Isis Bridge
Photo: Peter Arbuthnott
Photo: Fergus Morrin
Photo: Jenni Scott
Photo: Damian Cugley
Photo: Ian Gallagher
Photo: Steve Bell

Photo: Karteek Alahari
Photo: robban_bobban
Photo: James
Photo: Neal
Photo: Ben Spencer
Photo: Cathie Joy Young
Photo: Helen Francis
Photo: Lorissa Shepstone

Photo: Sam Keam
Photo: sarah
Photo: donbyatt

Headington

Oxford
United Kingdom
Headington is often referred as a village, though this is somewhat misleading, as the population has reached around 15,000. It may not be the most bucolic location, but it certainly has a pleasant feel and there are dozens of buildings from yesteryear that are fit to grace a chocolate box. The grandly titled Oxford Brookes University (formerly Oxford Polytechnic) adds a modern dynamic to the picturesque neighbourhood. However, the area is probably most famous for an eccentric piece of art, the brainchild of American Bill Heine. The sculpture was erected on the forty-first anniversary of the atomic attack on Nagaski, by Heine's compatriots. The prominent work is a seven-metre-tall headless, fibreglass shark that protudes from an otherwise normal terrace house. The fibreglass fish is said by its creator to be an expression of disillusionment with the Nuclear Age.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Kirsten Loza
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Photo: Jeff Sherman
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Photo: eddy manzano
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Photo: 지호 | Ji Ho | 志浩

Iffley Road

Oxford
United Kingdom
Instead of going down the Cowley Road off the Magdalen roundabout, take the next turn and head down the Iffley Road. You'll soon come to the Oxford University Sports Centre, where Roger Bannister first ran his record breaking four minute mile. On a Wednesday or Saturday afternoon between October and April, you may also see Oxford's other internationally-recognised sports team: the Blues rugby team.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Steve Roe
Photo: Gill Poole
Photo: Alexis O'Connor
Photo: Matt Winyard

North Oxford

Oxford
United Kingdom
Continue up the pedestrianised Cormarket and you will come to St. Giles, which then forks into Woodstock Road and Banbury Road, both of which take you up to North Oxford and the wealthy suburbs. By taking a right off Banbury Road and down Keble Road, you can find the University Parks, where College or university sports teams can often be seen in action. In the summer, countless undergraduates may be found, lazing around and procrastinating. Continue through the Parks and you'll end up fairly near Headington, home of Oxford Brookes University in North East Oxford. West of St Giles we find the area of Jericho. As far as central Oxford goes, this is possibly the most chic residential area.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Dan Ray
Photo: Anna Pollock
Photo: Steve Turner
Photo: H.Steele
Photo: Michael A. Brown

St. Aldates

Oxford
United Kingdom
St. Aldates has a few more shops, but exists primarily as the route South out of Oxford, though the Town Hall and Christ Church, among others, can also be found down here. Head a little way down this road and you'll come to the Isis River - actually the Thames, though it's not called that locally. All year round you can see students training on the river, and may even catch a glimpse of Oxford's world famous (though usually beaten in recent years!) Blues rowing crew, who slog it out against Cambridge in the annual Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Simon Haycox
Photo: Brady
Photo: Mariano Beguerisse
Photo: Mathew J. Schwartz
Photo: Mademoiselle Coco
Photo: joanagps
Photo: T Richardson
Photo: specialcopper

Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Oxford - Neighborhood Guide"
Oxford
Oxford - Historical Background
Oxford - Where to Stay
Oxford - Dining & Drinking
Oxford - Art & Entertainment
Other nearby cities:
Bath (86 miles)
London (92 miles)
Birmingham (93 miles)
Southampton (97 miles)
Bristol (99 miles)
Cambridge (100 miles)
Brighton (128 miles)
Cardiff (136 miles)
Sheffield (180 miles)
Manchester (202 miles)

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