UKC

Hello, I am moving to Leeds from Inverness to work in LGI. I don't know Leeds at all. Need a place to stay for me and my collie sky thats easily commutable via public transport, due to lack of parking near hospital and is nurse friendly in terms of rent! Ideally somewhere not too built up with parks nearby/easy access out of Leeds but general advice of whats areas to chose/avoid much appreciated! Or if anyone happens to have a room please give me a shout! Thanks ????

In reply to Midgetgem:
Hi,

Areas to consider:
Burley Park
Kirkstall
Hyde park *
Headingley *
Meanwood
Chapel Allerton
Armley

* = heavy student population but cheap and very liveable.
All the above are great places to live with greenspaces and easy access to the LGI via public transport.

Places to avoid:
Basically anything south or south east of the city centre, so when you bring Leeds up on Google maps places like Beeston, Holbeck, Hunslet, Harehills are total holes and should be avoided.

Let me know if you need any further advice. I spent 20 years in Leeds, its a great spot with some wonderful climbing close by.

Enjoy !

In reply to handofgod:

Thanks for the info! Yes climbing on grit. Oh help me, but looking forward to the apprenticeship!

In reply to handofgod:

Pretty much agree with your post, although there are some dodgy areas in Armley, and Chapel Allerton borders some rough bits. Some bits of Beeston and Hunslet are ok.

OP: Best advice is have a walk round the area, first in daylight and then, preferably with a mate, at night. Areas can change drastically, and if you don't like the 'feel' look elsewhere.

In reply to Midgetgem:

I'm a long time Leeds resident and agree with handofgod's suggested areas. Although bits of south and south east Leeds are ok, on the whole I'd stay north/north west if you can.

I'd choose Meanwood or Kirkstall for green space and very easy commute. Whilst Hyde Park and Headingley are nice in places, they can be rowdy in term time and a bit of a ghost town when the students are away.

Traffic in Leeds is pretty awful at rush hour, so a place where you can run, walk or cycle to work would be a very good plan!

In reply to handofgod:
















I have to take issue with this. Having lived in Leeds for 45 years and in Beeston for the last 18 of those years I think it's a good place to live.

There is a bus every 10 min max to the city center and a lot of them go to the lgi.

Your on either the M1 or M62 to go north, south, east or west within a few minutes.

Leeds Wall is a 10 minute cycle away.

2 different doctors practice's plus a couple of dentists, a coop and an asda, white rose center with a full size sainsburies just down the road and last week a multi screen cinema opened down there.
4 pubs.

It is a very multi cultural area with lots of Asians from all areas, loads of Eastern Europeans plus lots of food shops catering for the different groups.

The only iffy part is West of the park, there are a lot of Bangladeshis there and frankly it's a shit hole.

Previously to moving to Beeston I have lived in Wortley (nice area) , Farsley (very affluent part) and Bramley (pretty crappy area) and in Wortley and Farsley my van was screwed many times, 18 years in Beeston the only problem has been someone taking the shed door off in the middle of the night.

In reply to Midgetgem:

Somewhere on the Airedale railway line. Saltaire, Bingley, Crossflats, etc

In reply to hokkyokusei:


I had a great time living in Saltaire, the magnificent Shipley Glen walking distance along the canal and through the woods. Great access to the Yorkshire grit, very quick to the Dales, and dead easy to get out to the Lakes for a day trip.

It's not in Leeds, which is nice.

In reply to Jon Stewart:


However it is on the rim of the Bradford toilet bowl...

In reply to Ridge:

Thanks! Yes I am going to try and do that. which areas bordering chapel a are dodgy? Thanks ????

In reply to shuffle:
Kirkstall/Meanwood and Pudsey direction sound great. Just not found anywhere that takes dogs there yet!

In reply to Dax H:

I was merely giving the OP a flavour of Leeds and of course, within any area there are good and bad parts but listing every single possibility would not of been productive.
And you are right, Beeston is located fantastically close the the CC but I personally wouldn't live there.

In reply to Midgetgem:
Chapel A has had vast amounts of gentrification over the past decade which has made it one of the most desirable place to live for young profs and young families.
Prior to this, it was a real dump and avoided by most as it borders Harehills and infamous, Chapel Town. The later being well know back in the 80s 90s and early 00s for drugs, prostitution and numerous shootings etc.
But even parts of Harehills and Chapel Town are starting to feel the gentrification ripples as Chapel A becomes more and more expensive.
When you look on google maps at Chap A, avoid anywhere south east everywhere else is great.
Rounday is beautiful and has a fantastic park, Roundhay Park and also, Street Lane which has lots of nice bars, pubs and restaurants.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Saltaire is a great spot but not exactly LEEDS and the commute to the LGI would be a total drag.

Stick to the areas mentioned in my original reply and as the Leeds folk say; You'll be reet...!

In reply to handofgod:
Saltaire
Good trains....short walk from station in Leeds to LGI. (driving would be grim...but pple do it).
(and your on the way to the Dales)

In reply to Jon Stewart:


And Baildon Bank?

In reply to hokkyokusei:


My one visit in a year was not repeated. I ticked the classic 3* of the crag, and it was shit.

In reply to Midgetgem:

An important factor you haven't mentioned is price bracket. Somewhere up the Wharfedale line is nice and very handy for transport but you'll likely be spending a bit more. You could make use of the new Kirkstall forge station which would be a bit cheaper than areas further up the line (especially on the Bramley side of the woods) - but there are some poor areas so beware. Generally buses can be as crap as driving at rush hour around Leeds so also beware of that. Some routes have good bus lanes and will get through quick. Others not so much. Leeds city council's transport strategy seems to be 'if it ain't broke, keep fixing it til it is'

BTW I lived in Beeston for 10 years and besides 1 or 2 incidents it was fine Nice community and neighbours. I also got to go to Leeds wall virtually every night. Not exactly swamped with wide open space though, although Middleton woods is ok (and has a new bike centre just opened)

In reply to handofgod:

You'll be "reet" I will be needing a translator next! Although I get the gist!

In reply to Midgetgem:

Disagree with ‘reet’ I’d say that was more South Yorkshire. Sounds more like “you’ll be rate” round these parts. I am an outsider though.