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- 2 Minute Read
- 30th October 2008
Bristol City Guide
Population and Landmark…
Bristol is situated by the River Avon in South West England. With an approximate population of 410,950, and urban area of 550,200, it is England's sixth, and the United Kingdom's ninth most populous city, one of England's core cities and the most populous city in South West England.
From its earliest days, Bristol’s fame and success has been linked to its commercial port, which was in the city centre but has now moved to the Severn Estuary coast at Avonmouth and Portbury.
In more recent years the economy has been built on the aerospace industry, and the city centre docks have been regenerated as a centre of heritage and culture. Bristol has suffered from severe damages from the bombing during the World War II, but the city has quickly recovered and restored the buildings and docklands. The city is nowadays the centre of culture, employment and education in the region.
Economy…
The city’s economy is reliant on the aerospace industry, the media, IT, Financial services and Tourism.
The aerospace industry in the South West directly employs large amount of people, and the Bristol area is at the heart of this. As well as the major names like Airbus and Rolls Royce, there are hundreds of smaller enterprises that have a vital role to play.
The financial services sector employs more than 40,000 people in the city. Bristol has the largest employment base in banking, finance and insurance services outside London. The IT sector is also important with more than 400 businesses based there, like Hewlett Packard.
Office Space Rental Levels…
Bristol office space saw an upswing of 6% over the past 12 months. Q1 take up in Bristol was well above the average for the same period over the last five years and more is expected over the coming period.
Bristol rates are at just under £28 per square foot, as per the annual market review from Knight Frank, and the occupancy rates are not falling at all.
The City centre take up for 2008 was 169,098 sq ft and 96,186 sq ft for out of town take up. The level of occupancy is high in both. This is all due to the demand for property and the growth of the legal and financial sector in Bristol and the surrounding area is fuelling a surge in office rentals.
Knight Franks’ latest Global Real Estate Market Annual Review places Bristol in fourth position in the English market after London, Birmingham and Manchester.
Transport…
Bristol is easy to reach either by air, train or car. Bristol International Airport is just 20 minutes' drive south of the city. Taxis are available and a new non-stop bus service links the terminal to the downtown area. Bristol Temple Meads railway station is in the heart of the city and from here express trains go direct to London and elsewhere across the country. Bristol is also situated close to one of England's main motorway intersections so the city is easily accessible by car.
The total distance from Bristol to London is 107 miles. Driving from Bristol to London would take approximately 1 hour, 56 minutes.
The Tourism, Attractiveness of the city…
Bristol is an exciting and intriguing city, post-industrial yet picturesque, which attract millions of visitors each year. Tourism in Bristol is an increasingly important part of the economy, and the city is the 7th most popular destination for foreign tourists, with 9 million tourists a year.
Bristol is a city rich in culture, tradition and entertainment. As well as the excellent city-centre bars and restaurants, Bristol has first-class shopping centres, art galleries, theatres and sporting venues. In addition, Bristol is uniquely placed close to the famous cities of Bath and Wells.
The city is famous for its music and film industries, and was a finalist for the 2008 European Capital of Culture.