Leeds, largest city in the historic county of Yorkshire (and third largest in the UK) is famed for it's excellent shopping, vibrant nightlife, thriving universities and sports. But in addition to these, Leeds is an extremely attractive city with wonderful Georgian, Victorian, 20th and 21st century architecture. There are also plenty of fantastic museums, cafes, restaurants and theatres to visit, not to mention easy access to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire Moors.

Location
Quick Facts
Area	562 sq km
Population	750,000+

Understand

Views over Leeds

Leeds is a proud, friendly, prosperous, vibrant city. It's people are warm, hard working, friendly and straight talking and this has always been the way. Prosperity and vibrancy haven't always been linked with Leeds though.

Leeds started as a market town that became an industrial powerhouse and has since grown and developed into a service based city economy with a smart and attractive city centre. Today it is one of the most cosmopolitan and multi-cultural cities in the country, with people of creeds, races and origins living almost totally in harmony. A cosmopolitan atmosphere pervades the city centre and has gifted Leeds with a huge range of authentic international eateries and shops. Enjoy!

Recently Leeds has received accolades in the field of tourism; including being voted by Conde Nast Traveller magazine Readers' Awards as the "UK's favourite city" and "Visitor City of the Year" by The Good Britain Guide.

History

Leeds' Town Hall

Leeds' name derives originally from the Celtic area of 'Leodis' that existed in the place of the current city. In Roman times, Leeds was an important strategic fort, ford and small settlement on the York-Chester road. Recorded in the Domesday book of 1086, Leeds became a thriving market town in the middle ages, gaining its town charter in 1207. The meadieaval city was based around the streets of Briggate and Kirkgate, and was a centre for merchants and wool-production, trading through the port at Hull along the 1699 Aire & Calder navigation canal. Whilst the town grew rapidly (population of over 30,000 in the eighteenth century, when the gracious Georgian West End was built), it was for a long time overshadowed by nearby York.

The industrial revolution brought about a massive change for the city, as it became a huge manufacturing centre of wool and textiles, and a major trading centre (with over half of the country's export passing through the city for a period). Leeds became known as the city of a thousand trades and by the middle of the nineteenth century the population had passed 200,000. Bolstered by the 1816 Leeds-Liverpool Canal and the railway in 1848 (Middleton Railway was the world's first commercial railway), the city continued to grow and prosper rapidly, with grandiose architectural manifestations of the city's wealth being built in abundance, and expanding affluent suburbs to the north. By the twentieth century, Leeds' population was pushing half a million and it gained official city status is 1893.

Leeds University was created around the same time, bringing an intellectual dimension to the city's life, and Leeds was served by one of the world's most extensive tram systems (sadly later taken apart and replaced by buses). Whilst Leeds suffered far less than many other large UK cities from the WWII blitz, it was affected by the mass industrial decline of the country in the post-war period, and became characterised by unemployment and huge council estates. However, the city's versatility enabled it to survive and it began to prosper again in the 1980s, when renovation of the centre and waterfront, and demolition of some of the worst estates began. By the 1990s the city was reborn with wealth based on service-industries and commerce, the financial and legal centres making it the most important city in the UK in these areas outside London. With the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Royal Armouries, restoration of the Victoria Quarter and Corn Exchange, clean up of historical buildings, the new Harvey Nichols and numerous new bars, shops and restaurants - all in the mid 90s, the city was truly on a high again, with a still-growing population of 750,000.

Today, Leeds remains one of the country's (and indeed Europe's) most prosperous, innovative and fast-growing cities with new developments springing up by the week and bars, clubs, restaurants and boutiques seemingly even more often.

Districts

• Headingley - the lively student and sports district
• Chapel Allerton - trendy north Leeds area bursting with al fresco bars and restaurants
• Roundhay - attractive, leafy and well-heeled district of north Leeds home to the vast and beautiful Roundhay Park, Tropical World, and a small selection of exclusive shops and eateries supplemented by those in nearby Oakwood.
• The city centre is also divided into several distinct districts (see below)

Get in

By Air

Leeds is very accessible by air, served by its own airport - shared with Bradford. It is also possible to fly direct to Leeds from Heathrow and Amsterdam, amongst a wide range of other destinations. Leeds is a member airport of Star Alliance. Low-cost airline Jet2 also provides a large range of European flights from Leeds, which is its main base. Leeds Bradford airport is about 10 miles north-west of the city centre, outside the suburb of Yeadon. Cabs are in plentiful supply and there is a regular bus service (the 757) into the city.

If travelling from Asia and the United States Manchester International Airport provides the most direct access to Leeds, with direct, swift (around an hour from the airport to Leeds) trains running through the night (although they're only every couple of hours or so after 1am). The rapidly growing Doncaster Sheffield Robin Hood International Airport (Doncaster or Robin Hood will suffice to make yourself understood) is also within easy reach of Leeds.

By Rail

Leeds Metro Train Diagram

Leeds has a busy, modern train station, one of the biggest in the country with regular trains to a huge range of destinations all over the UK. For example, GNER & Midland Mainlineserve London (2-2.5 hrs), Trans-Pennine Express serve Manchester(about an hour), York (20-30 mins), Newcastle (about 90 mins). Virgin Cross Country also serve the south-west, Birmingham and Scotland. You can check timetables here. Leeds City Station is just off City Square, right in the heart of the city centre. There are many major bus stops serving the whole city within 2-3 minutes walk of the station, principally on Infirmary Street. Cabs wait outside the station, but many hotels, attractions and the main shopping area are within easy walking distance of the station.

By Coach

Leeds' Modern Bus & Coach Station

Express coaches also serve Leeds' modern bus station - for cheap ones from Newcastle and London check Megabus.com or for slightly more expensive ones from a far wider variety of destinations, try National Express. The Yorkshire Coastliner bus connects Leeds with York and the beautiful Yorkshire coast, though the train is faster and more comfortable. Leeds Bus & Coach station is in the east of the city centre, near Quarry Hill, where the Playhouse is situated. It is an easy walk to the main shopping area, and by 2011 extensive renovation will have linked the station to the main shopping area. In the mean time, to reach further parts of the city centre, the Free City Bus stops here, and of course many of the city's main bus routes terminate in the bus station.

By Road

Leeds is perhaps the best connected UK city by road, lying right in the centre of the country, halfway between London and Edinburgh on the A1 (now largely motorway), and halfway between the two coasts, linked to Liverpool, Manchester, the M6 and Hull by the M62. The M1 motorway runs from London to Leeds via Milton Keynes, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield. Whilst driving into Leeds and around the city centre, particularly at rush hour, is best avoided, making the trip by car is fairly uncomplicated, with the M621, A64, A65, A61, A58 and several other major roads converging on central Leeds.

By Ferry

Ferries can be caught from Rotterdam and Zeebrugge to Kingston Upon Hull, which is only an hour away by train, car or by coach.

Get around

Getting around Leeds is fairly easy. The bus service isn't bad - most major routes within the city are every 10 minutes or so. If you're just visiting the city centre, you might as well walk, as much of it is suprisingly compact. Taxis can be expensive, but the black and white ones are licensed and safer than private hire cabs. There is a FreeCityBus that loops around much of the city centre every 10 minutes during the day. There is a limited suburban train service, which is unlikely to be of much use to the casual visitor, but plans are underway for a radical overhaul of the city's transport system since the proposed tram system had its funding withdrawn by the government.

To orientate yourself, free maps are available at the tourist information and a number of visitor attractions. There are some street maps dotted around the city centre, and it is possible to download one online at the city's tourist website (quite simple but good for basic orientation) or in guide books, street atlases, etc. However, Leeds' central area is fairly compact with most of the major attractions and shops within walking distance of one another.

Useful bus routes for visitors include:

• 1 - Running from Holt Park in North West Leeds through Headingley, past the universities, through the city centre and on to Beeston
• 2 - Runs from Middleton in South Leeds through the city centre to Chapel Allerton, Moortown along Street Lane through Roundhay to Roundhay Park
• 3 - Also connects South Leeds, the city centre and Chapel Allerton
• 12 & 13 - links the city centre, South, Harehills, Oakwood and Roundhay Park
• 18 - Links North West Leeds, Headingley Cricket Ground, the City Centre and Temple Newsham as well as other East Leeds destinations
• 28 - Connects the Clarence Dock, city centre, Headingley, and Adel
• 95 & 96 - run along the main City Centre-Headingley-Otley Road corridoor
• 97 - Leeds to Bradford via Headingley and Guiseley
• 757 - connects the city centre and airport

See

Although not considered a 'traditional' tourist destination, Leeds has plenty to occupy the visitor for a short break or a longer stay. As well as the main sights, museums, galleries, shops, parks etc, wandering around the buzzing city centre to take in the atmosphere and admire the fantastic blend of architectural styles from the past few hundred years is a pleasure in itself.

• Kirkgate Market. (Kirkgate/Vicar Lane) This traditional British market is largest in Europe. Housed in an opulent late Victorian palace to commerce, it has both indoor and outdoor stalls.

Leeds' Royal Armouries Museum

• Royal Armouries Museum. (Clarence Dock) National museum of all things from swords to guns to armoury, famous for its regular live jousting.
• Art Galleries. (The Headrow) A world of art is at your disposal in Leeds.
• Armley Mills industrial museum. (Armely, west of the city centre) Excellent museum of industry and Leeds' (major) role in the Industrial Revolution.
• Tropical World. (Princes Avenue, Roundhay) Great for a rainy day as it's all indoors, this extensive menagerie has animals, birds, fish and insects from across the globe in thoughtfully themed zones.
• Award winning Thackray Medical Museum (Beckett Street, by St James' Hospital in the Burmantofts, to the east of the city centre) is the best of its kind in the country, with all manner of exhibits and the chance to experience the life of a Victorian child or mill-worker (and their often gruesome medical history). If you've got children, you'd be mad to miss it!

Civic Hall & Millennium Square

• Millenium Square (There is generally something going on! ) - a great public space home to some gorgeous civic architecture, concerts, exhibitions, ice rinks, christmas markets...
• Xscape (Near Castleford, south-west of Leeds) Indoor real snow skiing, Ice climbing wall, cinema and restaurants![1].
• Live Sport Football, Rugby League & Rugby Union, Cricket
• Harewood House [2]. (Harewood, north of the city on the A61 Harrogate Rd) This huge estate, comlete with extensive gardens, lake, lovely café and bird gardens, is owned by the Queen's cousin. The opulent roccoco house itself is well worth a look around.
• Temple Newsam, (4 miles from Leeds City Centre off A63, 2 miles from M1 junction 46). Temple Newsam is one of the great historic estates in England. With over 1500 acres landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century, it is a large Tudor–Jacobean mansion housing a large collection of works of art. The garden has some excellent walks and houses a working Rare Breeds farm.
• Bramham Park is another such stately home to the north-east of Leeds with a long history and lovely gardens and grounds.
• Middleton Railway is the oldest working railway in the world. Situated in South Leeds between Middleton and Hunslet, it used to carry coal from the coal mines to the south of the city to the factories of Hunslet and central Leeds. You can now have a ride on the historic rolling stock.
• Leeds Christmas Illuminations the UK's biggest display, are an annual display from Nov-Jan comprising both big show lights and the aubtle and beautiful across the city, and are even longer than the legendary Blackpool Illuminations (known as 'The Leeds Lights').
• Leeds Town Hall(The Headrow) is the city's symbol and pride and joy, one of the world's finest Victorian buildings, and home to a dazzling aray of concerts, particularly during the city's popular and extensive International Concert Season. The recently restored interior is stunning.
• Park Square is a lovely Georgian square reminiscent of Dublin, and is often an overlooked haven of tranquility in the city centre
• The Waterfront has been attractively restored with flats, offices, bars and restaurants now filling the 18th and 19th century warehouses and quaysides, whilst preserving their historic character. Dock Street is full of old world charm, and the soon-to-be-completed redevelopment of the Clarence Dock promises a vibrant selection of shops, bars, restaurants and waterside life

Churches of Leeds: Leeds has a number of fine and historically interesting churches, most of which are tranquil little-visited (except of course for services) havens. Some highlights include:

• St Anne's Cathedral (Cookridge Street) - small, but an extremely interesting example of an Arts and Crafts, Catholic Cathedral unique within the UK

Leeds Parish Church

• Leeds Parish Church (Kirkgate) - an attractive and fairly large neo-gothic church with a renowned choir and concerts from time to time
• Holy Trinity Church (Boar Lane)- an unassuming location and exterior hide an elegant baroque interior
• Salem Chapel (Bridge End) - across the river lies this interesting and unique unitarian chapel
• St John's Church (New Briggate) - hidden away in peaceful gardens lies this true gem, built during the English Civil War, it has beautiful ornate woodwork in its charming interior
• Oxford Place Chapel - lovely red-brick baroque church
• St John the Baptist (Adel) - whilst a long way out of town (take a bus and then walk! this leafy and extremely affluent suburb has some lovely houses, and is a world a way from the bustle of the city centre - nearby York Gate garden is beautiful and well worth a visit), this lovely and well-preserved Norman church set in verdant grounds is a hidden treasure
• And of course, don't miss the beautiful Kirkstall Abbey, largest abbey in the North of England - see below

New Developments (of interest to the visitor): Leeds is a rapidly expanding and changing city, with many new developments in the pipeline or underway already, from soaring skyscrapers that will grace the skyline in years to come, to renovation of historic buildings and the redevelopment of abandoned and derelict sites. Here is a pick of the new developments that may be of interest to a visitor:

• The renovation of the Harewood and Eastgate Quarter will bring over a hundred new shops to the city as well as restaurants, bars, cultural facilities, a cinema, the renovation of historic buildings and a face-lift for the Eastgate into the grand boulevard it was intended to be
• Clarence Dock is nearing completion and will bring new life to Leeds' long-derelict docklands. Centered on the Royal Armouries, the new area will have a casino, shops, restaurants, cafés, bars, a 'discovery centre' and a unique waterside atmosphere
• La Lumiere will, as well as being a dramatic addition to the city's skyline (at 52 stories the tallest UK building outside London) that will no doubt grab the attention of visitor's and residents alike, contain a winter garden, shops and restaurants
• The redevelopment of the waterfront area at Granary Wharf will contain large landscaped public space (which is planned to be used for a multitude of events), as well as a hotel, shops, restaurants, bars, etc
• Leeds City Museum will open in its new home in a beautiful building on Millennium Square in 2008 and promises all manner of new galleries and state of the art facilities
• Mentioned elsewhere, Seven is a new theatre and arts centre due to open in 2007 in Chapel Allerton
• Holbeck Urban Village is the complete renovation and restoration of an entire city district. In the south-west of central Leeds, this historic area was key to the Industrial Revolution, and has many buildings and sites of interest, including the stunning Egyptian-style Temple Mill and Italianate Tower Works. The restoration and redevelopment has already begun with the Round Foundry, a new-age village of offices, flats, cafés and media centres complete with traditional paved streets and 200-year old buildings. A plethora of other developments promise that this area will become more and more of an exciting destination.
• Trinity Quarter, due to commence next year, will replace the shabby arcades that currently lie (mercifully hidden for the most part) between Commercial St and Boar Lane with a sleek ultra-modern shopping centre fanning out from a glass-roofed square behind the historic Holy Trinity church

See: Central Leeds by area

Civic Quarter

Home to the Town Hall, the fantastic Art Gallery, Henry Moore Institute and Millennium Square, this grand corner of the city is where many of the main tourist draws are to be found. The Light with its shops, restaurants, bars, hotel, cinema etc in a beautifully converted historic building is of course a major pull; but venture along the Headrow and experience some of the best cultural attractions on offer in the city. The Art Gallery has great rotating exhibitions and the best collection of 20th century British Art outside London. Adjoining it are the Henry Moore Institute and the Central Lending Library with its beautiful victorian interior. Both the library and art gallery are going to be comprehensively renovated and restored in the next few months. Across the road is the Town Hall (see above), a breathtaking demonstration of civic pride.

On Great George St is a small selection of shops, the 19th century entrance (with a lovely colonial-style entrance hallway and small gallery space up the stairs) of the Leeds General Infirmary, and the recently restored Electric Press which is now home to the Carriageworks Theatre and several bars and restaurants, providing a semi-al fresco eating environment for all weather conditions. Next door is the impressive and well-used public space of Millennium Square (see above) with its attractive Mandela Gardens (opened by Mandela himself, now a freeman of the city, they are a lovely spot especially in summer) abutting the Electric Press building. The square is crowned with the Portland Stone neo-classical Civic Hall and the new City Museum (due to open 2008). Down on Cookridge St is the city's small but unique Arts and Crafts St Anne's Cathedral.

Financial District

Whilst the Financial District doesn't have the obvious draws of the Civic Quarter, it is nonetheless an interesting area that deserves at least a little of your time. Roughly bounded by the Headrow and Westgate to the North, the A58 motorway to the West, the River Aire to the South and Park Row to the East, this is the most expensive business real estate in the city. Many large companies have their offices here as well as innumberable lawyers, estate agents, etc.

Park Square is probably the number one attraction of the area. Situated just south-west of the Town Hall, this large and handsome Georgian Square has lovely formal gardens that fill up with workers at lunchtime in the warmer months. Whilst most of the square is bounded by rows of 18th century redbrick townhouses that made the square one of the city's most fashionable addresses 200 years ago, the South West corner is home to a little-known architectural highlight of Leeds, a converted warehouse (now offices) built in the 19th century as a replication of a Moorish Palace, complete with turrets and Islamic-style ornate design. The streets to the south of Park Square are a mixture of Georgian townhouses and more modern office buildings sitting cheek-by-jowl. Whilst not hugely diverting, there are several interesting buildings in this area. Wellington Street, a busy thoroughfare which marks the bottom of the Georgian area, has several restaurants and bars as well as being characterised by more modern business development. The area between Wellington Street and the river is being comprehensively redeveloped as an ultra-modern business district ('Wellington Place'), new glass and steel towers rising seemingly every few weeks. Work is due to start on La Lumiere, the tallest building to be built in the city on Wellington Street. This massive skyscraper will be the tallest residential building in Europe upon completion.

Between East Parade and Park Row, two busy main routes through the area, are a series of parallel streets that are home to some of the city's top restaurants and bars, most famously Greek Street. There is a rich patchwork of architecture spanning the past two centuries in this small area, with fine Gothic buildings and sleek modern towers. Park Row itself boasts outstanding buildings such as the Leeds Permanent building, blending seemlessly into modern glass building-fronts.

Leeds City Square

The south-east corner of the Financial District is City Square, one of the most important hubs of city life. Recently cleaned up and repaved, the square is still home to bronze nymphs holding gas lights and the famous statue of the Black Prince. The old post office is now the swanky Restaurant Bar & Grill and Loch Fyne seafood restaurant. A rarely beautiful 1990s office block sits at No1 City Square, and the south side is taken up by the Art Deco facade of grand old dame of the Leeds hotel trade, The Queens Hotel.

Do

Theatre & Comedy

• Grand Theatre for major shows (often straight from the West End); also this is the home of the world famous (and extroadinarily good) Opera North who perform a wide repertoire of operas and operettas
• West Yorkshire Playhouse is more adventerous and often performs world premiers and encourages local talent - well worth a visit. Lucky travellers may arrive in time for one of the themed, almost festival-style programmes.
• Leeds City Varieties is World famous and has even had Charlie Chaplin tread the boards. Home to a mix of shows.
• The Carriageworks is home to th city's impressive range of amatuer dramatic and musical groups, including the acclaimed Leeds Youth Opera
• Jongleurs is a National Chain of comedy club based in the city
• Seven is a new theatre and arts centre due to open soon on Harrogate Road in Chapel Allerton.

Museums

• The Royal Armouries National Museum of Arms and Armouries (Free entry too).
• The Thackray Medical Museum Museum of the year 1998
• Temple Newsam House Collection of fine and decorative arts in Tudor-Jacobean mansion with parkland and working farm
• Lotherton Hall set in parkland with Bird Garden
• Armley Mills Industrial Museum Once the world's largest woolen mill, see the industrial past of Leeds
• Thwaite Mills working water mill and museum

Kirkstall Abbey

• Kirkstall Abbey One of the UK's biggest and best preserved abbeys, recently restored with a new visitor centre. It's a few miles out of town but lovers of history and architecture, or those in search of a beautiful and peaceful spot in the city won't regret making the trip.
• Abbey House Museum Great museum opposite the Abbey - walk round a Leeds street in 1880!
• Leeds Art Gallery is on the Headrow, by the Town Hall. It has a small but interesting range of exhibits, and is a great place to kill half an hour, and it's free!
• The Henry Moore Institute houses the city's sculpture collection, renowned rolling exhibitions, archives and a library; named after one of the city's most famous sons. (Adjacent to the City Art Gallery on the Headrow)

Parks & Countryside

Whilst hardly tropical, Leeds has an unusually mild and sunny climate for northern England, protected from the worst and wettest weather by the Pennine Hills to the west...this gives more than ample opportunity to explore the fantastic parks of one of Europe's greenest cities.

• Roundhay Park Huge picturesque park with 2 lakes, cafe, flower gardens and walks. Right next to Tropical World, and the lovely formal Canal Gardens, be sure to visit them all in one day.
• Golden Acre Park Gardens and cafe set around huge lake
• Lotherton Hall Deer park, extensive and interesting birdgarden, historic hall and cafe
• Temple Newsam Park Country mansion, wonderful parkland and rare breeds visitor farm (excellent for kids) - all within the city boundary!
• Otley Chevin
• Meanwood Valley Trail
• The Trans Pennine Trail
• The Hollies Arboretum in North West Leeds is a large botanical garden set in lush woodlands with a wonderful selection of plants
• Woodhouse Moor is the closest big park to central Leeds, between Leeds University and Hyde Park Corner. In summer months it is packed to bursting with students and other young people sunbathing and playing sports. There are large fields, small formal gardens and a skate park.
• Hall Park in Horsforth, whilst some distance from central Leeds, has lovely Japanese Gardens and is accesible by bus
• Take a ride on the famous Settle-Carlisle railway, 'England's most scenic railway', which can be accessed easily from Leeds station.
• Escape for the day to the Yorkshire Dales or Yorkshire Moors for fantastic outdoors.

Cinema

Leeds holds 2 annual film festivals: the increasingly prestigious Leeds Film Festival, with its huge menu of different films and Leeds Young People's Film Festival

City Centre

• The Vue in The Light Modern, well located 13-screen multiplex with huge screens

Headingley

• Cottage Road Cinema atmospheric old cinema near the centre of Headingley. Plenty to do afterwards as well.
• Hyde Park Picture House is another excellent independent cinema in the midst of the hot-bed of student habitation in the town. The cinema shows a mix of modern mainstream and art-cinema films as well as a formidable selection of classics. Lucky cinephiles may even experience the latter in conjunction with an introductory speech prepared for local film students. It retains many of its original features including gas lighting.

Out of Town

• The Vue at Kirkstall just out of the city centre, free parking, restaurants, pubs a club and a gym. Not, in this wikitravellers opinion, a good example of a picture house. Staff unfriendly, lacking in information and for late night showings it takes on an almost apocalyptic quality with rubbish blowing about the place and few people in sight.
• Showcase Multiplex with restaurants, shops and free parking.
• Odeon Leeds Bradford brand new multiplex
• Xscape Castleford 14 screen multiplex under the indoor snowdome, with bars, retail clearance outlets and retaurants

Sport

• Football (August–May): Leeds United FC - currently in the Championship (the second tier of English League football), but traditionally one of the larger English clubs.
• Cricket (April–September): Yorkshire County Cricket Club, based at Headingley (which is also a Test Match venue).
• Rugby League (February –September): Leeds Rhinos - also based at Headingley, World Champions in 2004
• Rugby Union (September –May): Leeds Tykes - currently in League 1 (the second tier of English Rugby Union) - Powergen Cup Winners 2004
• Swim: Leeds has a brand new (2007) 50 metre pool and diving centre in South Leeds at the John Charles Centre for Sport
• Athletics: John Charles Centre for Sport has international standard facilities for all four jumping disciplines: triple jump, long jump, high jump and pole vault. As well as an area for javelin throwing, an indoor throwing cage is available for discus and hammer. The centre also has its own specific weights area, designed specifically for use by athletes, dedicated to high performance and strength training. Eight lane all weather outdoor athletics track which conforms to full International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) specifications.
• Tennis: John Charles Centre for Sport has 6ix indoor courts and six outdoor floodlit courts which provides the ideal tennis environment either for the complete beginner or the established player.

Live Music

Leeds is home to many live performances from big-name stars, mostly at outdoor concerts. If you are unable to get tickets direct from the sites below, try Ticket Master. The city's music scene is burgeoning at the moment, and Leeds is a great place to see up-and-coming talent, with recently succesful bands such as the Kaiser Chiefs, Corinne Bailey Rae and the Sunshine Undergound.

• Leeds Festival - 3 days of live bands and stars from around the world play to 80,000 people every summer bank holiday weekend. Northern twin of the famous Reading festival. You can camp over, or attend just one day. 2006 includes Pearl Jam, Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs.
• Millennium Square in the city centre regularly has gigs with a 7,000 capacity. Including in 2006 Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol & Hard-Fi.
• The Cockpit nightclub and the Leeds Met Uni are great for live bands indoors.
• Leeds is planning to build an indoor concert arena of around (or possibly over) 14,000 seats.
• Roundhay Park is host to occasional huge one off concerts including Robbie Williams 90,000 capacity concerts in 2006. Previous artists include Madonna, U2, The Rolling Stones and 'The King Of Pop' Micheal Jackson.

Harewood House

• Harewood House holds concerts throughout the summer, including - in 2006 - The Who, and Westlife.
• Leeds University Refectory hosts a huge number of concerts from medium-large bands across the year. It is famously where the Who recorded their seminal live album 'Live at Leeds.'
• The Irish Centre on York Road in East Leeds hosts regular concerts from a variety of different types of musical acts
• The Wardrobe in Quarry Hill is famed for its diverse range of quality live music, including a strong jazz offer
• The Hifi Club also has a good range of live music, particularly jazz
• Every year, Temple Newsam plays host to the UK's original Party in the Park pop extravaganza featuring big name chart stars of the minute.
• Opera in the Park is a massively popular outdoor festival of opera and songs from the shows, also at Temple Newsam

Action

• Xscape Castleford Real snow indoor ski slopes (with designer outlet, cinema and nightlife)
• Heliadventure Helicopter flights over the city.
• Balloon Flights Take a hot air balloon ride
• Paintball Try paintballing
• Go-Karting Race Go-Karts
• Ice Cube - every winter the UK's largest outdoor ice rink takes over Millennium Square. Fun for everyone in a gorgeous setting but the queues can be very long.
• There are plenty of leisure centres, gyms and swimming pools across the city, though unfortunately no public ones will remain in the city centre after the International Pool closes. Major city centre fitness/leisure centres are deluxe Esporta, LA fitness and the ubiquitous Virgin Active. Some hotels have great leisure facilities or agreements with local centres for free access for guests.

Buy

Leeds' Victoria Quarter Shopping

Leeds' Corn Exchange Independent Shopping

Leeds has a myriad of options for shopping including the beautiful Victorian-era shopping arcades, offering anything from the reasonably priced to the expensive items [3]. If you're after cheap stuff - and cheap food - the city markets (Kirkgate Market, the biggest cover market/market on one site in Europe) are the place to go [4]. Fascinsting even just for the atmosphere of a traditional British market. Plans are also afoot for a massive extenstion of the main shopping district. City centre shops number well over 1,000, made up of modern shopping centres, the lovely arcades and busy streets - principally Briggate, a wide and attractive pedestrain street with all the high street favourites and much more (from time to time there are markets and other events, and there are usually street performances of some kind). Much of the central shopping area is pleasantly pedestrianised, making retail therapy even easier. City Centre Shopping Centres include:

• Victoria Quarter - Home of Harvey Nichols, Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, and much more, the upmarket (and architecturally stunning) jewel in the crown of Leeds' shopping district.
• Thornton's and Queen's arcades, opposite the Victoria Quarter offer a range of interesting (if mainly fairly pricey) shops including some great boutiques and one-off places.
• The Light brand new home of a 13 screen cinema, retaurants, hotel, bars, gym, secure car park and shops.
• The Corn Exchange, centre of Leeds' counter-culture has a stunning domed interior and a range of shops to please both label-lovers and teenage goths, as well as stalls and cafés. There are occaisional concerts, exhibitions, fetes and the Christmas decorations are lovely.
• Granary Wharf (unofficial site), by the canal under the station, has a selection of interesting boutiques, restaurants, exhibition space, a small concert venue, street performers and more in a unique subterranean setting. There is also a regular market. The waterfront area is undergoing redevelopment but the range of shops on offer is set to only get bigger.
• Other major city centre shopping centres include the Leeds Shopping Plaza (still locally called the 'Bond St Centre'), Headrow Centre, St John's Centre and the rather shabby monolith of the Merrion Centre.

Out of town there is also the White Rose Shopping Centre with free parking. Birstall Retail Park has free parking, cinema, retaurants and shops. Junction 32 in Castleford is home to a host of designer outlet clearance shops. The districts of Headingley, Chapel Allerton, and Roundhay also offer a smaller (but worthwhile) range of boutiques and other shops.

In November and December, Millennium Square is turned into a christmas wonderland of stalls, eateries and fairground-rides for Christkindelmarkt - the city's german christmas market. There are also several outdoor markets held across the city more regularly, including occassional french markets on Briggate.

OPENING HOURS: Most city centre stores are open 9am-6pm Monday-Wednesday and until 7pm Thursday-Saturday, but close at 5pm or open at 10am on Sunday. Many larger stores are starting to open until 8pm Thursday-Saturday, and close to Christmas there are extended opening hours. Out of town shopping centres have individual opening times (see their linked websites), and in out-of-central districts, most shops are open 9-5 most of the week, sometimes extended to 6 or 7pm Thursday-Saturday.

Department Stores

• Harvey Nichols - the first store outside London is still one of the most popular and profitable, with all five floors rammed with designer clothes, accessories, food and all manner of other latest-trend items, as well as the rich and beautiful buying them. The restaurant is also held in high acclaim.
• House of Fraser - a few minutes stroll down Briggate is the city's House of Fraser with its extensive designer and mid-range collections. Whilst a bit small for the number of clothes, people and the size of the city, it still has a great range of stuff and if you avoid saturday afternoon it doesn't have to be a stressful experience.
• Flannels is an ultra-exclusive department store with a branch of the outstanding Anthony's restaurant and exhibition space, found opposite the Victoria Quarter on Vicar Lane
• Debenhams and Marks & Spencers both also have large Briggate stores - there are several other branches of M&S, which originated in the city's Kirkgate Market (see above) across Leeds, including a massive store at Owlcotes in Pudsey.
• John Lewis is due to open in the city in a new development in 2010-11

Designer & Couture

Most designer stores are found in the Victoria Quarter or nearby, a few of the more prestigious names and stores located outside the area include:

• Louis Vuitton
• Vivienne Westwood
• Oliver Sweeney
• Hugo Boss
• Tiger of Sweden - spacious fashion store in The Light
• Cyanide Cocktail, 102 Merrion Centre - unusual location for a new concept couture shop
• Co Cu - leading brand in couture corsetry have their studio and original show room in Leeds
• Dawn Stretton - home-grown couture evening wear in the Corn Exchange

Boutiques

All the usual (and many less common) fashion chains such as Jigsaw, Diesel, Joseph, Levi's, Eden Park, French Connection, Size?, etc etc have branches in Leeds, mostly around the Victoria Quarter, Vicar Lane, Briggate and its arcades. However where Leeds really comes into its own is an impressive range of one-off boutiques, particularly in the city centre but increasingly in areas such as Headingley, Chapel Allerton, Roundhay and Oakwood. There are far too many to list here, but a brief selection of highlights would include:

• Accent - with male and female brances on Queen's arcade
• Tunnel - more trendy gear
• Ark - streetwear labels galore at this popular Corn Exchange store
• White Label Clothing - award winning own-brand designs in this intimate Corn Exchange boutique
• Ginger Ink - popular trendy clothing in Headingley and Chapel Allerton
• Ace - more grungy/bohemian Boar Lane boutique
• Hip - what it says on the packet! Thornton's Arcade
• Sugar Shack (aka LS6) - their LS6 branded range and slightly offbeat clothes please the bohemian and student crowd that frequent this Hyde Park Corner boutique
• Everything But Beige - cool, funky and friendly boutique with a range of clothes and other items in Granary Wharf
• It may not be a one-off, but Joy (in The Light) is worth a mention purely because its such a cool, funky combination of great clothes and gadgets

Vintage

Forget charity shops (although Leeds, particularly Headingley has money, and they're great if you're on a budget/have a social conscience), Leeds is Vintage boutique heaven. The exchange quarter is the beating heart of Leeds' bohemian culture, and many of the establishments are based round here. However, there are significant numbers at Hyde Park Corner, and across all the main shopping areas of the city. Some of the best include:

• Blue Rinse - a Leeds institution, this large Call Lane store (it was two, its becoming one) has all your second hand needs
• Vintage - simply put, down on lower Briggate you can rummage through mountains and rails of clothes to your heart's content
• Atticus - trendy Hyde Park Corner vintage boutique

High Street

All the UK high street names, for better and for worse, can be found in Leeds City Centre, many having branches in out of town districts and shopping centres. Here are the central locations for the big favourites:

• H&M - flagship store on Briggate as well as a large branch in Leeds Shopping Plaza
• Topshop - again, flagship store near the Boar Lane end of Briggate, supplemented by smaller St John's Centre branch
• Bennetton - surprisingly small branch in The Light
• Zara - Prime-location Briggate store
• Primark - huge, spacious shop in a beautifully converted Headrow/New Briggate building
• Monsoon - Commercial Street
• New Look - Headrow & Leeds Shopping Plaza
• Wallis - Briggate
• River Island - Lands Lane
• Warehouse - Lands Lane & Leeds Shopping Plaza
• Gap - Briggate

The list could go on forever, but walking around the central shopping area, you will come across all the high street favourites eventually, even if not mentioned above.

Sportswear

The big names are all present as well as some one-offs...

• O'Neill - flagship store in The Light
• Quiksilver & Firetrap are both in County Arcade, Victoria Quarter
• Get Snow - snowsports shop in the Corn Exchange
• Anti Gravity - not so much sportswear as equipment, mainly kiting (Corn Exchange)

Lingerie

Leeds has for some reason a plethora of underwear shops, as well as selections in all the major stores. Here are a few of the best:

• Bravissimo - for the bustier ladies, an excellent and friendly Victoria Quarter shop
• Gash - contemporary, stylish and couture lingerie in the Corn Exchange
• Fit to Bust - funky Chapel Allerton store
• Sacred Hearts - intimate, upscale Victoria Quarter store
• La Senza and Ann Summers amongst others are on Lands Lane

Shoes & Accessories

Again, Leeds has all the major chains, with a concentration of shoe shops around the top end of Briggate and the arcades, as well as a smaller selection around Commercial Street/Central Square. Accessories can be found in many clothes shops and department stores, as well as various specific shops and boutiques scattered across the city.

• Schuch, Dune, Sole, Aspecto, etc are all on the top end of Briggate
• Jade - has a pleasant studio-style store on Lands Lane
• Russell & Bronwyn, Clarks and various other shoes shops are on Commercial Street
• Trendy Moda in Pelle is found in the Victoria Quarter
• Harvey Nicholls has two floors of stylish designer accessories and shoes
• Louis Vuitton's store has a huge selection of the famous bags
• Seasons - a colourful store for fashionable shoes and accessories in the light
• Broughton's - off the beaten track on Cookridge Street
• Kurt Geiger and Nicholas Deakin are two desginer stores with an emphasis on shoes and accessories in the Victoria Quarter
• MB Shoes in the Corn Exchange
• Skin also in the Corn Exchange for leather accessories

Design, Gifts, Handcrafts, Interior

Okay, so its a broad definition, but many of the shops listed blur the lines between the four. As with any large, innovative, happening city, Leeds has these shops in droves. There is a particularly high concentration in the Northern Quarter and Chapel Allerton.

• Area - award-winning, and you can see why. This is the defining Leeds design shop with branches on New Briggate and Harrogate Road (in Chapel Allerton)
• Loft - ultra cool design on Dock Street
• Peter Maturi - stylish designer kitchenware on Vicar Lane
• Piprala - cute little Headingley gift and craft shop
• Angels and Angels Too - popular Chapel Allerton gift and design shops
• Octopus - fun and funky gift shop in Queen's arcade

Health & Beauty

Many of the top range health and beauty stores are found in the Victoria Quarter, as well as all the regular chains across the city, such as The Body Shop.

• The White Company - simplicity, elegance and quality from the popular chain
• Space NK - the first word in beauty
• Rose & Co - wonderful old-world style apothecary with beautiful products
• Jo Malone
• Neal's Yard
• Crabtree & Evelyn

Electrical

As well as all the usual suspects, Leeds has several electro-boutiques and two of the most prestigious names around:

• Bose may break the bank but if technology is your thing, it may well be worth it (Headrow)
• The city's branch of uber-cool Bang and Olufsen is on Street Lane, Roundhay

Deli's and Food Shops

Of course, as with almost all of the UK today, supermarkets, M&S Simply Food and other chains dominate the food-shop market, but there are an increasing number of quality independent delicatessens, bakeries and other little food shops across the city. Many out-of-centre areas retain their local shops (though this cannot be said for everywhere) and the city centre has an impressive range on offer, including:

• Pickle & Porter - sandwich shop par excellence, this award winning little place just off Lands Lane gets mouths watering
• Simpson's - exclusive but excellent deli-cum-mini market on Dock Street
• Harvey Nichols' food court is small, squashed between Fourth Floor Restaurant and Yo Sushi, but it has lots of expensive goodies for that extra special something
• Salvo's Salumeria in Headingley has a range of fine authentic Italian produce
• There are a number of Chinese food shops around Vicar Lane and the Templar Street Chinatown Arcade - including a well-stocked oriental supermarket on Vicar Lane itself
• Out of this World is an excellent, well stocked, fair-trade organic minimarket offering all the food you could want, but tastier, healthier, more ethically responsible and, admittedly, more expensive
• The lively area of Harehills (bus no12 or 13) in East Leeds has a bad reputation locally for crime and poverty, and whilst the visitor should be aware that it is maybe best not to flash expensive items or visit the area after dark, it is worth visiting for its fantastic range of food shops, cafés and restaurants from across the world. A true cultural melting pot, the area has everything from Jamaican grill-houses to Indian restaurants, Persian tea-shops to Eastern European supermarkets, and if you want to experience authentic international food or simply see another side of the city, it is an interesting place to go - and prices are far lower than in many other areas.

Books, Music, Video

Leeds has all the major chains such as Waterstones, Borders, HMV, Virgin Megastore, Music Zone, WHSmiths, etc and also a variety of smaller independent shops (as well as lots of second hand places - including a massive, well-stocked Oxfam Books & Music in Headingley)

Eat

There are, of course, so many restaurants in central Leeds that everyone is guaranteed to find something to their taste and budget, from all the usual chains (many of which have several branches in the city) to the huge variety of one of places, including many award-winners, that one would expect of such a large and cosmopolitan city. Headingley, Chapel Allerton, Roundhay and various other districts outside the centre also have a range of quality eateries (whilst a few places in these areas are mentioned below, fuller selections can be found on their respective guides). Café culture is thriving in Leeds, with a great number of places for a lunch or lighter meal, and there are also many fine curry houses in the city, due to the large South Asian population. Leeds recently launched (with much success) an annual Food and Drink festival, held at the end of August, with many free events bookable in advance.

It is now possible to have food delivered from a selection of top Leeds restaurants for a small fee, so you can eat restaurant food without having to go out http://www.themenuservice.com

Restaurants

• L'Oranaise [5], (Hyde Park). This Algerian restaurant offers authentic atmosphere and eating—even a Sheesha pipe for after the meal. The food is amongst the best this Wikitraveller has tasted in Leeds. Teas and coffees can be taken upstairs amongst the low tables and scatter cushions.
• The Clock Cafe (Hyde Park). This wikitraveller has found it difficult to fault this restaurant despite several visits. Anything on the menu is delicious and the service and beers (no weak fizzy lager here!) are outstanding, ranging from traditional English to renowned Czech produce. The setup is basic with benches and tables but the atmosphere is pitched just right for small groups and couples—recommended. If there were popularity contests for bar staff, this place would win.
• Anthonys [6] (City Centre). If you're willing to spend a little bit more for that extra-special meal then this is the place to go - but book ahead as this is the most popular restaurant in Leeds—highly recommended. There is also a popular branch in Flannels department store.
• Akbars (City Centre). Award-winning Indian food served in cosmopolitan surrendings—and at reasonable prices too!

Bibi's

• Bibis [7] (City Centre). Wonderful Italian food served in a fantastic Art-Deco restaurant—packed with local regulars who know a good thing when they eat it!
• Salvos [8] (Headingley). Salvos Italian resturant and salumeria/cafe two doors down. Both fantastic simple food, great atmosphere.
• Truffles [9] (Kippax). A ten-minute journey out of town to this award winning restaurant, twice voted best restaurant in Leeds. Book now, waiting list of about 4 months. Serves the finest Traditional English as well as imaginative dishes to die for! A welcoming warm atmosphere with lashings of luxury!
• Aagrah [10] is an expanding Leeds-based chain of quality curry houses with a city centre branch in Quarry Hill, near the West Yorkshire Playhouse
• Casa Mia, Casa Mia Grande (both in Chapel Allerton) and Casa Mia Millennium (on Millennium Square) are locally famous for their top-notch italian fare
• The Flying Pizza [11] is a North Leeds institution. In the centre of Roundhay, this fantastic Italian restaurant has been going for well over 30 years
• SiSushi [12] is a great sushi restaurant and takeaway with branches on Great George St and Harrogate Road (north of Chapel Allerton)
• Little Tokyo is a multi-award winning Japanese place on the edge of the Exchange Quarter
• Simply Heathcotes - exclusive but incredibly good waterfront restaurant
• Calls Grill - dine in style at this excellent waterfront eatery
• Maxi's - a renowned Chinese restaurant in a slightly out-of-centre location but with a smaller branch in The Light
• Arts Café is one of the oldest establishments in the Exchange Quarter, with a friendly-relaxed vibe and food to die for at very reasonable prices (the desserts are especially delicious)
• Fourth Floor at Harvey Nichols - the renowned Leeds branch restaurant has been going strong for years with an innovative menu tailored to the seasons. Despite the swanky location, it is surprisingly unpretentious and not ridiculously pricey.
• Mio Modo - This plush Italian restaurant in the financial district oozes style and whilst not cheap the excellent food easily makes it worth the prices
• The Mill Race - hearty organic fare in a beautiful building, this place often needs reservations but the food is breathtaking
• Viva Cuba - this excellent, acclaimed Cuban Tapas restaurant has two fine branches:Queen Square in the city centre, and Kirkstall Road, a couple of miles west of the centre
• Cuban Heels - beautiful, relaxed little restaurant-café-bar with buckets of charm, great food and a lovely, intimate location in railway arches on a cobbled site street in the Exchange Quarter. Inexpensive with midweek offers.
• Livebait - excellent Calls seafood restaurant with simple, traditional style and decor and emphasis on quality food
• Restaurant Bar & Grill[13] - simply named, this restaurant sits in a stunning location in the Old Post Office conversion on City Square, and exudes style and elegance, offering a range of fantastic quality meals and drinks
• Tampopo - ever-popular swanky noodle restaurant in the Financial District
• Room - surprisingly affordable stylish restaurant deservedly popular with the city's rich and famous, serving modern takes on traditional British food
• Hansa's - acclaimed vegetarian Indian restaurant on North Street with curries to die for
• Brio[14] - popular Italian restaurant with generous portions and great pizzas (Great George St and smaller branch in The Light)
• Lucky Dragon - authentic Chinese in the Chinatown Arcade of Templar St
• Café Guru - design-lead swanky new Indian restaurant in the attractive central plaza of Brewery Wharf (on the south bank)
• Sous Le Nez en Ville - fantastic dining experience below street level in this exclusive-but-well-worth-it restaurant
• Georgetown - behind the striking clockmakers' facade lies a subtropical palace to colonial opulence, decked out in impeccable but tasteful old world grandeur and serving delicious malay cuisine: an experience for all the senses

Cafés, Coffees and Light Meals

As well as a plethora of fine restaurants, Leeds also has a huge range of cafés and places for a drink or light bite. Of course there are countless starbucks, caffe neros, costa coffees, etc but there is also a strong showing from independent places. Many of the above restaurants will do smaller meals and lunch menus during the day but here are a pick of some Leeds cafés:

• Just Bean - more off a coffee stand, this nonetheless was titled best place for coffee in the city, with its organic drinks at reasonable prices
• Wrappid - Fajita/wrap café right in the centre of town
• Bagal Nash - rapidly expanding Leeds bagel chain, with a massive range of bagels and fillings, all extremely tasty - branches include Swan St and The Light
• Citrus - ever-popular café-bar in Headingley and the Corn Exchange
• French Connection - pleasant café in County Arcade (Victoria Quarter)
• Harvey Nichols' café in the Victoria Quarter serves high quality treats that won't break the bank
• Roots & Fruits - quality vegetarian café with a relaxed atmosphere in the Grand Arcade
• Sahara - all-day and all-night, it may look a tad grubby but you can't argue with the food (or the sheesha)

Drink

Leeds' two large universities means there is a vibrant, diverse and thumping nightlife scene including many clubs as well as a huge range of fine drinking establishments from traditional pubs to ultra chic concept bars. Leeds was voted Number one city for clubbing. It is estimated there are well over 100 city centre bars and pubs and a huge number of nightclubs. Leeds City Guide is a good source of information, as is the comprehensive (and excellent) listings magazine the Leeds Guide.

Drinking Areas

All areas (indeed, most streets) of central Leeds offer something in the way of nightlife, but the main areas are:

• Call Lane in the Exchange Quarter (one of the city's main nightlife districts), offering a range of bars (which many would argue are the best in the city) from chic to bohemian
• Greek Street is expensive, but in between the high-end exclusivity are tackier bars attracting a less desirable crowd at weekends
• Park Row continues along the same lines as Greek Street
• The financial district has a number of dispersed, chic watering holes
• The Civic Quarter has everything: flashy bars in the Electric Press, traditional pubs, and loud, trendy bars and clubs above Millennium Square
• The are around the Calls and the Parish Church has overspill from Call Lane and some great waterfront bars and restaurants
• New York Street is becoming increasingly popular
• The Northern Quarter, centered on New Briggate and spreading north (and down Grand Arcade) is home to several older Leeds institutions but is now up-and-coming with many hot new venues
• Boar Lane is for the most part made up of standard chain bars and more downmarket drinking establishments, but a few buck the trend
• The 'yards' off Briggate are home to both traditional pubs and modern bars and clubs
• Lower Briggate is the centre of Leeds' gay community, and a variety of establishments in the area reflect this, though most are welcoming (and many are popular with) the straight population
• Railway arches are increasingly popular as homes for bars and clubs across the length of the city centre
• Architecturally lovely Assembly Street has a select number of swanky bars, clubs and restaurants
• Brewery Wharf on the south bank is growing as a drinking destination
• Out of the city centre, the districts of Headingley and Chapel Allerton are extremely popular for bars and restaurants. Exclusive Street Lane in Roundhay is also becoming increasingly popular. (See their respective guides for details on specific drinking spots in these areas)

Drinking Venues

Leeds CAMRA offer free pub guides from their website[15]. What follows is a selection of some of Leeds' highlights, but it is by no means definitive or all-inclusive!

• Whitelocks, (off Briggate). A great historic pub, one of the most impressive (and oldest) in Leeds.
• Victoria Family and Commercial Hotel, (behind the town hall). A refurbished Victorian gem.
• The Palace, (down by the bus station).
• The Scarbrough Hotel, (near the train station). Leeds CAMRA Pub of the Year 2003/4[16]
• The Duck and Drake, (by the markets). A 'locals' pub
• North Bar, (24 New Briggate). Great beer selection! Recently named best place to drink in Britain by The Observer.
• Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen, (next to millenium square near the hands sculpture). Gay-friendly, trendy - a place to meet your date.
• Fab Cafe, (Just below the metropolitan university) Great place to visit if you like your music away from the mainstream, and they actually have what seems to be an original 'Star Wars: The Trilogy' arcade cabinet!
• The Adelphi, ("Dock Street, follow Briggate down and over bridge, on the left"). Great selection of British beers, interesting decorative mix of Victorian pub architecture and 70s retro decor. A gem! Gay friendly
• The Reliance, ("North Street"). Laid back, loungy bar, also does great food.
• Boutique (off Call Lane) has a fantastic range of cocktails
• Jake's Bar (Call Lane) is thought of by many as having the best drinks in the city, and is on one of the city's busiest bar strips
• Norman and Milo, also on Call Lane have bucketloads of atmosphere (though both are completely different) and great drinks
• If you like to flash the cash, Greek Street is the place for you - and Prohibition one of its best bars
• Epernay, in the Electric Press development, is a high-quality champagne bar
• Swanky new waterfront bar The Oracle has a glittering reputation founded on its outstanding cocktail and champagne menu, exclusive members bar, ultra-cool interior design, gourmet burgers, chauffeur service and lovely riverside setting
• Mojo, in the Northern Quarter is an old favourite still going strong with a wonderful, friendly atmosphere and drinks to die for
• Baby Jupiter is an ultra-stylish bar on York Place which exudes class and has beautiful interiors to match
• Leeds' thriving gay village (the city's first annual Pride festival launched in 2006) has a number of venues, including ever-popular old stalwart Queen's Court housed in a fine 17th century building on Lower Briggate. For fuller gay listings, consult the Leeds Guide or Itchy Leeds [17]

Nightlife

Leeds was voted Best UK City for Clubbing, and certainly not for nothing! The city centre is packed to bursting with bars and clubs, ranging from cutting edge chic to indie and alternative, from cheesey tunes for the drunken masses to small select places for people who really like their music (house is still very much in vogue in Leeds, but whatever your musical taste you are guaranteed to find something). Here is a short list of some of the best and/or most popular places in the city at the moment:

• Warehouse - formerly home of the legendary speedqueen and still a firm favourite
• My House (aka Stinky's Peephouse) - new home for one of the UK's biggest club nights: Back to Basics (Saturdays)
• Oceana - it's huge, it has a million rooms, its overpriced, but it's still fun
• Baja Beach Club - if you are drunk and want to hear Chesney Hawkes, its the place for you
• Mint - quality dance music nights
• The Space - great week nights and greak weekends too!
• Dischotheque by Gatecrasher - a newish addition with very popular Saturday nights
• Mission - newly revamped (to great success) and very trendy
• Wire - quality indie, rock and alternative club
• Hifi Club - regularly voted the best club in the city, has a range of quality nights out with quality music in easy-going yet chic surroundings...everything from jazz to reggae to hiphop
• Townhouse - very trendy bar and club for the beautiful (and well-dressed) with a range of music and great drinks
• Rehab - after a shaky period, this Assembly St club is picking itself back up, having poached ever-popular nights Speedqueen and Fruity
• The West Indian Centre on Chapeltown Road has a reputation for great fun nights of a less-mainstream kind, including ever-popular monthly Subdub. Whilst the venue itself is friendly and safe (or as safe as can be expected from a club), Chapeltown is infamous in Leeds and to avoid trouble go in fairly large groups and don't wonder around outside. There are regular buses from the city centre (2 miles to the south) or call a cab. Don't walk.
• There are several gay nights (and fully gay venues) in clubs on and around Lower Briggate, including Mission, Fibre and Queen's Court. For more information on specific nights, consult a listings magazine or website.

Learn

Leeds is one of the UK and Europe's foremost university cities, with a student population of well over 80,000 (10%+ of the population!) concentrated on several higher educational facilities including the two main universities.

• Leeds University - One of the most important and respected academic institutions in the UK, with a student population of around 30,000 based around the city centre campus; also a major centre for research. One of the country's original 'redbrick' universities.
• Leeds Met University - A more modern and larger establishment with two main campuses, at Headingley and in the Civic Quarter. Leeds Met is rapidly expanding and improving, with major redevelopment planned in the Civic Quarter. The full and part time student population numbers around 50,000 in total.

Sleep

Budget

Etap Accor

Holiday Express Inn

Ibis

There are a number of B&Bs behind the university on Woodsley Rd, 20 minutes walk from the city centre and less than half an hour from the station

Cardigan Rd in Headingley also has a range of B&Bs, right next to the Cricket Ground, minutes from the shops, bars and restaurants of central Headingley and on the 18 & 56 bus routes into the city centre

There are currently no Youth Hostels in Leeds except during the summer months when a temporary city centre hostel operates. However plans are afoot for a permanent hostel to open shortly.

Mid range

Leeds Bewley's Hotel[18].

Leeds Jury's Inn[19].

Headingley Lodge

Merrion Hotel

Splurge

42 The Calls [20], this award winning establishment has now been going for years offering boutique luxury in a quiet waterfront setting only minutes from the bars and clubs of the Exchange Quarter and the city centre shops.

Park Plaza [21], is a funky hotel in a prime location with great views on the upper floors.

Leeds City Square & Queens Hotel

Queens Hotel [22], one of Leeds' oldest hotels, its dramatic Art Deco facade on City Square and old world charm and style ensure it remains a favourite.

Radisson SAS [23], excellent chain hotel in a great Civic Quarter location in The Light.

Quebecs [24], a stunningly refurbished building housing one of Leeds' finest and most luxuriant hotels in a prime location.

Hotel Metropole, recently rebranded the Met, exudes class and style.

Stay Safe

Leeds is not a particularly dangerous city, but like all big cities it has its problems. It is best to exercise a reasonbale degree of common caution: don't leave valuables unattended, don't go to badly lit/obscure/unknown places by yourself or walk around alone at night, etc. There are some notorious areas of Leeds at night with seedy reputations, including much of East Leeds, the un-rejuvenated areas of Holbeck, the yards leading off Briggate (or those without bars, clubs and pubs), Mabgate, and Chapeltown (particularly Spencer Place). Whilst by and large these places are safe by day, it is best to avoid risking trouble. If you do encounter any trouble, the emergency services (police, ambulance, fire) number is the same as for the rest of the country: 999.

Stay Well

If you do happen to fall ill in Leeds, there are of course NHS and private medical practices all across the city, with the first major healthcare centre in the city centre to be built as part of La Lumiere (see above). Leeds is also home to two of Europe's biggest and best hospitals - Leeds General Infirmary (in the Civic Quarter) and rapidly expanding St James' (a couple of miles east of the City Centre and just south of Harehills), as well as numerous smaller hospital and PCTs across the wider city area. As with the rest of the UK, tap water is safe to drink, and you are unlikely to come across any major health risks other than speeding traffic and the effects of alcohol (be careful with your drinks, drink-spiking has become common in the UK in recent years).

Cope

Leeds has a range of consulates for foreign visitors, including:

• German
• Finnish
• Dutch
• Greek (8 Street Lane, Roundhay, LS8)
• Danish (6-7 Park Place, LS1)

The main tourist information office for the city is in the train station, but there are various other information points across the city (eg. in the Central Lending Library on The Headrow).

Get out

Leeds is truly blessed when it comes to its surroundings. No other city in the country is so close to so much beautiful countryside, with the wonderful scenery and pretty towns and villages of the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and Peak District National Parks all easily accesible, the first being literally on the doorstep. Closer to home there are many attractions in the surrounding West Yorkshire area as well as York and Harrogate. The Golden Triangle formed by North Leeds and those two towns is some of Northern Englands most expensive real estate, set in rolling countryside of charming villages and stately homes.

Transport for trips

Leeds is the railway hub of much of Northern England, and railways serve York, Harrogate, Knaresborough, most of West Yorkshire and parts of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. The Leeds-Settle-Carlisle railway is one of the most scenic routes in the country. By road, the A64 leads to York, the A61 to Harrogate and the A65 to the Dales - there are plentiful bus services to these destinations.

The West Yorkshire Environ

Leeds is the economic heart, biggest and most important city of the county of West Yorkshire. The county and wider region as a whole offers many sites and attractions.

• Bronte Country [25] - the historic town of Haworth and the wild and beautiful Yorkshire Moors.

• Eureka - The Museum For Children [26]

• National Coal Mining Museum [27].

• National Museum of Film and Photography [28], in the neighbouring city of Bradford, famed for its curry houses.

• Salts Mill. Recognised as a World Heritage Site[29] along with the model industrial village of Saltaire.

• Haworth, home of the Bronte family is a pretty (if very touristy) town on the edge of the Pennine moorland. The world famous Bronte Parsonage Museum is open year round, and there are several faux-traditional shops in the town, as well as lovely windswept countryside just to the west.

• The Yorkshire Sculpture Park [30] has a fantastic collection of world-class sculpture in attractive landscaped parkland only a few miles from the city.

• The UK's largest town, the former industrial centre of Huddersfield is easily accesible by train or bus and has a handsome Victorian town centre with an expanding range of shops, restaurants, cafés and bars as well as a number of galleries and fine buildings.

• The North Leeds hinterland (or 'Golden Triangle') has several attractive historic villages of character set in lovely rolling pre-Dales countryside: this is true picture-postcard England. Gorgeous Harewood House and Bramham Park are two historic halls and estates located in the area, which is also home to the national library collection at Thorp Arch. The traditional nearby town of Boston Spa is a very pretty little place with an independent (and wealthy) flavour, a charming high street and pretty riverside.

• The pretty village of Aberford to the east of Leeds is home to Lotherton Hall and its deer park and bird garden (see above) as well as the beautiful Aberford Priory.

• The attractive spa town of Ilkley is easily accesible by bus or train and lies on the edge of the Dales, with the beautiful Ilkley Moor above the town, incorporating the (climbable with equipment) Cow and Calf rock formations. The town itself is a small, genteel and attractive place with an outdoor pool popular in the summer months.

• Skipton, with its huge historic castle, bustling market and pretty, historic town centre, is another attractive day tripping destination on the edge of the Dales, just beyond Ilkley.

Beyond the (West Yorkshire) County Boundary

• Bolton Abbey occupies a captivating location by a river at the foot of the Dales hills, just outside Skipton, and is a great base for walks in the hills. Other popular spots easily accesible include Ingleborough, Pen y Ghent, Settle, Grassington and Beamsley Beacon.

• Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. A beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site, their is a great visitor centre, extensive ruins, lovely gardens, a deer park, lake, woodlands, pleasant cafés and more [31]

• Harrogate is a lovely, affluent spa town with a range of upmarket and independent shops and restaurants in its elegant Victorian town centre ringed by lovely parks (including the lush and extensive Valley Gardens).

• Picturesque Knaresborough is a small meadieaval market town dramatically located on the side of a gorge dropping to the river Nidd. A castle, viaduct, cobbled streets, centuries-old buildings and thriving market only add to the charm. It is pleasantly under-visited by tourists and is easily reachable on the train from Leeds.

• Boroughbridge is a charming small North Yorkshire town, outside of which is the Roman settlement of Aldborough, now home to some fine mosaics and the ruins of a two-millennium old fort.

• The Yorkshire Dales is an extensive region of beautiful hills and valleys, moors, rivers, lakes and woodland interspersed with chocolate-box villages and imposing castles. The North York Moors are a bleaker but no less beautiful massif of windswept moorland rich in wildlife.

York the historic captial of Yorkshire is well worth a trip, being less than half an hour away. The traditional seaside towns of Whitby, Scarborough, Bridlington, Filey and Robin Hood's Bay make up the Yorkshire coast, and are easily accessible by train, bus or road (A64). London is only 2 hours by train and less than an hour by plane. Other major cities such as Manchester, Sheffield and Newcastle are within easy (day) tripping distance, as well as the Lake District.