Campus and city
Southampton operates across three main campuses. Highfield is the primary campus housing most departments, the Hartley Library, student residences, and the SUSU students union building with bars, cafes, and event spaces. Avenue campus in the city centre hosts humanities and social sciences in converted Victorian buildings. Boldrewood Innovation Campus serves engineering with purpose-built labs and industry co-location spaces. With 22,000 students the university maintains a medium-sized community where faces become familiar. Over 250 student societies cover everything from competitive sailing to game development. The South Coast location provides easy access to beaches at the Solent, the New Forest national park for hiking and cycling, and the Isle of Wight via a short ferry crossing. London Waterloo is 1 hour 15 minutes by direct train, and Bournemouth is a popular weekend destination 30 minutes west. The city itself offers a compact centre with restaurants, independent shops, and the West Quay shopping centre.