The Sheffield Student Guide: Crookes

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About the author: We've given this one over to our SEO Manager Dan Rawley, who has lived in Crookes for almost a decade. Dan moved to Crookes in his third year at Sheffield Uni and made his home there after graduating.

Formerly a village outside the city limits of Sheffield which still retains its independent feel, Crookes is hugely popular with both students and young professionals. If you're considering searching for student accommodation here, we've got the lowdown.

Location and transport links

Even by Sheffield standards, Crookes' location up in the hills makes it a steep walk home from lectures - second and third years will tell you about their hikes up Conduit Road and Springvale Road like old war tales. However, it does mean Crookes provides amazing views over the city - more on that later.

It's close to other popular student areas Broomhill and - shockingly - Crookesmoor, and while it's a bit further out from campus than those two, it's still walkable for Uni of Sheffield students. The rule of thumb is to add about 10 minutes to the walk home compared to the walk down because of the hills, so expect a 15-20 minute walk to the Arts Tower to take you 25-30 on the way back!

While Sheffield Hallam's Collegiate campus is just about walkable from Crookes, SHU's city centre campus is a bit too far on foot. However, Crookes is well served by the 52 and 52a buses which run to and from the city centre - handy if you can't face the trek back uphill after lectures.

By now you'll probably know Sheffield gets its fair share of snow, and it's often heavier in Crookes because of its position than most of the city. That can mean buses and taxis can be hard to come by in bad weather.

Food and drink, essentials and things to do

Crookes' vibrant high street is one of the main reasons for its popularity. We’re blessed with some great pubs including historic duo The Punchbowl and The Old Grindstone (the name doesn’t lie - it’s approaching its 200th anniversary!)

The Grindstone, found at the very start of Crookes near the junction with Broomhill, is especially popular with students, not least for its pub quiz prize of one minute behind the bar to pour as many pints as you can! While you’ll still want to head into town for a late night, Crookes is a great place to start it.

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Food for all tastes

While both pubs do great food, the high street is packed with delicious options whatever your tastes. Want a sweet treat? You’ll find Portuguese tart specialists Lisboa and three bakeries (Crumb, Sorrel’s and Cafe Nort) all within walking distance. Craving carbs? Take your pick from dedicated arancini spot Made in Sicily (whose owner has the best Sheffield/Italian combo accent you’ll ever hear), Sheffield sandwich shop institution Beres, Brill Burger, or pizza from Paesani or Domino’s. Fancy fish and chips? Crookes inexplicably has three chippies along the high street despite Sheffield being about as far from the coast as anywhere in the UK.

Need some health to offset all the above? Don't worry: we’ve got Just Natural, an independent old-fashioned greengrocers.

Crookes is also great for everyday essentials with a Sainsburys and Co-op, as well as a (somehow Instagram viral) post office, two off-licences and a pharmacy. There's also a good selection of student budget-friendly charity shops, with the St Luke's furniture shop at the far end of Crookes especially useful for move-in day.

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Parks (and recreation)

However, the Bole Hills (pictured above) is undoubtedly the jewel in Crookes’ crown, offering stunning views over Stannington and Rivelin Valley which never get old. It’s hugely popular with students in summer as a place for barbecues and watching the sunset.

The playing fields at Crookes Cemetery provide further green space, and it’s not far to Crookes Valley Park and Weston Park which rank among Sheffield’s best parks (although behind Bole Hills, according to our Sheffield Content Ambassador Lucie - rightly so, not that I’m biased or anything). Crookes’ position at the north-west edge of Sheffield provides quick access to the Peak District via Manchester Road.

If you’re into sports, you’ll find rugby and football pitches and a BMX track at Bole Hills, and local non-league football team Hallam FC’s stadium is in Crosspool, the next area out from Crookes (albeit up yet another hill).

Finally, Crookes Social Club is a former working men’s club with the 70s-style red velvet furnishings to match - but it hosts a surprisingly good range of live music and comedy. Recent acts include Miles Kane, Reverend & The Makers, Josh Pugh and Daliso Chaponda.

By now, it’s not hard to see why Crookes’ community feel makes it popular with students - even inspiring the name of a band of Uni of Sheffield students who made it big in the 2010s.

Housing

Crookes’ narrow terraced streets mean the majority of its student housing consists of 4-beds, with a good choice of 3 and 5-beds too, so it’s popular with larger groups. Be warned: parking is at a premium here!

Crookes is consistently one of the most popular student areas in Sheffield - it was fourth-most popular of 12 areas on our site in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 letting seasons, and so far in 2026-27 it has overtaken Ecclesall to claim third spot behind only Crookesmoor and Broomhill.

Despite that popularity, average student rents here are actually among the cheapest across all student areas in Sheffield. As of February 2026, the Crookes properties listed on UniHomes range from £104-£218pppw, with an average of £126pppw (including bills), significantly below the overall average for Sheffield of £138pppw. That makes Crookes the fourth-cheapest of the 12 Sheffield areas on our site.

Demand on our site for student housing in Crookes tends to peak in mid-late November each year, slightly behind the overall Sheffield peak of early-mid November. That said, if you’re searching in a group of 4-6, finding somewhere you all love is often tricky - so if you’ve got your heart set on Crookes, make sure to get in early to secure a great house.

In summary...

Pros

• Thriving local community with everything you need on the doorstep
• Great views and green spaces, with Bole Hills and easy access to the Peak District
• Cheaper than most Sheffield student areas so great option for those looking for 4-6 bed houses

Cons

• Bit far out from Sheffield Hallam city campus and it’s all uphill on the way back from…anywhere really
• Further out from town than other areas so you’ll have to travel a bit further for proper nights out and pay a bit more for taxis home
• Probably less choice of 1-3 bed student housing than other areas

UniHomes is here to take the stress out of student-house hunting. We work with a wide range of Sheffield letting agents and landlords so we can showcase the best student accommodation in Crookes and other popular student areas from across the market in one convenient platform, saving you time and hassle.

Check out available properties in Crookes with bills included here.

Whilst you’re out having fun in your new uni city, remember that UniHomes promotes responsible drinking, and any alcohol products featured within this article are for ages 18+.