Guide to Woodlands, Glasgow West End
Woodlands Road runs from the City Centre through Gibson Street where it meets University Avenue. The area is very popular with students and is near Glasgow's Youth Hostel at 7 Park Terrace (0141 332 3004). This area suffers a little from a flux among the commercial enterprises which open and close rapidly. I hear its got something to do with rates in the area?
Walking from the city centre towards the West End the first stop for the health conscious will be, Grassroots; a well established health food shop with lots of character. It has a welcoming alternative lifestyle feel to it and is never short of customers.
Past Grassroots if we have an urge for a coffee or Cappuccino there is a Beanscene on the same side - great for a sunny day as the windows open wide onto the street to give a continental feel to that little bit of the pavement. Looking across the street from Beanscene is a car showroom that always has interesting old sports cars for sale; the sort of cars you dream of one day being able to afford, like old Aston Martins and Mazerati's.
Still walking away from the city centre - between Woodlands Road and Great Western Road on the North lies the residential part of Woodlands, mainly attractive red sandstone tenemental properties. In Arlington Street (the Arlington pub stands at the corners) you will find the historical Arlington Baths, one of the treasures of the West End, the Arlington was created in 1870 by a group of wealthy businessmen who aimed:
"to create an oasis of comfort, cleanliness and healthful exercise in the dirty, smelly city" (from Nanzie McLeod's Tales of the Arlington, The Hyndland Press, 1996)
A favourite student haunt is The Halt Bar offering good live music - try Saturday afternoons when the stage is open to any willing musician. Opposite the Halt look out for the Lobey Dosser statue - a legendary Glasgow character created by the cartoonist Bud Neil. Another pub worth a visit is Uisge Beatha (Gaelic for Whisky or water of life) - if you are in luck you may see a few kilted laddies.
Burnbank Bowling Club on Woodlands Road.
The local Asian Community
The area's character also reflects the culture of the local Asian community - KCK supermarket caters to residents culinary needs and has an extensive selection of produce.
Glasgow is renowned for its Asian Restaurants and there are many throughout the West End. The Spice Harvest on Woodlands Road is one of my favourites. The Shish Mahal, one of the earliest and most popular establishments, has been welcomed back to the area after the traumatic experience of property demolition. 'The Shish' is now re-situated in Park Road. The Shalimar in Gibson Street is very popular and prices are reasonable.
Moving from Woodlands Road to Great Western Road
This end of Great Western Road also owes much of its charm to the Asian influence - particularly colourful are the fabric shops selling beautiful and exotic silks and brocades and traditional outfits and also providing a popular meeting place for local women.
There are some very colourful establishments including Solly's Caribbean and African Foodstore. Situated next door is the lovely bakery The Bakehaus.
The area has a number of interesting speciality shops including: Asian jewellers; a cycling shop a motorcycle shop and the Apple Mac shop. It is also a great place for furniture shopping with lots of bed shops and really nice stores like 'Something Special' - lovely pine stuff.
Area Index:
Byres Road - Kelvingrove - Partick - Hyndland - Woodlands - Kelvinbridge and East Hillhead, Gibson street and University Avenue
Bookmark this page to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Technorati
Blinklist
Furl
reddit
[Discuss this in the forum | Register for the newsletter]