# Calling Leeds Urbanites, can anyone help me?



## winterinmoscow (Mar 11, 2006)

I live in Manchester right now, and I've just got a new job in Leeds. I'm in two minds whether to move or whether to commute. I don't hugely fancy commuting but after a day of house-hunting today, I feel like finding a place to live in Leeds is a small minefield as well. I've advertised for a flat share and have had quite a good response but I am completely lost when it comes to areas as I just don't where's where and what they're like.

I'm 22, fairly quiet. I live in a very quiet part of Manchester on the edge of Moss Side right now. It's a nice place, but the transport connections could be better and there are no nice local bars. I used to live in Fallowfield, student capital ofv Manchester, which I liked. I wouldn't want to live somewhere uber-noisy and the length of time it took to get anywhere when thestudents were around irritated me. That aside, I liked the area.

I need to live in an area that has good transport links as I don't drive and also somewhere reasonably safe. I will be working in the city centre and have a good friend in Chapelallerton so I wouldn't want to be too far away from either of these. After today I feel at a complete loss with regards to areas so if anyone can make some suggestions as to where might be good I'd really appreciate it.


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## Alf Klein (Mar 12, 2006)

Don't commute from Moss side to Leeds. It'll drive you mad.

By the way, what is this quiet place on the edge of Moss side?


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## _angel_ (Mar 12, 2006)

Hie Winter in Moscow. As you're relatively young you might enjoy Headingley, the student area. Lots of buses, houseshares etc etc.


I live in Bramley which is quite a way out of Leeds BUT if you were interested in getting back to Manchester easily it is handy for a local station. (into Leeds about 10 mins, 13 mins to Bradford etc etc).


I wouldn't want to commute from Manchester it will drive you nuts!



eta: they're building a lot of city centre accommodation (although it's well pricey) and I don't know if they're really with sharers in mind.


Chapel allerton is nice but also rising in price. Having lived (a bit further out but on that bus route) I can say you will NOT relish getting up and waiting for that bus. (Less it's improved radically).

Leeds is a bit of a bitch if you don't have transport actually


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## winterinmoscow (Mar 12, 2006)

thanks all! I don't really know what to do about it really. I don't much want to commute but it has started to worry me a little bit. Maddalene, that's really interesting what you said about the buses in Chapelallerton, I hadn't heard they were really bad.

I am hoping to start driving lessons again but in the meantime, I do want somewhere with reasonable bus connections. I went through Headingley yesterday and thought it looked alright. Want somewhere reasonably safe really!

And then of course, there's the question of finding a nice housemate....


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## _angel_ (Mar 12, 2006)

Chapel allerton buses aren't *that* bad. I suppose you're struggling to find anywhere that runs smoothly at rush hour I guess. But it does seem to jam up an awful lot ime. Good luck!


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## joustmaster (Mar 13, 2006)

I have lived in a good few areas of leeds, and don't have  car. the busses are quite good in some areas and rare in others. this gives you some idea of where they run.
http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/MapsAndGuides.htm


http://static.flickr.com/52/111882657_2590ae3874_o.jpg
any thing off otley road/headingley lane (A660) has fantastic bus links to town. Any where from Hyde Park Corner to far headingley. LS6 is cheap in places and studenty. headingley is a bit more expensive and busy. far headingley seems to be quite nice. As its a studenty area there is an increased chance of mugging and burglery from shitty little chav's, but thats always the way in student areas.

A lot of people i know live between kirkstall lane, the uni, Headingley lane and kirkstall road. its full of cheap back to back houseing and student/proffesional house shares

abit forther round to the east you get to meanwood, which is filling up with students, but has a lot more leeds people in it. cheap housing, and a little bit less friendly.

Between scothall road (A61) and roundhay road (A58) you have roundhay, oak wood, chapleallerton - which are lovely places full of restaurants and nice posh shops and is full of young profesionals. You also have harehills, chaple town etc. which aren't. Although i have lived in harehills and found it safer than LS6 as the gangsters are just after other gangsters.

I have no idea what goes on in the south of leeds. i've been here for 5 years or so, and have never had any cause to go there. I think that holbeck and that area must be handy for town, but don't really know.

The mrs used to live in armley. it was ok i think, but a bit rubbish for busses.


I live between kirkstall and headingley at the moment. its ok. quiet, but handy for getting to the lively places. 

you could try looking on the uni housing website. they aren't all uni houses.
http://www.unipol.leeds.ac.uk/

i found my current house through  parklane properites. they wheren't that cheap, but where good to deal with
http://www.parklaneproperties.com/

I lived in town last year. it was pretty cool not having to get a taxi or bus ever - its usually quite expensive, but i found one for 525 a month.


Good luck


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## _angel_ (Mar 13, 2006)

Do avoid the Hyde Park area. I'd be a bit careful of Harehills (although there are some nice houses there).


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## happytobe... (Mar 19, 2006)

Maddalene said:
			
		

> Do avoid the Hyde Park area. I'd be a bit careful of Harehills (although there are some nice houses there).


Yeah, avoid harehills and chapeltown seen as you're by yourself and the like.  It's not as bad as lots of people make out but I don't think I'd want to live there if I was by myself and didn't know Leeds very well.  

I'd try chapel allerton, although prices are going up and up round there.  Headingly is nice, and as people have said before, it's easy to get to Leeds from. There's a decent night life, alright shops, some restaurants. A lot of young people round there too.

Good Luck


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## crass_kitten (Mar 20, 2006)

If I was you i'd also avoid Halton Moor and Seacroft.

I'd advise that you went to the north/west side of leeds. Pudsey, Bramley, Headingly, Kirkstall. But i'd say that because i'm from that end   

Every town has it's bad areas though.


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## mancboy (Mar 20, 2006)

crass_kitten said:
			
		

> If I was you i'd also avoid Halton Moor and Seacroft.



And Gipton. And Beeston.

And as has been said - DON'T commute. I did it for a while, (toooo long) and it ain't no life.


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## citygirl (Mar 20, 2006)

mancboy said:
			
		

> And as has been said - DON'T commute. I did it for a while, (toooo long) and it ain't no life.



commuting is not too bad, unless you're using an uber busy route...anywhere on the quieter routes might not be too bad an option to consider.


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## free spirit (Mar 21, 2006)

it might also be worth looking along the local train route out past burley, headingly and upto cookridge depending on where in leeds you're working as it's gonna be way quicker on the train in rush hour than the busses through headingley. train service gets a bit crap out of rush hour, but still loads of busses.

obviously this only really applies if your work's near the station...


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## _angel_ (Mar 21, 2006)

Trains are a good point. There isn't all that much of a network in Leeds but if you can live near a station it can make all the difference at rush hour.

Headingley Station is practically in Kirkstall for some reason, if you were thinking of living around there.


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## Spion (Mar 21, 2006)

Why live in Leeds? Saltaire is in north Bradford, is a world heritage site on the edge of the moors and 15 minutes from Leeds by train. One or two good pubs too


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## _angel_ (Mar 21, 2006)

Spion said:
			
		

> Why live in Leeds? Saltaire is in north Bradford, is a world heritage site on the edge of the moors and 15 minutes from Leeds by train. One or two good pubs too




Don't be stealing our urbanites   


Actually Bradford might work out cheaper than Leeds.


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## Spion (Mar 21, 2006)

Maddalene said:
			
		

> Don't be stealing our urbanites
> 
> 
> Actually Bradford might work out cheaper than Leeds.



It's about 450 quid a month for a 2 or 3 bed house in Saltaire village. The river, canal, park, riverside pub all on your doorstep plus the moors 10 mins walk away. And it's all made of sandstone instead of that cheap looking red brick you find in OTHER NEARBY CITIES


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## winterinmoscow (Mar 21, 2006)

Thanks everyone. To be honest I am fast giving up on the whole thing. I have been to see a load of houses and haven't liked any of them. The only one I did the landlord turned out to be a complete penis.

I start the job in less than 2 weeks and I've not found anywhere so I'm definitely going to be commuting, at least for a while. To be honest with you all I am starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing.

A friend pointed out today that if, for whatever reason, the job doesn't work out, at least I won't have given up my home here. He has a point.


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## citygirl (Mar 22, 2006)

Spion said:
			
		

> Why live in Leeds? Saltaire is in north Bradford, is a world heritage site on the edge of the moors and 15 minutes from Leeds by train. One or two good pubs too



that must make you my nearest urbanite yet


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## Spion (Mar 22, 2006)

citygirl said:
			
		

> that must make you my nearest urbanite yet



I may well be, citygirl. I noticed you were just up the road. Pleased to meet ya    

There's one or two others in Bfd but we've been so slack as to not get together yet.


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## _angel_ (Mar 22, 2006)

Spion said:
			
		

> I may well be, citygirl. I noticed you were just up the road. Pleased to meet ya
> 
> There's one or two others in Bfd but we've been so slack as to not get together yet.



I knooooooooooooow we've been well slack.  I was actually in B'fd last night too.


Never go out in Leeds for some reason.


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## citygirl (Mar 22, 2006)

Maddalene said:
			
		

> I knooooooooooooow we've been well slack.  I was actually in B'fd last night too.
> 
> 
> Never go out in Leeds for some reason.



i don't go to leeds at all, if i can help it 

we need a somewhere inbetween place


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## _angel_ (Mar 22, 2006)

Bradford is fine by me.


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## citygirl (Mar 23, 2006)

what sort of venue?


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## _angel_ (Mar 23, 2006)

?????????



I dunno. I think our problem is trying to establish sufficient numbers atm!


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## citygirl (Mar 23, 2006)

even if there's only 4 of us, it's enough for a party


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## _angel_ (Mar 23, 2006)

I'm up for it. Big gatherings freak me out a bit anyway. 


Wonder who else could be persuaded.


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## citygirl (Mar 23, 2006)

Maddalene said:
			
		

> I'm up for it. Big gatherings freak me out a bit anyway.
> 
> 
> Wonder who else could be persuaded.



maybe we should start a thread, rather than derail someone elses 

(even if it does appear to be coming to an end)


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## Spion (Mar 23, 2006)

Last time we tried to meet up it was planned for Leeds and included people from Sheffield, Hull etc and so never happened. Praps we should just arrange to meet up in Bfd and then post it up? People could always come from futher afield if they wanted.

I'm up for a drink over the next few weeks. My only restriction is a new (furry) addition to the household.

So, what's everyone fancy? I like me beer real so I'd say the Corn Dolly or Beehive


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## chio (Mar 23, 2006)

you can't go into bradford and not have a damn good curry


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## citygirl (Mar 23, 2006)

you can if you don't like curry    


beehive/corndolly...you a city fan???

can we stay away from the town centre?


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## _angel_ (Mar 23, 2006)

curry!!!


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## Spion (Mar 23, 2006)

citygirl said:
			
		

> you can if you don't like curry
> 
> 
> beehive/corndolly...you a city fan???
> ...



Sort of. They're my second team. Went down a few times last season, but not this one. Doesn't sound like the greatest sporting spectacle just now, either.

By town centre do you mean the west end and all that or beehive/dolly too?


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## citygirl (Mar 23, 2006)

Spion said:
			
		

> Sort of. They're my second team. Went down a few times last season, but not this one. Doesn't sound like the greatest sporting spectacle just now, either.
> 
> By town centre do you mean the west end and all that or beehive/dolly too?



less drunk people and students out of town...if we're only doing a "bradford" one, and then anyone else who wants to join in, we could make it more over this way


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## Spion (Mar 23, 2006)

citygirl said:
			
		

> less drunk people and students out of town...if we're only doing a "bradford" one, and then anyone else who wants to join in, we could make it more over this way



Ah, I see, the inauguaral Urban 75 Saltaire meet? i was trying not to be selfish and suggest meeting on my doorstep, but hey, I have to think of those who live further out from Bradford  

Anyway, how does this sound to the rest of you? It's 15 mins from Leeds on the train and a great pub five mins from the station. And apart from that once you've found your way there there's some great places for picnics later in the year


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## citygirl (Mar 23, 2006)

Spion said:
			
		

> Ah, I see, the inauguaral Urban 75 Saltaire meet? 15 mins from Leeds on the train and a great pub five mins from the station.



was thinking more jimmy g's  

or there's wetherspoons in shipley, might be easier to find/get to 

roberts park in summer is nice


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## Spion (Mar 23, 2006)

citygirl said:
			
		

> was thinking more jimmy g's
> 
> or there's wetherspoons in shipley, might be easier to find/get to
> 
> roberts park in summer is nice



Jimmy G's? - you've lost me there

I'll go anywhere. Let's see if we get any more interest then set a time, eh?


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## citygirl (Mar 23, 2006)

might help if someone started a thread


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## Spion (Mar 23, 2006)

citygirl said:
			
		

> might help if someone started a thread



I'm a bit pushed just now with work, but I'll do one next week, unless you want to start one now


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## citygirl (Mar 24, 2006)

well there's no rush, is there? 

was just throwing ideas around...nothing settled 

i'm just elated that there are other west yorks urbs, other than leeds...i was beginning to think i was the only urbanite with a bradford postcode


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## joustmaster (Mar 24, 2006)

beer 
curry

Hello


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## citydreams (Mar 24, 2006)

Maddalene said:
			
		

> Leeds is a bit of a bitch if you don't have transport actually




not a very good advert for the Institute of Transport Studies then!


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## joustmaster (Mar 24, 2006)

In rush hour traffic it is often quicker to walk along the bus route than get on the bus. Especially along burly road or through headingley


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## NoCoolNickname (Mar 25, 2006)

Maddalene said:
			
		

> Do avoid the Hyde Park area. I'd be a bit careful of Harehills (although there are some nice houses there).




Nothing wrong with Hyde Park!  

If I were moving to Leeds and working in the city centre I would probably aim for Headingley or Hyde Park (I live pretty much in the middle of the two at the moment).  I would aim for somewhere near Burley Park or Headingley train stations though.  There are plenty of buses into Headingley but they don't tend to move particularly fast for most of the day.


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## _angel_ (Mar 25, 2006)

I'm glad you're happy with Hyde Park (not the same as Headingley).  Last time I was there it seemed a bit rough like.....










Nice cinema..


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