THE SUMMER LEGAL INSTITUTE IN LONDON

Facilities and Housing

The Summer Legal Institute is housed in Boston University's London Center at 43 Harrington Gardens, in the heart of fashionable, historic South Kensington, one of London's safest and most exclusive districts. Teaching takes place at the London Center or in neighboring classrooms. Participants receive housing accommodations for the duration of their programs and live in furnished apartments in South Kensington, within easy walking distance to the London Center, near many of London's major attractions. The London Center's staff is available to assist with all administrative matters and will contact participants directly with pre-departure, housing and other logistical information.Harrington Gardens

Housing

Summer Legal Institute participants live in furnished flats within Boston University British Programmes’ housing. The buildings house students enrolled in BU’s other London programmes though SLI participants live on a dedicated floor. The flats are within walking distance of the London Center. They vary in size (suites for up to thirteen people with single, double, and triple rooms), configuration, and style of decoration. Most consist of shared bedrooms, en suites, private bathrooms, and a separate living/dining room with cooking facilities. The buildings are safe and secure and include study rooms, telephones and wireless internet access.

The Boston University flats are located in South Kensington, one of London’s safest and most exclusive districts. The Boston University residences are a short walk or Tube ride to the city’s museums and major attractions and within a short commute to King’s Cross/St. Pancras International Station and Heathrow Airport - two transportation terminals central to destinations throughout the UK and Europe.

The residences are housed in buildings built in the 1870s. The housing has been converted within the limits of the building for modern use as flats with access to cooking facilities, rather than as dormitories. A few things to expect about your housing:

  • Because of limited space, the rooms rarely contain desks. While some bedrooms may have small tables, many participants choose to use the dining table or the classroom space at the London Center to do their homework.
  • The residences have a limited number of single rooms. If you request a single room, we will try to honour this. Otherwise, you will share a room with one or two other participants in the programme. All participants, including those in single rooms, will share kitchen and lounge space.

Room allocations are prioritized by: serious social, religious, or behavioural considerations; single room requests; or requests for special housing, wherever possible. Where no specific request is made, students are assigned rooms according to roommate compatibility as much as possible. Requests for singles are considered on a first come, first serve basis; students allocated a single room will find a single room invoice included in their welcome packet to be paid on arrival.

All SLI participants will be housed in the Crofton Building. When you arrive in the U.K., you are to go directly to your housing to check in. Should you have any inquiries about your housing before you arrive, please contact Elisabeth Schreiber, Academic  Administrator. You will be sent detailed information on your housing location after your acceptance to the programme.

A former hotel, The Crofton Building has been recently and completely renovated to accommodate students studying abroad. It is fully furnished, wireless, and features classroom, lounge, and study areas. Students live in suites sharing common kitchen, living, and television areas. The Crofton is located on Queen's Gate, steps away from Hyde Park, Royal Albert Hall, and many prominent museums.

Take a tour of the Crofton

apply

 

Mailing AddressTrafalger

<Your Name>

c/o Summer Legal Institute

The Crofton

14 Queen’s Gate

London SW7 5JE

Engand

 

Back to Top

The Boston University London Center

Located in South Kensington, Boston University's London Center houses classrooms, the library, computer facilities with Internet access, and administrative offices of Boston University British Programmes and the Boston University Liaison Office. London Center staff members are responsible for maintaining housing, supervising academic programs, providing student life services, and supporting student and faculty research. The Liaison Office has information about BU’s various degree programs offered in Boston (including its LL.M. programs for foreign lawyers), and SLI participants can arrange a meeting to discuss such opportunities at Boston University with the Director.

Opening Hours: The building, including the library and computer labs, is open Monday through Friday. When classes are not in session, the classrooms may be used by students to study individually or in groups. Most staff can be found in the office between the hours of 9.00am and 6.00pm.

The library, complete with student computers, was completely renovated in July 2008. The library is mainly designed for use by students on undergraduate courses. However, it may also be able to assist you while you participate in the Summer Legal Institute. The library stocks a small collection of books dealing with American, British, and European law, and there are also legal and language dictionaries available for reference use. We subscribe to British current events periodicals like The Economist and Prospect, and British broadsheet newspapers are delivered to Harrington Gardens Monday through Friday. You will also find a good selection of books on the art, architecture, and history of London as well as a small fiction collection built around the theme of London. If you need help at any time on library or research matters, including recommendations for other libraries, you may contact the University Librarian, Lorraine Lees or come and visit the library in person.

Student computers, located in both the London Centre’s Library and the Crofton, have been recently upgraded. Between the two locations, there are several PCs and three black-and-white printers. The PCs have Internet access, Microsoft Office, and CD burners. Each SLI participant is given an unlimited printing allowance. Boston University British Programmes has an on-site IT Administrator who can assist with any computer issues.

Take a tour of the London Center

Back to Top

South KensingtonSouth Kennsington

Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

All of Boston University British Programmes’ offices and residences are located in South Kensington, part of the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Within a 10-15 minute walk of your residence, there are two supermarkets, a post office, multiple banks, and a laundromat. There are also plenty of restaurants and pubs, and a range of retail shops on the nearby High Street.

The area is served by three Underground lines (the District, Circle, and Piccadilly Lines) and multiple bus lines. The closest Underground stations to the housing and London Center are Gloucester Road and South Kensington stations. By public transportation from South Kensington, it takes 20 minutes to reach the West End and the Royal Courts, 40-50 minutes to reach London Heathrow Airport, and 10-15 minutes to reach both the Paddington and Victoria Train Stations.

Back to Top

Traveling to South Kensington

Travel from London Heathrow

Most people find it convenient to fly into London Heathrow as the airport is 12 miles from South Kensington. From London Heathrow it is possible to take the Underground, the Heathrow Express, a taxi, or a car service to your flat.

Travel via the Underground
The Piccadilly Line runs from Heathrow to South Kensington. The trip costs £4.00 for a single journey and takes 40-50 minutes with trains leaving every few minutes. Upon clearing customs simply follow the signs for the Underground and buy your ticket at the station. There are two stops for South Kensington: the first is Gloucester Road Station and the second is South Kensington Station.

Travel via Heathrow Express
The Heathrow Express runs between all terminals and Paddington Station. A single ticket, which can be purchased on the train, costs £16.50 for Express Class and £26.00 for First Class. The trains run every fifteen minutes from 5:07am to 11:42pm. The journey to Paddington Station takes fifteen minutes. Upon arriving at Paddington Station it will be necessary to take a taxi to your residence (approximately £10.00-£12.00) or the Circle Line to Gloucester Road or South Kensington stations (£4.00 cash fare; £1.50 with an Oyster Card). .

Travel via Taxi
Taxis queue in front of every terminal. The journey to South Kensington will take approximately 30 minutes (depending on time of day) and cost between £35.00-£45.00.

Travel via a Car Service
Boston University British Programmes suggests two car services, Cromwell Cars and Just Airports. The prices are usually comparable, and it will cost less to pay in cash on the day of travel than to use a credit card. Prices start at £20 for journeys to South Kensington (Postal Code SW7).

Travel from London Gatwick

London Gatwick is located 28 miles south of London and is a popular secondary airport for the city. There is no Underground service from this airport though the Gatwick Express is a very convenient option.

Travel via Gatwick Express
The Gatwick Express runs between the airport and Victoria Station. A single ticket costs £16.90 for Express Class and £24.50 for First Class. The trains run every fifteen minutes from 4:35am to 1:35am with a journey time of 30 minutes. Upon arriving at Victoria Station it will be necessary to take a taxi to your flat (approximately £10); alternatively the District and Circle Lines (£ £4.00 cash fare; £1.50 with an Oyster Card). are a cheaper option as Victoria is only two stations from South Kensington and three from Gloucester Road.

Travel via Taxi
As there is no direct highway from Gatwick into central London, taxis can become quite expensive at £80.00-£100.00. It is probably more suitable to take the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station and then take a taxi the remainder of the journey.

Travel via a Car Service
Boston University British Programmes suggests two car services, Cromwell Cars and Just Airports. The prices are usually comparable, and it will cost less to pay in cash on the day of travel than to use a credit card. Prices start at £40 for journeys to South Kensington (Postal Code SW7).

Travel from King’s Cross/St Pancras International

International trains from Paris and Brussels to London arrive at King’s Cross/St. Pancras International Station in North London. It is easy and convenient to reach South Kensington by both public transportation and taxi.

Travel via the Underground
Travel by the Underground takes approximately twenty minutes from King’s Cross to South Kensington and costs £4.00 cash fare; £1.50 with an Oyster Card. Upon arriving at the train station, follow signs for the Picadilly Line. Take the Picadilly Line to either Gloucester Road or South Kensington Stations.

Travel via Taxi
There is a taxi queue at the train station, simply follow the signs. The journey to South Kensington will take approximately 15-20 minutes (depending on time of day) and cost between £10.00-£15.00.

apply

 

Back to top