Our readers recently told us that the area around Queen’s Park was the happiest and best place to live.
As someone who went to high school in Glasgow’s West End and still spends a lot of time there at weekends, I wanted to make the case as to why the West End is still the place to be in Glasgow.
I’m not the only one who thinks that as international travel and hospitality magazine Time Out named the West End as one of the coolest neighbourhoods to live in the world.
Speaking about the West End, they said: “Glasgow has changed. Whatever bad rep this portside city might once have had, it’s now one of the UK’s most exciting places to be – and nowhere in the city is cooler than the West End. “With a healthy mix of students, families, and creatives, the community here is ever-evolving and ever-involved. It’s gorgeous to look at too – make sure to stop and take in the view of the gothic University of Glasgow, which towers above Kelvingrove Park. “On the West End’s streets, you’ll find trendy vegan coffee shops that share storefronts with decades-old second-hand bookshops – and it’s this blend that keeps the neighbourhood feeling fresh without losing its long-held local charm. It also boasts some of the city’s best eateries.”
1. Lanes
There are no shortage of quirky cobbled lanes which you can wander down in the West End. Some of our favourite picks are Ashton Lane, the Hidden Lane and Ruthven Lane. | Glasgow City Council
2. Summer Nights at Kelvingrove Bandstand
We absolutely love when summer nights come around and we can head down to Kelvingrove Bandstand. Some huge acts have played at the bandstand over the years which includes Burt Bacharach, The Human League and Brian Wilson. | Kelvingrove Bandstand
3. Restaurants
Although many people seem to think that Glaswegians are flocking to the Southside to eat, some of Glasgow's best restaurants are still found in the West End including The Gannet, Crabshakk and The Ubiquitous Chip. | Gannet
4. Finnieston
Finnieston is one of Glasgow’s most trendiest areas which has a bustling food and drink scene which was once named as “the hippest place in the UK” by The Times. | Glasgow Life