Oxford is not a big city, which restricts our options. (We thought about renting a cottage in a village outside Oxford, but infrequent bus services and the lack of parking in the Uni make that seem impractical.)
Ideally we'd like somewhere within easy walking/cycling distance of the Uni (South Parks Rd) and central Oxford; being close to my sister (on the southern edge of the St Clements "Golden Triangle") is another factor. So plausible candidates include southern Summertown, Jericho, New Marston, Osney, Grandpont, and the St Clements area itself.
Being close to shops would also be nice, which might rule out New Marston. Some useful maps: supermarkets, cafes, and take away (Google Maps). Also crime in Oxford (BBC).
The geographical constraints, however, have to compete with the financial - Oxford is not cheap! - and practical - we want space and light inside, a garden, and ideally a room we can put guests up in.
Does C find Oxford U inspiring now that she has settled in? There are many renown labs. such as the Dunn School in which Howard Florey led his team to develope penicillin. I saw two doco-dramas on penicillin (ABC and SBS), and am thoroughly convinced Alexander Fleming did not earn the accolades heaped on him. He did not have the decency to acknowledge the hard yards done by Florey, Chain and Heatley at Oxford. Fleming had no part in it. He had no clues about what he had found accidentally.