Liverpool with a 17 year old

[myladyjane]

Dd is heading for a uni open day in a couple of months and it’s a bit of a trek so we are staying overnight (premier in near lime st).

i have been to Liverpool exactly once 30 years ago so i have literally no idea what we can do. We are due to get in about 5.30 so should have a chance to dump bags and freshen up after 3 hours on the train.

Dd is very interested in the course (it’s at John Moores which I think is pretty central) and I suspect all being well this would be a top choice so I would really like her to get as much as a feel for the place as we can in a single Friday night with her mother.

that said, the hotel and the train have been quite spendy and I would like to keep costs down so somewhere fairly budget to eat would be good. She can be a bit picky foodwise - burgers and Italian the safest bets.

so where would be good to head to? Definitely to eat and maybe hang out a bit and people watch. I am guessing a Friday night will be busy so somewhere I can book would be great.

thank you!

Do you know the building? LJMU is spread all over the city centre Near your hotel is a restaraunt called "Bon - pan Asian" or just bon pan to her when she lives here and learns the lingo. All you can eat buffet at a reasonable price. Drinks are expensive though.
Theres so so so much to do in liverpool its hard to choose. From where your hotel is a walk (good walk) to liverpool cathedral.... or the 2 cathedrals.
Or in the opposite direction to the docks.
When you step out at lime street you'll see St George's Hall and just behind there is a museum and walker art gallery both free. Theres so much honestly but with a limited budget/spending try the museums and galleries. Always something going on in Liverpool.

Go see the nightlife! And docks

Bold street for any cuisine you fancy. Scouse in Maggie Mays is great. Albert Dock for a bit of culture. Maritime museum and Beatles exhibition down there too. Train up to Waterloo in 20 mins for the beach and Anthony Gormley statues.

A great city to spend 3 years....

I personally would recommend the Premier Inn at Albert Dock, if you’re able to transfer your booking? We loved staying there. The area has such character and the hotel itself, being in a listed building, has lovely original features. We enjoyed our meals there in the restaurant, with views of the dock.

Liverpool is great! The Albert docks are great but eating there won’t be cheap.
I’d head up Bold Street then up towards the cathedral quarter, it’s quite studenty up there so she’ll get a feel for it and you’re more likely to find some cheaper places to eat. The philharmonic pub is beautiful.

Thanks for this - I have been looking up Bold Street restaurants and loads look great!

most of Saturday will be taken up with the uni stuff so I don’t think we’ll have time to do lots of museums and things. I am hoping we’ll be able to stroll back and get coffee/people watch before the train though although I don’t know exactly which site she’ll be on yet.

Is it feasible to walk over to Albert Dock for a wander around early evening on Friday then back over to the hotel area for something to eat?

@Comeonbabyblue Bon pan looks right up her alley!

Yes Liverpool is very walkable. Or e- bikes or e-scooter (legal pilot) etc. Have fun!

Yes you can definitely stroll down from Lime St to the Albert Docks on the Friday evening. You might get food in L1 area if you do that although it’s mostly chain places there.
It’s quite a way to then walk all the way from the docks up to the cathedrals though.

It’s all very walkable

Maray is lovely and not too spendy - there’s one on the docks and another on Bold Street.

Love Lane brewery in the Baltic Triangle is great for a daytime drink and game of pool, though I imagine it gets crazy busy of a weekend evening.

You can go up the Liver building which is a bit expensive but worth doing.

Both cathedrals are stunning and well worth seeing. I’d get an Uber from the docks to the cathedral quarter, especially at night if you’ve done a lot of walking during the day. There are some nice, off the beaten track, pubs in the cathedral quarter.

Crust is a pizza place on Bold Street and is good, assuming it’s still there! Anywhere on Bold St would need booking on a Friday night as they’re all small places and it all gets very busy.

Liverpool is fabulous - but there are nicer areas than the Premier Inn close to Lime St. (Any chance you could swap to Albert Dock?)

Whenever I’m there I centre my trip on Hope St. It’s glorious. A cathedral at both ends of the street, several places to eat and drink, the epic Everyman Theatre, (and Hope St Hotel). So try to spend some time there if you can.

You should also see if your timetable would allow a performance at the Tung Auditorium:

https://thetungauditorium.com/

I guess you won’t have time to get out to Crosby Veach for the Another Place sculptures?

We stayed in a superior room in the Travelodge on the Strand (by the docks) recently and it was surprisingly good. We don't bother with their breakfast though, so only really see reception and the room itself.

My daughter is at LJMU. Everywhere is very walkable. Do you know which campus you will be visiting. My daughter's course is spread over both so we walked between them.

As for what to do, it depends what you are into. Bold Street is great for little cafes and studenty clothes shops. The docks are nice to walk round. Liverpool One is good for shopping. There are loads of (noisy) Irish bars. My daughter's favourite pub is called The Shipping Forcast (it's a bit quieter and they use ot for society meetings). They do typical pub food but there are some nie Italioans around in Liverpool too.

This is so helpful thank you. Will talk to dd about what she fancies and maybe see if I can move the hotel.

@ElizaSchuyler I don’t think dd has the details of the where and how bits yet. Does your dd enjoy LJMU? Dd is looking at a sport related course

She absolutely loves it (& she is studying sports science).

So the main open day for Sports courses will be at City Campus where the labs are but they also have sessions over at Copperas Hill (where the Student Life Centre & Sports facilities are). The latter is nearish to Lime Street.

On Open Days my daughter is often to be found around the Engineering dept thought representing the LJMU Formula Student electronic racing team.

The Quarter on Hope st. for mediterranean food. Interesting area near Anglican Cathedral. Philharmonic pub nearby - large victorian pub a fave with any visitors I've had. A short walk down to Bold St. as already mentioned. Walker Art Gallery near LJMU ( depending on which department) nice for a mooch about and a coffee.