Living in the heart of Glasgow City Centre has many benefits.

From being the hub of many transport links, the array of shops, bars, restaurants and cafes, popular nightlife and even a world-renowned University, Glasgow City Centre truly has a lot to offer any home buyer. It’s much more than just a living destination for students.

If you’re considering your next property move and think that the City might be the right place for you, we’ve got a whistle-stop guide of Glasgow City Centre, covering all the best places to visit, eat and drink and of course, live, whether it’s to rent or buy.

Last week in our first instalment of our ‘Spotlight on Glasgow City Centre’ we explored Trongate, including some bits of the East End and the Merchant City. This week we are covering the central part of the City from Argyle Street, up along Buchanan Street, a bit of George Square and ‘up the top end’ towards Sauchiehall Street.

Central

Located in the heart of the City Centre is Glasgow Central Station, arguably the start and end to many Glaswegians nights out. A transport link hub, with trains taking you all around Scotland and the rest of the UK, with trains to London leaving daily. If you’re arriving at Central, you won’t need to wander far for some great places to eat, from Alston Bar & Beef located inside the station itself, to La Vita Spuntini on Gordon Street and the Grand Central Hotel attached to the station. And there’s no shortage of pubs, from The Solid Rock Café, The Smokin’ Fox and Reardon’s for a game of pool.

Buchanan Street

There is so much to do and see in the City Centre but some key areas to start off with would be Buchanan Street, which runs from Argyle Street all the way up to Sauchiehall Street and is known as the fashion mile. It has an array of high street shops like Zara, Nike, Apple and the White Company plus the House of Fraser department store. You can spend hours here spending your hard-earned money. Always buzzing and definitely worth a visit at Christmas time to see all of the sparkly lights. You can start your shopping spree at St Enoch Centre and Hamleys toy store and head north. You’ve got Argyll Arcade too with over 30 jewellers and diamond merchants, and Princes Square with a mix of shops, restaurants and even a small cinema. You’ll find plenty of places to eat and drink in the streets just off Buchanan Street, like Mitchell Lane for Bar Soba and Sugo Pasta and Gordon Street for Bier Halle and TGI Fridays. For something more elegant, why not pop into The Willow Tea Rooms for a slice of cake and cup of tea and of course to see the stunning art deco and Rennie Mackintosh inspired décor.

Head into Royal Exchange Square for even more restaurant and bar choices from The Social and Zizzis and for some culture at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Nearby is the newly opened and highly Instagrammable Ivy restaurant. Further on to St Vincent Street and you have Miller & Carter Steakhouse, Chaakoo Bombay Café and Topolobamba Mexican.

If you’re thinking about heading out of town for the day, maybe a jaunt to Edinburgh, then head to Queen Street Station just off George Square – you can be in the Capital in about 40 minutes.

Glasgow isn’t just about places to eat and drink, there’s plenty of fun things to do too like Jungle Rumble Adventure Mini Golf, the many theatres on offer from amazing plays to festive panto and music venues like King Tut’s and the Royal Concert Hall. The National Piping Centre is also a great venue to hire and celebrate Scottish music.

In terms of property, you can certainly find some really nice 1- and 2-bedroom flats in the heart of everything, mostly traditional style flats above commercial properties or within apartment buildings. Prices vary but a 1-bedroom flat could start from around £140,000, working up to £200,000 and sometimes over. The only thing you’ll be lacking is your own outdoor space but with plenty of things to see and do in Glasgow, that might not be an issue.

Sauchiehall Street

Heading to the top end of town, we reach the infamous Sauchiehall Street, once the liveliest street in Glasgow on a Saturday night. Not just a great destination for a night out, but full of great shops too including Buchanan Galleries. There’s also Cineworld Cinema covering multiple floors and with amazing views over the city, the Pavilion and King’s Theatres plus the Glasgow Film Theatre, boasting great cinematic classics and film festivals. You’ll also find the world-famous Glasgow School of Art which is currently undergoing another reconstruction after a second devastating fire.

Adjacent to Sauchiehall Street is Bath Street, another great area with plenty of restaurants, bars and clubs, like BLOC+, The Butterfly and the Pig, The Howlin’ Wolf and for those rare sunny days, check out the rooftop bar at Malones Irish Bar.

There’s also plenty of coffee shops and places for afternoon tea like the Willow Tea Rooms and Mackintosh at the Willow.

At the far end of Sauchiehall Street, you’ll find loads of clubs and pubs from Driftwood, the Box, Nice N Sleazy’s and The Garage. If you continue along this street, it’ll take you towards the West End of Glasgow.

This area is popular with students and young people given its close proximity to the art school, Strathclyde University, Caledonian University and the City of Glasgow College. As with most of the City Centre, properties are traditional flats and modern apartment buildings, starting from £140,000 and upwards of £200,000. Rental prices again vary but can start around £850 per month and up to £1,500.

For all the best properties for sale and to rent in Glasgow City Centre, visit s1homes.com today.

Some businesses mentioned in this article may be temporarily closed or offering limited services due to current lockdown restrictions.