town of the s

[necaris]

I'd never been to Cambridge before today. I know it's a pretty major failing for a long-distance foreigner like myself to have spent so much time in the UK and never been to such a famously pretty university town, but I've never quite gotten around to it. Until today

Comments

[sunset_guy]

Actually, to paraphrase neoanjou, I think
Oxford = large(ish) city + pretty University, whereas
Cambridge = pretty University + tiny city/village.

But I had the same reaction as you when I went there with the Merton Soc last year - I think it's the gorgeous combination of places like King's (did you go inside? King's Chapel beats ChCh Cathedral - and any Oxford Chapel, including, I ought probably to admit, Merton's) and the river right in the city centre. Plus, there's quite a lot of recent development that actually looks quite nice - and is relatively central (but then, that's not too difficult in a city the size of Cambridge, and Oxford has the Castle Complex, I suppose!) - and not so much of the horrible 60s concrete (if you discount the SU building!).

I think it's the river running through the college grounds right in the heart of the city - and not on the other side of a big big meadow - that did it for me, though. But, much though I enjoyed visiting, I would say that I, too, wouldn't want to actually live there!

[necaris]

Heh. Bigger than Cambridge it may be, but Oxford's not a large town! (Perhaps it's just that my perspective is skewed by where I grew up but I think of cities with < 300k people in as 'small'...)

[palm_of_my_hand]

Just as I'm off to live there for a year! Nicely timed, dude.

Now, though, I'm a bit nervous with how Loz is going to cope without being part of the university...

[necaris]

Have you and _breathtaken met? She's a Cambridge resident who's only indirectly affiliated to the university, and seems to be finding it all right...

[thecapitalc]

I had the same reaction when I went to see my brother during his interview period at King's.

... I compensated by saying "Is that it?" when we finished walking round the main bits.

Seriously though, Cambridge is prettier, but there is something to Oxford's majestic sprawl (I may be using those words with some artistic hyperbole there, but you know what I mean).

Oh, and this is Ching, by the way :)

[necaris]

I may be using those words with some artistic hyperbole there
Just a bit ;-) IMHO, there's nothing particularly majestic about the sprawl of the Cowley Road or some of the stretches of the canal system. On the other hand, they do give character and life to the city, so that more than makes up ;-)