Once home to wealthy merchants who built lavish, leafy estates just a stroll from the city’s beating industrial heart, the West End was the place to be in the 1800s.
And that’s not changed at all with time.
Today there is still an air of grandeur in its elegant sandstone homes and a sense of cool culture in its bookshops and cafes.
This elevated environment is no doubt helped by the city’s ancient university having been relocated here in 1870, setting up a world-renowned seat of learning on the banks of the River Kelvin.
It’s still one of Glasgow’s most outstanding buildings and well worth visiting.
There are also many places to chill out in beautiful natural surroundings.
With its formal gardens and meandering walks, the Botanic Gardens is a perfect oasis, while Kelvingrove Park houses a bandstand and Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery.
This purpose-built building opened in 1901 and is now a grand home to one of the world’s finest art collections. It’s also free to visit.
The West End’s vibrant social scene revolves around Byres Road and spills joyously out into Great Western Road and Dumbarton Road.
There is an astonishing variety of restaurants and bars to choose from. Even the short and cobbled Ashton Lane boasts the independent Grosvenor Cinema and a wealth of eateries and pubs, including the famous Ubiquitous Chip restaurant and the ever-popular Jinty McGuinty’s.
Its superb retail offerings tend to be independent, from Clause 73, Glasgow’s first Harry Potter-themed store, to the quirky, quality emporium that is The Nancy Smillie Shop.
At Oran Mor, meanwhile, you’ll find a converted church building that now offers plays, concerts, a nightclub and bar.
Despite its leafy countryside feel, the city centre has easy access to the city centre and beyond. In fact, getting around is easy, either on foot, by bus or via the ‘Clockwork Orange’ – the Glasgow Underground, which runs throughout the West End.
Thanks to its culture, heritage and year-round social scene, it’s no surprise that the area attracts young and mature professionals, as well as academics and students.
Accommodation ranges from traditional one to three-bedroom tenement flats to fabulous townhouses and detached villas.
Thanks to its proximity to the university and amenities, the Hillhead area is particularly popular with students.
Hyndland, meanwhile, is popular with professionals who can easily do the short commute into the city centre or access the M8 and job commitments further afield.
Both its traditional tenement apartments and new build developments offer extra-generous living space.
If you’d like to savour life in the West End of Glasgow, why not discover the wealth of homes to rent or buy on s1homes?