By Joaõ Perassolo The City of Talent is gaining a trendy district, as construction workers transform a once-deserted area surrounding a former gas factory into a new, multi-faceted neighbourhood just minutes away from central streets. A stroll along the renovated Boterdiep street reveals not only a recently-opened hotel for international students but also a brasserie, a bar…
By Bala Chambers ACLO Sport’s Plus gym membership at the Zernike campus is still the cheapest gym across the city, despite efforts by other local gyms to attract students with other deals. In order to qualify for a gym membership, students must firstly purchase a €59,95 a year subscription. Students can then join the various different…
By Antonella Serrecchia A big housing shortage in Groningen has left many students in need of accommodation and some of them are falling prey to housing fraud. This is what happens when you put together a small city, a big university attracting students from all over the world, few student accommodations, and a peculiar law limiting…
By Emily Howard The number of British students at the University of Groningen (RUG) has increased by 35% and other Dutch universities are also expecting higher numbers of British students despite Britain’s exit from the EU. Last year, 250 British students were enrolled at the RUG yet there are already 338 enrolments this year –…
By Matt Richards The student accommodation provider SSH will offer more student rooms in 2017, in a move that seeks to tackle the housing crisis in Groningen. Jesse Van Mourit, SSH Spokesperson, says the organisation hopes to add several hundred new rooms for the 17/18 academic year, and will continue to consult with RUG and…
Religious Symbols are being displayed in public spaces By Masha Tsnompilantze In the bustling city of Groningen, there’s a quiet street where passers-by see something they don’t see very often in this largely secular country: lots of Christian symbolism, in a restaurant. The Netherlands is a country where religion is considered a personal matter that should not be…
By Marijn Thijs One of the last remaining street newspapers in the Netherlands – a source of income for the homeless, the poor and refugees – is struggling to survive. Selling street newspapers has been an effective job for the homeless to remain on the right track. In the north of the Netherlands, De Riepe is one of the only monthly street newspapers still in business. However, business is not as good as…
By Petra Ondrisakova and James Field Bankruptcy is at an eight year low in the Netherlands and the city of Groningen is living proof of the recent statistics indicating nationwide economic recovery. The city of Groningen is eager to take credit for this recovery. Two years ago in the city, Urban Planning would only allow limited…
By James Field A meeting this week at Groningen Town Hall is looking to avoid protest at the annual arrival of one of the Netherlands most notorious characters, ‘Black Pete’. Black Pete or ‘Zwarte Piet’, traditionally accompanies St Nicolas during christmas celebrations in Holland, however the controversy around the character persists as he is usually…
Organisation’s Jeu de Boules tournament poorly attended By Inès Mette Despite a 5-day extension for participant registration, the first Jeu de Boules Toernooi, or Tournament, of Groningen was poorly attended by students and international people. The event took place on Saturday, August 3, from 1pm to 5pm at the Club de Pétanque Près le But…
