Botanic facts for kids
Botanic is a special area, or "district electoral area" (DEA), in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's one of ten such areas in the city. People living in Botanic vote for five members to represent them on the Belfast City Council. This council helps run the city.
Botanic covers a big part of central and southern Belfast. It's named after the famous Botanic Gardens located there. This area was created for local elections in 2014, taking the place of an older area called Laganbank.
Learning and Schools
Botanic is a really important place for education in Belfast. It's home to several big colleges and universities:
- Queen's University Belfast: A well-known university.
- Stranmillis University College: Another college for higher education.
- Union Theological College: A college focused on theology.
- Belfast Metropolitan College: This college has a campus in Botanic.
Because so many students live and study here, areas like the Holyland have become very popular with them.
Botanic also has some famous schools for younger students:
- Methodist College Belfast
- Royal Belfast Academical Institution
Fun and Culture
The part of Botanic near Queen's University is often called the Queen's Quarter. It's full of exciting cultural places to visit:
- Belfast Festival at Queen's: This is the biggest yearly arts festival in Ireland.
- Botanic Gardens: A beautiful park with lots of plants.
- Brian Friel Theatre: A place to watch plays.
- Crescent Arts Centre: Where you can enjoy different art activities.
- Elmwood Hall: A historic building used for events.
- Lyric Theatre: Another great theatre.
- Naughton Gallery at Queen's: An art gallery.
- Queen's Film Theatre: A cinema showing different kinds of movies.
- Ulster Museum: A museum with interesting exhibits about history, art, and nature.
Beyond the Queen's Quarter, other cool places in Botanic include:
- Grand Opera House: A grand theatre for shows.
- Linen Hall Library: A historic library.
- Ormeau Baths Gallery: An art gallery.
- Ulster Hall: A famous concert and event venue.
- Ulster Orchestra: A professional orchestra.
- Waterfront Hall: A large venue for concerts and conferences.
This wider area is sometimes called the Golden Mile because it has many restaurants, cafes, and places for entertainment.
