Nightlife

Hello again!

So you’re probably wondering about the nightlife in Umeå. Is there any?’ The answer is yes...but it is probably very different from what you are used to.. It's neither crazy nor really trendy but it’s not dead either. Far from it. You will come to love each place, regardless of how cheesy some might be..because it is here that you will make many treasured memories. 

Allstar : This is a large sportsbar located downtown umeå @ Kungsgatan 50 It’s also a restaurant and they serve typical American style food. The nachos are great if you want to share with a couple of friends.There is a downside if you are a younger student as it is strictly over 21’s. It is open until 2am on weekends...and it has an extensive cocktail menu. One thing that weirded me out is how many tv’s they have in there. Feels a little like a newsroom.

Corona: Corona is a student restaurant/nightclub located @ Universum on campus. It’s 18 with a student ID and 20 otherwise. It runs a variety of club-nights every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Some are better than others... it really depends on the night. If you’re single and you are in the mood to play..corona is the place to go.  One thing I will say is that you usually have to be drinking and have a group of friends you can dance with to enjoy it.   

Krogen: This is is a student nightclub located @ Alidhem centrum. It has a dance floor and an area with tables if you just feel like a drink and a chat. It's main feature is it's kareoke nights. This is my friend Michelle drawing a crowd!

Omega: This is a student nighclub attached to Krogen but located on the otherside of Alidhem centrum It has a better dance floor than krogen and is usually good fun. They sometimes have a super cheap taco buffet on Friday afternoons which is really good. It's quite funny to eat your lunch in a nightclub! 

e-pub:  E-pub is a student nightclub located @ Universum on campus. You need a student ID to get inside and it's 18. The music is good and there is a cosy round room you can chill out in  inbetween dancing. 

NH:  This is a student pub so you need a student ID to get inside. A nice crowd, usually.  The music is varied but it’s usually mainstream pop/rock. Alcohol is cheaper than most other places. The cheapest beer is 25sek which is pretty great!

Origo: Origo is good fun. It’s located just near IKSU which is perfect if you live in Nydala. It’s quite small but it’s size adds to the cosyness when it’s packed on the dancefloor. ,

Scharinska: This is a cool little night spot located downtown Umeå. The music is good, however it is slightly more expensive than everywhere else.

Rex:  You either hate rex or you love it. Personally I think it’s great. It’s located downtown in the old town hall building. It has 3 floors, the 1^st has a small dancefloor, the 2^nd is filled with tables for chatting, and the 3^rd contains the main dancefloor. I like it because it’s a beautiful building and it’s nice to be able to walk around if you want a change of scenery in between dancing.

If you are more a fan of staying in, organize a corridor- party in your place. It's great fun, you save money..and you can just go to bed whenever you feel like it! We usually throw one once a month with a random theme. (There doesn't have to be a theme...we're just odd like that ) 


Most people hit systembolaget before it closes ( Mon- Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-15:00, Sun - Closed) pre-party before going to a nightclub and then after-party afterwards.  

I hope this helps give you an idea of what it might be like when you arrive in Umeå. Trust me, you’ll love it.

Louise :)

Where to eat

Hej everyone! Just in case you are a little hungry.. here are a few different places to eat in Umeå.

Ghandi: If you’re into Indian food go to Ghandi. It’s this charming little Indian place located downtown @ Rådhusesplanaden 17D. It’s not expensive and you can have a really good meal for about 150sek. If it’s a bitterly cold night head there with some friends and order the tomato soup. It’s liquid happiness.  Ghandi has been voted the no.2 restaurant in Umeå according to Trip Advisor.com (great website)  Sometimes it’s really empty which does take away from the atmosphere but they always let you stay and talk several hours after you have finished your meal. It’s the kind of place you can get lost in conversation. Oh...and ..the chicken curry is great.

Lotta’s Krog: Located downtown @ Nygatan 22, It’s hailed as the best restaurant in Umeå which left me intrigued to try it out. The first time I went I actually couldn’t get a seat as it was completely packed. It has a very cosy interior with lots of couches and wooden furnishings. It’s exactly the kind of place you want to find yourself on a cold winter’s evening when you want to relax and treat yourself. The creamy mushroom soup is great. (I know, I just love soup. Why wouldn’t you love soup? It’s easy to eat, it’s cheap, it’s delicious. Soup is basically for poor students like me who like to eat in restaurants!)

MAX:  Located downtown @ Kungsgatan 63This is a Swedish fast food chain that can be found all over Sweden. I really like it because it’s better quality than McDonalds (The burgers are delicious) and it’s still quite cheap, paying roughly 80/90 sek for a full meal. I’m boring and I always stick to my usual order of an original meal. (It’s really great though!) Max is best shared with some good friends on an empty Wednesday afternoon.

Rex: Located downtown @ Skolgatan, Rex is also a restaurant during the day and they do a wonderful lunch buffet. Check it out. I think the university usually host their welcome dinner for international students here, so do not hesitate to snap up a ticket. I think I had about 3 platefuls when I went.  It’s that good.

Pizza Maria: Located @ Mariehemsvägen 7. If you live in Mariehem you can choose between two pizza places, Pizza Maria or Ängen. If you ask me...both are not going to blow you away but they are definitely nice if you’re not in the mood to cook. Pizza Maria wins slightly in taste.

Mia’s Grill: Located @ Rådhusesplanaden 17 C, this is a fast food place downtown that is supposed to be delicious. Check it out.

On campus: So far the best food I have had on campus was the taco platter in the Science building. It’s also the cheapest too. Again... never order lasagne. Just saying.

Louise J

A tribute to Umeå, a tribute to Erasmus.

Hello again!

When I was planning my move to Umeå, I wanted to be as prepared as possible and so I did a bit of research about the city. I learned it has roughly 114,000 inhabitants, that it has a pretty good women’s football team, that it hosts Sweden’s biggest laserdome center and that it’s dotted with silver birch trees because of a fire that happened once. These random pieces of information didn’t really get me excited I have to say! I didn’t know if I would be happy here, or if I would meet cool people, or if I was making a big mistake coming to a really dark place in the north of Sweden as opposed to somewhere like Malta. I had to remind myself that you can never fully know a place until you live there and make it your own. You just have to go and see for yourself. 

We are all afraid of the unknown..which is why I actually only planned to stay for one semester. Then I remembered something my Dad once said to me “If you’re going to do something...do it properly”..so I did. I’m really glad I stayed for the year because Umeå changes so much through the seasons and so do you as a person.  The leaves turn red, then gold, they fall and are buried by the snow and ice. Endless amounts of snow and ice.. and then it all melts after an incredibly long time to reveal spring flowers and grass.. (by which time you will have forgotten what grass is and rejoice about being able to wear converse again!)

Erasmus is an experience that you will never forget. I have only heard positive experiences from people who have done it all around the world. It takes you out of your comfort zone and places you in an environment where you know nobody, sometimes you have a totally different language to battle with, and perhaps a confusing currency too. The best part is how you are forced to meet people you ordinarily would have never met and end up becoming best friends with them for life. 

Umeå is such a great place to go on Erasmus. No...it’s not a big city and it’s not cool in the conventional sense but it has so much to offer you. This time last year I had never seen or eaten an elk, nor had I gone skiing (and subsequently rescued by snowmobile) I had never walked on a frozen lake...or sang karaoke, I had never seen northern lights, shooting stars or rabbits show-jumping(weird I know). I had never seen such a great jazz festival, or played beach volleyball before.(it turns out I am awful)..I had never drank such a large quantity of shnaps, (go to a “Jul sittning”..you’ll find out) or barbequed a banana or went to the supermarket dressed as a superhero. I could go on..but I think you get my point. The possibilities are endless. 

It’s a really special place. People are proud to be from here and rightly so. It’s different...you’ll see when you get here. Get excited...Umeå is going to be a chapter in your life you will never forget. 

p.s (Everybody thinking about going on an exchange  should watch the film “ l’auberge espagnole” ). It's fantastic :) 

That's all from me today...hope you are having a lovely Wednesday 

Louise J :)