What to Do When You're New to Exeter: A 2026 Starter Guide

You've Moved to Exeter. Now What?

Moving to a new city is exciting for about forty-eight hours. Then the boxes are unpacked, the novelty wears off, and you're standing in a kitchen that doesn't feel like yours yet, wondering where to get a decent coffee, how the buses work, and whether you'll ever actually know anyone here.

If that's you right now — whether you're a student starting at the University of Exeter, a remote worker who followed the dream of Devon living, or someone relocating for work or family — this guide is for you. Not the tourist version of Exeter, but the practical, honest, "I live here now and need to figure things out" version.

Exeter is a brilliant city. It's compact, walkable, full of independent businesses, and surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in England. It was awarded UNESCO City of Literature status in 2019 — the only UK city to receive it that year — and has a cultural life that genuinely punches above its weight. But like any city, it reveals its best bits gradually, to people who stick around and explore.

Here's where to start.

Getting Your Bearings: The Neighbourhoods

Exeter isn't a big city — the population is around 130,000 — but it has distinct neighbourhoods, each with their own character. Where you end up living will shape your experience of the city, so it's worth understanding what's what.

The City Centre and St David's

The obvious starting point. The city centre is walkable, historic, and contains most of what you'll need day to day — from Princesshay shopping centre to the independent shops on Gandy Street and Fore Street. St David's, to the north-west, sits close to St David's train station and has a mix of Victorian terraces and newer developments. It's well connected and central without being noisy.

St Leonard's

Always in high demand, and you'll understand why when you walk through it. Tree-lined streets, period homes, excellent schools, and about a ten-minute walk to the city centre. It's popular with families and professionals, and properties here tend to sell fast. The downside: you'll pay a premium. The upside: it's genuinely lovely.

Heavitree

East of the centre, Heavitree is a friendly suburb that's popular with families, students, and anyone who wants a bit more space without losing the connection to the city. Period terraces and bay-fronted homes line peaceful streets, and there are plenty of local amenities — including Waitrose, good schools, playgrounds, a skate park, and a paddling pool for summer. It feels like a neighbourhood rather than just an address.

Topsham

Technically within the Exeter city boundary but feeling very much like its own place, Topsham is a small estuary town about four miles south-east of the centre. It has independent shops, excellent pubs and restaurants, a coastal feel, and a high street with genuine character. It's quieter and more expensive, but the riverside setting and village atmosphere make it one of the most sought-after spots in the area. You can reach it by bus, bike, or a beautiful three-mile walk along the Exe estuary.

St James

Close to the University of Exeter's Streatham Campus, St James is — unsurprisingly — popular with students and university staff. But it's also a well-connected residential area with good bus links and easy access to the city centre. Pennsylvania Park and the campus grounds provide green space, and there's a scattering of cafes and shops along the main roads.

Exwick and Alphington

If budget is a factor — and for most people moving to a new city, it is — Exwick and Alphington offer more space for your money. Exwick sits just north-west of the centre with good bus links, a primary school, and a community feel that's hard to manufacture. Alphington, to the south, has nice parks, good schools, and a village atmosphere despite being technically within the city boundary. Neither neighbourhood will feature in glossy lifestyle magazines, but both are genuinely friendly places to put down roots.

Pinhoe and Wonford

Out to the east, Pinhoe has seen significant new development and has good transport links — including its own train station — plus a large Sainsbury's and Lidl for practical shopping. Wonford, closer to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, has plenty of reasonably priced family homes and is popular with NHS staff. Both areas are well connected by bus to the city centre.

For a deep dive into what makes each area tick, our Exeter neighbourhoods guide covers them all in detail, and our Magdalen Road guide explains why that particular street in St Leonard's has such a devoted following.

Essential Spots to Know

These are the places that'll form the backbone of your life in Exeter. Not tourist attractions — just the spots that locals use and love.

Exeter Quay and the Canal Basin

The Quay is where the city meets the river, and it's one of the most pleasant parts of Exeter. The Canal Basin, built in 1830, is surrounded by beautifully repurposed Georgian and Victorian warehouses that now house antique shops, cafés, restaurants, and studios. It's a lovely place to walk, eat, people-watch, or just sit by the water. The walk from the Quay along the Ship Canal towpath to the Double Locks pub is a local classic — flat, scenic, and about a mile and a half each way.

Cathedral Green

Exeter Cathedral is one of the finest medieval cathedrals in England, with the longest uninterrupted medieval stone vaulted ceiling in the world. But beyond the architecture, Cathedral Green — the open space surrounding it — is one of the city's best gathering spots. Markets, festivals, and events run throughout the year, including the Exeter Craft Festival in July and the Exeter Respect Festival in June. In between events, it's simply a beautiful place to sit with a coffee and watch the city go by.

Gandy Street

Exeter's most characterful street — cobbled, narrow, and packed with independent shops, cafes, and bars. Often compared to Diagon Alley (the resemblance is uncanny), Gandy Street is home to Chococo chocolaterie, vintage clothing shops, crystal and gift boutiques, and the entrance to Exeter Phoenix. If you want to understand the independent spirit of the city, start here.

Fore Street and the West Quarter

Running downhill from the High Street towards the river, Fore Street is the heart of Exeter's independent scene. McCoys Arcade is a gem — a restored arcade of vintage shops, record stores, and Sacred Grounds café. Nearby you'll find Helen of Troy for prints and gifts, Peachy Tipi vintage homeware, and a growing collection of independent food spots including Red Panda for bao buns and The Flat for brunch.

Where to Meet People

This is the bit that actually matters. You can know every street in Exeter, but if you don't know anyone, it won't feel like home. We've written a whole article about how to build a social life from scratch when you're new to town, and most of the principles apply here. But these are the Exeter-specific starting points.

Dinners With Friends Events

We'll be honest — we're biased. But our supper club events are specifically designed for exactly this situation. Small groups, good food, no awkwardness. You don't need to know anyone. You just turn up, sit down, and eat together. It's the simplest way to meet people in a new city, and it's how many of our members first connected with each other.

Meetup Groups

Exeter has a surprisingly active Meetup scene. Exeter Socials runs events all year round — dining out, comedy, live shows, walks, pub quizzes, card games, and more. Socials in Exeter focuses specifically on combating isolation and bringing people together. ESCSA (Exeter and South Coast 20s-30s Socials and Adventures) organises walking, cycling, water sports, and social activities across the area if you're in that age bracket.

These groups are free or very low-cost to join, and there's no expectation that you'll come to everything. Even showing up once is a start. You can find all of them through Meetup.com or by searching on Devon Connect, the county's community platform.

Parkrun Exeter

Exeter Riverside parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9am at Exeter Quay and River Valley Park. It's free, it's 5k, and it's one of the most reliably social things you can do in the city. You don't have to be fast. You don't even have to run — walking is absolutely fine. What matters is that you show up regularly, and over time, you start to recognise faces. That's how acquaintances become real connections.

Register online before your first time. The course is a mix of tarmac, gravel, and grass.

Social Clubs and Community Groups

We've put together a detailed guide to the best social clubs in Exeter, covering everything from book groups to hiking clubs to supper clubs. If you're the kind of person who connects better through shared activity rather than small talk, that list is worth a look.

Cultural Life

For a city its size, Exeter's arts and culture scene is genuinely impressive. Here's what to know.

Exeter Phoenix

The city's flagship independent arts venue, on Gandy Street in the heart of the centre. Exeter Phoenix hosts hundreds of events each year: live music, theatre, comedy, cinema (solar-powered, no less), contemporary art exhibitions, DJ nights, dance, workshops, and creative courses. The comedy programme is consistently strong — the venue hosted acts including Esther Manito and Simon Brodkin in early 2026 — and the annual Exeter Comedy Festival runs across the city in June.

If you join one thing in Exeter, make it the Phoenix mailing list.

RAMM (Royal Albert Memorial Museum)

Located next to Exeter Central Station, RAMM is a free museum and art gallery with over a million objects spanning zoology, anthropology, fine art, archaeology, and geology. The permanent collection is excellent, and the temporary exhibitions are often outstanding — in early 2026, the museum hosted Grayson Perry: Aspects of Myself, exploring identity through Perry's ceramics, textiles, and prints. Free entry (except some special exhibitions), open Tuesday to Sunday.

Northcott Theatre

Exeter's main producing theatre, situated on the University of Exeter's Streatham Campus. The Northcott runs a full programme of drama, musicals, and touring shows throughout the year — Little Shop of Horrors is scheduled for autumn 2026. They also operate the Barnfield Theatre in the city centre, which hosts comedy, local theatre companies, and smaller performances. Tickets are reasonably priced, and both venues have a genuinely welcoming atmosphere.

Exeter Picturehouse

A beautiful two-screen independent cinema on Bartholomew Street West showing mainstream releases, independent films, and live broadcasts. The café-bar serves pizza and craft beer, and the regular film quizzes and family screenings make it a proper community hub. More about this in our date night guide.

Eating and Drinking

We've covered Exeter's food scene in detail in our best restaurants guide and our coffee shops guide, so we won't repeat everything here. But the headlines:

For a special meal: Harry's Restaurant on Longbrook Street (going since 1993, reliably excellent), The Ivy Exeter (gorgeous Art Deco setting near the Cathedral), Becketts Rooftop at Hotel Indigo (panoramic views, cocktails, wood-fired pizza).

For everyday eating: On The Waterfront on the Quay (enormous pizzas, riverside terrace), Boston Tea Party on Queen Street (brilliant brunch), Lilac Bakery on Cowick Street (best pastries in the city).

For drinks: The Botanist in the Guildhall (cocktails, live music), Artigiano on the High Street (coffee by day, wine bar by night), Cosy Club on Southernhay (vintage interiors, good cocktail deals).

The essential thing to know about Exeter's food scene is that it's independent-led. The chains are here, but the places that define the city are the ones run by people who live here and care about what they're building.

For a proper deep dive, start with our best restaurants guide, then explore the pub guide, gastropubs, coffee shops, and cocktail bars. If you're on a budget, our guide to cheap eats under £10 is essential reading, and the best bakeries guide will sort your morning pastry situation. For weekend treats, check the brunch guide and the Sunday roast roundup.

Getting Involved

Exeter has a thriving charity and volunteering sector that's always looking for help. Whether it's sorting food at Exeter Food Action, volunteering with St Petrock's homelessness charity, or joining the Devon Wildlife Trust's conservation work in the Valley Parks, giving your time is one of the fastest ways to feel part of a city. Our volunteering guide has practical advice on getting started.

If you'd rather combine wellbeing with community, Exeter has meditation groups ranging from Buddhist centres to secular mindfulness circles, yoga and fitness classes, and even forest bathing experiences in the surrounding Devon countryside.

And if you're looking for live entertainment, Exeter's music scene is genuinely impressive for a city this size — from the legendary Exeter Cavern to summer concerts at Powderham Castle.

Practical Things

Getting Around

Exeter has three train stations: Exeter St David's (main line to London, Bristol, and the north), Exeter Central (local services and a useful city-centre stop), and Digby and Sowton (out-of-town, near the retail park). Stagecoach runs the bus network, and timetable revisions coming in April 2026 are designed to improve reliability. Route 4 connects the University, city centre, and St David's station.

The city centre itself is very walkable. Most things are within fifteen minutes on foot. Cycling is increasingly popular, with cycle paths running along the canal and out towards Topsham. For the latest on events, transport, and visitor information, Visit Exeter is the official tourism site and well worth bookmarking.

Supermarkets

The city centre has a Marks & Spencer and a small Sainsbury's. Heavitree has a Waitrose. For bigger shops, there's a Sainsbury's and a Lidl at Pinhoe, an Aldi at Marsh Barton, and a large Tesco at Exe Bridges. Topsham has a small Co-op and independent food shops. For something different, the Exeter Farmers' Market runs on Thursdays at South Street, and local farm shops like Darts Farm (just outside the city near Topsham) are worth the trip.

Safety

Exeter is one of the safest cities in England and Wales, consistently scoring well on crime rates compared to other British cities. It also outperforms on cost of living, green space, and mortality rates. That said, apply the usual common-sense precautions you'd use in any city — particularly late at night in the city centre.

Employment

Major employers include the University of Exeter (with over 30,000 students and a significant staff base), Devon County Council, Exeter City Council, the Met Office (headquartered at Exeter Science Park), and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust. The city also has a growing tech and science sector centred around the Science Park off the M5. If you're working remotely, our guide to Exeter's best coworking spaces covers the options for getting out of your kitchen and into a productive environment — and meeting people in the process.

Healthcare and Schools

The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospitals are based in Heavitree and Wonford, with the latter running a 24-hour Emergency Department. Register with a GP as soon as you arrive — don't wait until you're unwell. There are forty-three schools in the Exeter area, with Exeter College and several primary schools holding 'Outstanding' Ofsted ratings.

Day Trips and Getting Out of the City

One of the best things about living in Exeter is what's on the doorstep. Within ninety minutes you can be on the North Devon coast surfing at Croyde, walking the cliffs at Woolacombe, or eating Michelin-starred food in Ilfracombe harbour. Dartmoor is forty-five minutes away — wild, vast, and utterly different from anything you'll find in the city. The Jurassic Coast stretches east from Exmouth, with Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton, and Beer and Branscombe all making excellent day trips.

For coastal towns in the other direction, Salcombe and Dartmouth are both within reach for a day out, and the South Hams is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in England. In summer, our best things to do in Devon guide has enough ideas to fill every weekend.

It Takes Time — and That's Normal

Here's the thing nobody tells you when you move somewhere new: it takes longer to feel at home than you think it should. Six months is normal. A year isn't unusual. The first few weeks are a blur of logistics, and after that comes a stretch where you know the streets but not the people, and it can feel surprisingly lonely.

That's not a failure. That's just how it works. The research on building a social life from scratch shows that meaningful friendships take time, repetition, and shared experience. You can't shortcut it. But you can speed it up by putting yourself in situations where those things happen naturally — a regular café, a weekly parkrun, a monthly supper club, a creative class at the Phoenix.

Exeter is a city that rewards people who stick around. The independent businesses know their regulars. The communities are real, not performative. And the people who live here — whether they've been here for decades or arrived last month — tend to genuinely like the place.

Give it time. Show up. And if you're looking for a shortcut to meeting good people over good food, well — that's rather what we're here for.

Your Exeter Starter Pack: Quick Links

Here's a handy collection of our most useful Exeter guides, all in one place:

• Eating out: Best restaurants | Cheap eats | Brunch | Pizza | Sunday roasts | Fish and chips
• Drinking: Pubs | Coffee shops | Cocktail bars | Wine bars | Craft beer
• Meeting people: Social clubs | Dating | LGBTQ+ social life | Over 50s groups | Student guide
• Activities: Gyms and yoga | Walking routes | Cycling | Live music | Theatre and comedy
• Day trips: North Devon coast | Dartmoor | Sidmouth | Topsham food guide | All day trips
• Culture: Exeter Cathedral | Roman Exeter | Underground Passages | Walking tour | Best cinemas
• Wellbeing: Meditation groups | Volunteering | Charities | Forest bathing