UKC

I’m weighing up moving to Leeds to study but I’ve never been to the city before. I’m about to go spec it out to see how it feels.

Does anyone have suggestions for places to look at that are good for living and going climbing?

Is there anywhere equivalent to say Abbeydale Road in Shef - lots of places to get food, get a pint, rooms to rent & easy access to the Peak.

Access to the climbing won't be quite as good as Abbeydale Road and depends how close to Leeds you want to be. For example if you live in Bingley/Baildon/salt aire you have crags on your doorstep (Shipley Glen, baildon) and pubs plus trains to Leeds but its not Leeds. 

In Leeds anywhere North. Otley would give you the Chevin as walking distance and almscliff close plus pubs and a bus line to Leeds.

Headingley more student heavy, Chapel Allerton young professionals but expensive. Meanwood and Farsley have good independent pub scenes. More likely to need to drive to the crags from all these places. 

Thanks matey. It wouldn’t *need* to be living in Leeds necessarily but this has given me some spots to check out.

I looked on the ukc crag finder and it def seemed like the main crags are all north(ish) and about 30min drive away.

‘Where’s good for living and climbing in Leeds?’

Wigan. 
 

Or Leigh. 

I live in South Leeds, Beeston to be exact. Yes it a bit of a dump but I love it here. 

Due to some of the cheapest housing in Leeds it's a really multi cultural area with both people who have moved here and people who have been housed here as refugees. 

There are loads of different community programs you can get involved in that help the area and the people who live here. 

Excellent transport links in to the center, there is a bus every 5 minutes to the center of Leeds. 

I door climbing, Leeds wall is only a 5 minute cyce ride away. 

Outdoor climbing, Chevin, Almscliffe, Shipley Glen etc are only 30 to 45 mins drive away and because Beeston sits at the join between the M1 and M62  going North,south, East or west is easy and you can be at places like Stannage in under 1 hour. 

If you havnt guessed by now, I love Beeston, it's a shit hole but it's my shit hole and the community groups are working on improving it. 

Shipley / Baildon ticks the boxes and a nice areas by and large. 

Not the cheapest areas but being in Bradford district they are cheaper than equivalent nice area of Leeds. 

Do you have a car and what if your acceptable price range for rent..... Makes a big difference 

Thanks. I’m up in Glasgow atm and massively appreciate quick access to a motorway, as odd as that may sound.

I’ll add Beeston to my list of places to go for a wander about.

Aye I’ve got a car so the issue then becomes getting stuck in traffic/the commute.

Seems like the solution to part of that is to live on a train line for getting to/from the city.

been living in leeds for 6 months. most climbers seem to live in pudsey bramley area. cheaper than more central locations and close to the big depot plus baildon/shipley crags.

if you do move to leeds, I'm also looking for a new room to rent, so could potentially buddy up!

This is a good shout. Pudsey/Bramley are pretty nice and the access out to North Bradford and Otley/Ilkley/almscliffe are pretty good.

Don't move to South Leeds it's grim. I did 3 years in Wortley, never had any bother but its pure white trash and I stayed out of the pubs. Beeston is famous for being a shithole . Handy for Leeds Wall I suppose, but that climbing wall always seemed to be chock full of dickheads in the early noughties.

I live in South Leeds (a nice area, that I like).  Loads of great indoor climbing venues and loads of climbers.  35 mins to Caley, 45 mins to Almscliff and 1hr 10mins to Stanage or Burbage, from where I am (by car).  It’s a great city - except the traffic and never ending roadworks.