I heart Venue. Not just the listings magazine with its fantabulous local previews, reviews and news…read moreof film, food, nights out, music and events. Not just its unique and enchanting dating and hating service 'I Saw You' and 'I'm Sore at You'. Not just its funny and irrevevant outlook on everything Bristolian and Bathtonian. Not just its bargain price and weekly publication, nor its websites and days out West guides, or green-focused festival companions that come free on a regular basis. Not that it sold out and moved to new offices with the local paper (no, actually I don't love that). I love that its always there, I have a subscription to it and there's always something exciting and new to read. And it makes me go out and do new things - always a bonus.

Bristol's leading listings magazine, Venue is one of very few decent media outlets this city has…read more They do their main job well, with up to date listings of films, gigs, pubs and other things like that. The writing is sharp and funny, and they don't mind slagging something off if that what it deserves. Just what you need if you're new to Bristol, their student guide should be obligatory. What, from my point of view, makes this a good magazine is that they seem to have an idea of the tastes, trends, and likes and dislikes of people like myself. As said before, they're owned by the Daily Mail, which is definitely not cool. There isn't any horrifically right wing editorials to be found though, so it seems to be a fairly benign influence. Venue is decent writing with a good eye as to what should be found in a pub, band, club and the various other things they cover.

Linked to www.thisisbristol.co.uk the Bristol evening post and press has an e post, which is the…read morewebsite above this review. On the site there is update to the minute news articles, but don't get too excited as they are nothing particualry special, at the moment I believe there is a rather old story abouth an actor with size 11 feet complaining about not being able to get comfertable size 11 panto dame shoes... oh the horror... I guess it's worth looking at once... then deciding you have something better to do...

I quite like leafing through the pages of the Evening Post - some of their articles leave a little…read moreto be desired for in terms of context and content but at least you can keep up with bits and pieces of local news. Riveting it is not but relaxing it can be. The property section - which comes out every Tuesday, Friday (and Saturday though it's not as good) as a really useful first stop if you're looking for somewhere new to live in Bristol. It will give you a good idea about what's available, where, with who, and for how much! Also - if you have anything you think is newsworthy they often have space to print it!

Thanks to a Western Union money section in this Evening Post shop the front has quite a different…read moreand snazzy outlook to the norm. The inside of the shop and the services on offer both follow suit. It's a well laid out place with freshly made sandwiches, chocolates and drinks for the food side of things. The newspapers and magazines are a broad range touching on every subject from lots of kid's comics to the, well, more risqué numbers. To push the benchmark even further there's a really nice little bit at the back offering some Asian whole foods and further in, a really good choice of red wine, whiskey and brandy. For an Evening Post shop, or indeed any shop, this one's made a real effort.

Reminiscent of The Guardian's Guide, The Cut is one of the best free listings magazines Bristol has…read moreto offer. On the whole, these freebie mags tend to be jammed packed with adverts making it all gloss and no content. The Cut is completely different - its main focus is to show locals Bristol's best of the best in the world of music, theatre, arts, comedy and food. This monthly guide has listings, interviews and features on local Bristol businesses and people. The writing is witty, fresh and interesting, and the design is arty and accessible. It's the essential magazine for locals and visitors to the city to find out where to eat, dance and laugh. As a well known cheapskate it takes a lot for me to say this - but The Cut is the only free magazine that I'd actually pay cold hard cash for (but am eternally grateful that it remains free of charge!) The best places to pick it up are in Park Street shops, St Nicholas Market and Thekla.

This is one of the newer free music magazines in the Bristol area. It's a wonder that so many…read moremanage to survive. You've got Venue the paid for listings magazine, then comes 247 Magazine for all your music needs and there's a couple more smaller ones, The Scene, Suit Yourself Magazine and now The Cut. What amazed me about The Cut is that it had no adverts in it. How the heck was it funded? If you've been in publishing at all you will know that free magazines rely on advertising to pay the bills. It is the bane of any journalists life, having to cut pages due to a lack of advertising to pay for the print run but The Cut does not appear to have this problem and I just don't get it. Perhaps they will start pulling in the ads in future editions? It's largely written by an ex Bristol Evening Post and Venue music writer who knows her stuff so is a good read and the ones I've seen have pretty good artwork too.

A very handy newsagents, near the Arnolfini art gallery. It has a big selection of sandwiches and…read morelunch stuff, for all the nearby office workers. It does warm pasties in the morning, great on your way to work. The food's a decent quality and includes baguettes, buns, pecoras, bhagis, samosas, chilli slices, flapjacks, salads It's all very satisfying, and it's an invaluable source of sustenance for breakfasting Bristolians. It was the first place I found to have Wispas when they came back. To me that's important Being a newsagent, you can also get a newspaper there too. Amazing.

Having studied at Art College for three long years I know how important it is to get your work in…read morethe public domain as early and as much as possible. So I think it' very commendable that the creative art student's at Bristol's University have put together Helicon Magazine. This free magazine showcases their talents in photography, fine art, poetry and journalism. Bristol is renowned for its talented artists, in all shapes and forms, so this seasonal mag is a great way of catching a glimpse of tomorrow's bright young stars. Helicon can be picked up from the University itself, Cooshti and St Nicholas market to name just a few places.

Artistic expression is what Helicon is all about, don't pick it up if you want to find out about…read morethe latest thing the government has screwed up. As an English student i find it interesting to peruse the pages from time to tim and find out what other students are spending their free time doing. the paper is not for everyone but it certainly provide a good read for those interested by the arts.

Don't be misled by the title of this magazine! Thankfully, it isn't exactly what it says on the…read moretin! What it is, is an amazing free monthly music publication that predominantly caters for the electronic music scene. Crack magazine, however, is much more than a music magazine; It is about modern music, modern youth culture and art. I've been reading Crack for quite some time and they have some of they pull articles and features from some of the biggest electronic music artist in the world - Nina Kravitz, Maya Jane Coles, Todd Terje and Flying Lotus to name just a few! I don't think I've ever had an edition that I've read for less than a a few hours, or picked up less than a dozen times. Half the fun of Crack is finding one. You wont find one in WH Smiths, but you will find a pile of them in the doorway of some cool bars, cafes and pubs around Bristol. Crack also set up brilliant parties in some of Bristol mist unused and unground venues. I've been to a couple and loved them. The guys that run the magazine are also heavily involved in The Christmas Steps pub, which was formerly the 3 sugar loaves. Keep your eye out for Crack!

This magazine is great. There have only been 4 issues so far, but having picked up the last one in…read morethe Flyer on Gloucester road, I began thumbing through it - and very much liked what I saw. It really stands out from the other free publications in the area. Firstly it looks like a newspaper rather than a glossy mag, which gives the impression that you're going to be reading something substantial - which you are. Secondly, there are loads of interesting and in-depth features and articles inside focusing heavily on the music, art and fashion scenes in Bristol. You'll find interviews with local bands and international artists alike, as well as a centre fold poster and even a crossword section at the back. Oh and also, did I mention... it's called Crack. Excellent.

When I lived in London one of my free monthly treats was picking up a Don't Panic pack from my…read morelocal All Saints store. So when I moved to Bristol I was thrilled to see that the wonderful local guide had a South West version. These thick brown envelopes are filled with flyers, vouchers and on occasion free sweets promoting Bristol's finest club nights, art galleries, shops and events. Often containing posters with indie logos and slogans, they're make great wallpaper for flats that need a free burst of colour. The best place to find a copy of Don't Panic is in Park Street shops and bars, Start the Bus and Thekla. They're great for giving you a taste of the local flavour so also look out for them in London, Brighton, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham.

This is basically like a website that you can hold in your hands. It's hip, it's cool, it's…read morescenester - it's all the things that those kids that hang out at the Thekla or Start The Bus on every indie night want to be. Don't Panic is essentially a brochure with flyers for nights that are happening that week in the city, all linked to a website that has information on many different cities. It's packaged in an eco friendly paper packet, with said flyers and a central poster that features artwork from up and coming artists. There's often really interesting artwork included. You can pick up a copy in many shops, bars and clubs - the state that they hand pick them up, but it's anywhere that's got a bit of kudos to it - in Bristol, you'll find copies in places like Elbow Rooms, Woods, Thekla, Arnolfini, Spike Island etc. It's definitely a good way to find out what's up and coming if you don't keep your attention on such things, and pretty often a good talking point.