Student hotspot Crookes has been named as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the UK by Timeout Magazine.
Crookes, which came 6th on Timeout’s list after locations in Glasgow and London, has been long beloved by students and young people due to its eclectic mix of pubs and charity shops as well as its proximity to the city centre.
Daniel Dylan Wray, a Sheffield-based writer contributing to Timeout, said: “Once considered purely a place for students, Crookes has undergone a shift in its development and demographic in recent years, quietly and subtly morphing into a wonderfully self-contained neighbourhood that is now a go-to food and drink hotspot.
“Much like Sheffield, this little suburb is not flashy or fussy – it’s an under-the-radar residential area – but it packs a lot of punch for its size.”
Wray is correct in saying that. From The Old Grindstone at the beginning of Crookes to The Punch Bowl at the end of the High Street, drinking hotspots in Crookes are far from sparse. Popular haunts for students include The Ball and The Cobden View, just off of the high street in the heart of the suburb.
Crookes is also home to a number of cafes and bakeries, such as Pom, Cloud and Sorrel’s Cocoa Bakery. Although small, they make a great place to study if you can get a seat. They’re popular for a reason – some also do student discounts.
Watching the sunset Bole Hill is also a rite of passage for students – its proximity to the high street makes it a quick trip, and easy to grab food from one of its eateries on the way. The co-op and Sainsbury’s are good for a quick food shop, but independent restaurants such as Paesani are hard to beat.
Despite its new official “cool” status, Crookes doesn’t come without its flaws. One notable would be the amount of roadworks currently taking place on the High Street, not only affecting traffic but local businesses too.
One of which to be affected is Lisboa, the portuguese cafe and patisserie at the top of the High Street. In a social media post back in August, the cafe candidly asked residents to pop in for a coffee or Nata.
The post reads: “since the gas roadworks started, we’ve seen a significant drop in footfall, making the last few weeks the most difficult we’ve experienced since opening in 2021.
“It has reached the point where we’ve had to temporarily reduce staff hours while trade remains heavily affected. We don’t want to moan or blame. More than anything we just want to let you know that we’re still here, we’re still open and we’d love to see you.
“Every visit really helps us and our team right now.”
Lisboa isn’t the only business to put out a post like this. Sorrels Coca Bakery also put out a post about roadworks in mid October, calling the roadworks “the curse of Crookes.”
This makes it more important than ever to support local businesses. If you’ve been convinced, go and check out the UK’s 6th coolest neighbourhood soon if you haven’t already and see what you think.
