International Student Accommodation - Go Live It

The City

Home to actor Peter O’Toole, singer Mel B of the Spice Girls and punk rockers the Kaiser Chiefs, the city of Leeds is a vibrant and lively metropolis nestled in the Yorkshire midlands. The Industrial Revolution shaped Leeds as a major industrial centre for the production and trade of wool during the 19th century. The 20th century witnessed the development of Leeds as a centre for higher education and commerce in the establishment of multiple universities and businesses.

Today, Leeds is recognised across the world as one of eight of Britain’s core cities, drawing legions of visitors from their respective regions and beyond. Leeds is the largest city in all of Yorkshire, boasting some of England’s finest alumni who have gone on to impact the world globally through the arts, business, education, research and politics.

Geography; Located in West Yorkshire in the North of England, the Leeds Metropolitan district throbs to the pulse of thousands of shoppers, visitors, students and professionals on a daily basis. Beyond the cluttered high streets of the city centre, the greater City of Leeds is composed of nearly 70 other districts of which are all easily accessible by bus, coach, train or air.

Economy; As one of the UK’s fastest growing cities, Omis Research nominated Leeds as ‘Britain’s Best City for Business’ in 2003. Second to London, Leeds has the largest financial centre in England and developing retail outlets, offices, media corporations and call centers provide a strong backbone to the city’s continued economic growth.

Development; Renovations are underway within the Leeds city centre and in its environs. Developments include additions to the beloved Headrow Shopping Centre, the eccentric shopping plaza the Corn Exchange and Leeds Metropolitan University. The city’s charming Millennium Square and riverside Clarence Dock districts have both been successfully redeveloped into two thriving landmark locations of the city centre. Sixteen new skyscrapers are currently under development for the city centre.

The City Centre; Listed below are a few of the most frequently visited streets and destinations throughout the city centre. You can find most of your necessities on, within, or near-by one of the places listed.

The Briggate: Boasting some of the best shopping outlets, Leeds cobblestone briggate hosts an array of shops, pubs, restaurants and services for all ages. Come Monday through Sunday, the briggate is jammed full of shoppers, street vendors and performers and businesses offering free samples and goodies (a student’s dream!).

The Arcades: Dotted throughout the city and found adjacent to the Briggate, Leeds’s Victorian arcades are home to unique and trendy boutiques, world famous department stores and designer outlets such as Debenhams, Harvey Nichols, Vivienne Westwood and Louis Vuitton. The breathtaking ‘Victoria Quarter’ is filled with gold leaf and stained glass design elements and connects with several other similarly stunning arcades. This is not a suitable place to consider spending your student loan on but it is instead a great place to take loads of photos of the shop exteriors and of the historic architectural design of the building itself.

Victoria Quarter: www.v-q.co.uk

The Corn Exchange: Built in 1864, this large circular building, was (as the name suggests) a venue for corn exchange among locals. Later, the Corn Exchange was converted into a shopping venue, but decided in November 2007 the centre is to be converted into a food emporium.

The Corn Exchange: (www.cornx.net)

Kirkgate Market: Leeds' Kirkgate Market is the second largest covered vendors market in Europe, following Leicester's covered market. The 800 stalls of Kirkgate market offer everything from household cleaning products, knitting materials, fresh and local fruits and vegetables, a fishmongers' row, a butchers' row, several delis, café and takeaways, toys; new and second hand clothing, electrical equipment, bakeries, bulk food shops and fancy dress outlets. The market is a perfect destination for students to find the cheapest produce, meats and household necessities. Every 1st and 2nd Sunday, the market closes it doors and moves outside where dozens of local merchants and producers set up outdoor stalls of cheeses, meats, produce, breads and other hand crafted good at very reasonable prices and not before you try a sample of each variety on sale!

Kirkgate Market: www.leedsmarket.com

The Shopping Plazas: Within a 3 mile radius of the city centre, Leeds holds 5 separate shopping plazas, all which promote several popular retail outlets, service shops, restaurants, and entertainment and health facilities, all at reasonable prices. Several plans are in process and are even underway for several of Leeds shopping plazas, with a goal to include over 300 new retail and food outlets within the next few years. Leeds’ ‘The Light’ shopping plaza is a student’s one-stop destination for trendy clothing, quality food, a 13 screen cinema, a health club, an NHS drop in centre and NU bar, a favourite student bar/nightclub. Found skirting the edges of the city centre are several other shopping plazas including Birstall Retail Park, the White Rose Centre and Headingley’s Arndale Centre.

Commercial Street: Home to every mobile phone network, bank and several other common shops, commercial street runs just off the Briggate and is the perfect place for any student to purchase a new phone, find a bank or sample the latest bean by Costa Coffee.

Granary Warf/Clarence Dock: The perfect place to sit underneath a shaded umbrella on the banks of the River Aire and enjoy a glass of your favourite tipple in the southern part of town. Some of Leeds’ finest restaurants and trendiest after-work venues dot the bank of the river and offer refreshing views of the river and local neighbourhood. A short stroll further south down the river bank will lead right to the Royal Armouries. It houses a huge collection of armour, war memorabilia and exhibition portraying oriental, hunting, tournament, self-defence and war artefacts and items. It has an open courtyard used to exhibit historic skilled trades, falconry and hunting demonstrations and medieval jousting.

Clarence Dock: www.clarencedock.com

Just outside the city centre;

Hyde Park & Headingley: Leeds' largest student population flock to these districts to find homes after their first year. It is within close proximity to the university and their reputed student venues and discounted services. Here you can find students flooding the pavement from mid-morning until late in the evening on their commute to university or running errands to the local supermarkets and shops. Both Headingley and Hyde Park have an array of retail venues, restaurants and other service shops, which appeal to the student budget and lifestyle. The areas are also home to several churches, community groups, residential areas, and primary schools.

Tourism

You won’t find many tourists visiting Leeds for anything other than specific reasons, such as visiting the city on business, for its shopping facilities or for its reputed nightlife. Although Leeds has dozens of mid to high class hotels, the city does not have any hostels and little tourist information for its size. The only (but sufficiently large) tourist office is located in the train station and provides free information on planning your time in Leeds as well as British and Yorkshire souvenirs for purchase. However, within the past 5 years, Leeds has been awarded and recognized as the “UK’s favourite city” (2004, Conde Nast Traveler magazine Reader’s Award), “Visitor City of the Year” (2005, Good Britain Guide) and “Best English city to visit outside of London” (2005, Conde Nast Traveler magazine).

Leeds' ideal location in the heart of England thrives on a hugely accessible road, rail and air network which connects to some of the best tourist destinations across Britain, Europe and the world. Visitors or new students to Leeds, should consider visiting some of the following sites before their departure from the city and regions:

Where to visit;

1. Henry Moore Sculpture Centre (Art gallery, city centre)
2. West Yorkshire Playhouse (Professional theatre, city centre)
3. Opera North (Professional opera performance company, city centre)
4. Northern Ballet Theatre (Professional ballet company theatre, city centre)
5. Leeds City Museum (Gallery and exhibitions, city centre)
6. Kirkstall Abbey & Museum (Ruined abbey and new museum, Kirkstall)
7. Armley Mills Industrial Museum (Machinery, railway and locomotive museum, Kirkstall)
8. Thackray Museum (Medical museum, near St.James Hospital)
9. Royal Armouries (Military museum, city centre)
10. Leeds Art Gallery (Art gallery, city centre)
11. Harewood House (Historic building and gardens, Harewood)
12. Lotherton Hall (Art collection and bird garden, Aberford)
13. Roundhay Park (Public park and gardens, Roundhay)
14. Tropical World (Exhibition of live tropical animals, insects, amphibians and plants, next to Roundhay Park)

For more ideas and suggestions please follow the link: http://www.leedsliveitloveit.com/.

Transport

Bus; Transportation throughout the city is fast and efficient and a bus pass for a single term or for a full year can be purchased at a reasonable price within select zones. From Hyde Park to the city and throughout the south, east and west of the city centre, traffic rolls quite steadily and it shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes to reach your final destination. However, if you live in Headingley or further afield, investing in a bus pass is a good idea but it will cost you around £350 for a full year bus pass. From the Leeds metropolitan district and stretching to a 10 mile radius, a bus pass will grant you free access to First buses serving this area. Be careful to plan your travel time if you live out of the city centre, especially if you live in Headingley. From noon until 8pm during University terms, Otley road (the main road through Headingley) becomes quite congested with traffic. Your journey will take you twice as long and will sometimes last 45 minutes to an hour to travel a mere 3 miles. First Bus: http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/yorkhumber/leeds/home/.

Coach; The National Express or Mega Bus coach services are the best providers for cheap travel within Britain. Ticket prices cost anywhere from £1 and depart from Leeds city centre. For just £10, buy a 'Student Coach Travel Card' which will save you a 1/3 off the regular price of coach tickets for your journey with National Express.

Trains; Trains run nearly every minute from Leeds Station and serve several destinations throughout the United Kingdom. To find the best prices, try booking your journey for further destinations a few months in advance. Tickets for visitor hotspots such as York, Sheffield, Liverpool and Manchester can be purchased for a flat rate on the date of travel. Consider buying a Young Person’s railcard for £20 which will save you 1/3 off the regular price of a train ticket. Train tickets: www.thetrainline.co.uk.

Car; There is a lack of parking spaces on all campuses and throughout the city. But while there are a few car parks around, the fee for parking is sky-high. It is best to avoid driving in Leeds and rely on local transport instead.

Plane; Leeds has its very own Bradford airport situated only 10 miles outside the city centre which connects to several destinations throughout Europe. Airlines such as Ryanair and Easy Jet operate out of the Leeds-Bradford International Airport at very cheap rates. A local bus service provides bi-hourly bus service to and from the airport on a daily basis. Leeds Bradford International Airport: www.lbia.co.uk.

Foot; Who needs the gym when you can walk the hills of Leeds?! Leeds is very accessible by foot and there are several opportunities to go on hikes and walks in the nearby Yorkshire Dales and Lake Districts. Walking advice: http://www.yorkshire.com/cps/rde/xchg/ytb/hs.xsl/outdoor-yorkshire.htm.

University

Visitor’s shouldn’t be alarmed at the number of students filling the streets of Leeds. After all, Leeds is home to two Universities with a total population over 124,000, 10 higher and further education colleges with a combined population of 78,000, and dozens of primary and secondary schools. The city is reputed for having high academic standards for its incoming students. The structure of the British education system, from primary school to University, differs greatly from most other education systems elsewhere in the world. It is advisable to contact your respective international office for further questions or enquiries.

Depending on your faculty, it may not be a surprise to have very few hours of actual class time a week. University modules are largely focused on independent learning, where students are expected to invest a good amount of time reading primary and secondary sources, doing research and attending seminars for each of their modules. Professors and tutors are often readily available to help students with any problems or concerns and the Universities offer a large amount of student services to provide aid for students. Each respective educational institution is proud of their respective achievements and graduates and students enjoy taking part in friendly rivalry between the schools.

Food and Drink

From student budget hangouts to world-class fine dining, Leeds city centre and its surrounds boast a phenomenal array of restaurants and eateries. When your parents visit, let them treat you to a fixed price menu at Harvey Nichol’s fourth floor café or chef Anthony Flinn’s ‘Anthony’s’ restaurant while testing the countless meal deals and budget friendly menus from cafes, restaurants and pubs throughout Leeds. Restaurants are typically open for breakfast and brunch from 9am until 11am and are open from 11am until late night serving lunch, dinner and pudding menus. You will find every main supermarket in multiple locations throughout the city, opening as early as 7 am and some closing as late as 11pm.

Grab a bite at these student hot spots…

The Cafetiere; in Hyde Park Corner. An extremely popular for lunch and dinner, favoured mostly by students. Prices are reasonable and portions are huge. Even the deluxe, fruit topped smoothies can count as a full meal. Serving British and Mediterranean food from breakfast until late night. Although this small restaurant does not have a liquor license, the Hyde Park pub is conveniently across the street for post-dinner drinks.

L’Ornaise; also in Hyde Park Corner. Two floors of excellent Moroccan and North African cuisine. The huge platters are immaculately prepared and served in traditional dishes. If the downstairs is full, try the upstairs: flooded with deep red lights and lined with plush velvet and silk, it is an African grotto where great meals are served at student friendly prices.

Brod’s Sandwich Bar; found in Headingley. This small, two floored restaurant offers some of the best meal deals in Leeds and is conveniently opened from 7am until late, right in the heart of Headingley.  This place requires several visits to have truly sampled a good bit of their extensive menu of starters, salads, sandwiches, hearty meals, desserts, breakfasts and much more. Plates are filled to the rim, for a fraction of the price of most other restaurants.

Subway; in Headingley, City Centre (various locations). Serving the standard mix of Subway sandwiches, soups, salads and snacks. Order the sub of the day for even better savings! www.subway.co.uk.

La Besi; found in the University (edge of Hyde Park). Bring your own wine to this small Italian restaurant and order from their extensive menu; including pizza, pasta, salads, desserts and a few British selections. Your own personal pizza will cost you less than £6 and it is large enough to take half of it home afterwards! http://www.labesi.co.uk/.

The Roundhay Fox; Roundhay (across from Roundhay Park). One of Leeds’ quieter pubs which offers extraordinary pub food at reasonable prices. The pub is not your average run-of the mill pub, but instead combines elements of a classical British pub with the class and dignity of a restaurant. Order at the bar and the white-clad servers will bring your large portions to you in no time. Try visiting during the chilling winter months, as the pub has seven roaring fireplaces to snuggle up to!

J.D Wetherspoons; City centre. A chain restaurant and pub which offers 30 free minutes of Wi-Fi for every menu item you order. Want to sample some British cuisine? Go to Weatherspoons for a full English breakfast or a Sunday roast for under £6. Large menu selection and vegetarian options widely available. www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk.

The Restaurant Bar and Grill; City Square. Situated inside on of the most stunning buildings in Leeds, The Restaurant Bar and Grill is a moderately expensive eatery, with a large international menu. Although their food is terrific, make plans with friends to meet at this restaurant for drinks and dessert and select a reasonably priced option from their full pudding and wine menus. www.therestaurantbarandgrill.co.uk.

Wagamama; City Centre. A world-wide restaurant chain, Wagamama is an excellent option for Japanese-fusion food, served in minutes, in huge portions while sitting along long wooden tables of friends and strangers. Great value, great service and great food. Ask for green tea for your drink – it’s free! www.wagamama.com.

Viva Cuba; City Centre. This popular student restaurant becomes a Latin dance hall, which you can burn off your meal eaten just minutes before! Viva Cuba serves Spanish tapas at student prices. 3 tapas from their menu are enough to fill you up sufficiently, although it's so good you many want more! From 1pm – 3pm try their all-you-can-eat tapas buffet for cheap! www.vivacubaleeds.com.

LS6; Headingley. Serving a variety of standard international lunch and dinner items, this cozy restaurant in Hyde Park is a student favourite, which is rumoured to have the best and most decadent chocolate cake in Leeds.

The Olive Tree; Headingley. An award winning Greek restaurant, The Olive Tree is never empty and serves traditional Greek food in huge portions for a very reasonable price. From 5:3- 7:30 take advantage for their 3 course early bird menu for only £12.95. http://www.olivetreegreekrestaurant.co.uk/w3j.

Because of Leeds’ extremely large student population, drink offers are not hard to find on any given night of the week. 2 for 1 cocktails at trendy bars in the city centre are not uncommon and a pint of lager for £1 – £1.50 is an ordinary find throughout the city. Pubs offer a wide selection of alcoholic drinks, juices, sodas and hot drinks.

Out on the town

The city is indebted to its student population for producing some of the best nights out in all of England at one of the many venues across the city. On weekends, visitors flock to the city to experience its reputed nightlife and you’d be hard pressed to find a quiet street on most nights throughout the week. From super-clubs to underground jazz lounges, Leeds has a great night scene. The city also has established gay venues which prove to be a hit with both gay and straight visitors alike!

Day Tripper

York; One of England's oldest and most famous medieval towns. £9 for a return train ticket. 25 minute train ride.

Liverpool; Celebrated as the capital of ‘culture’ in England and home to the Beatles. £20 return train ticket. 2 hour train ride.

London; Nation’s capital, worth a few visits! £22.00 return ticket. 2 hour, 15 minute train ride.

Manchester; Most famous for its world class football team. £20.00 return train ticket. 45 minute train ride.

Harrogate; Visit the Roman baths and Betty’s Tea Room for lunch. £6.00 return bus ticket. 1 hour bus ride.

Ilkley; Stroll along the Ilkely Moors and sample a tipple from one of this small town’s cozy pubs. £5.00 return train ticket. 10 minute train ride.

Other things to do

Sport; Leeds has one league football team, Leeds United and several teams in the Rugby league and Rugby Union. Namely Leeds Rhinos (league) and the most popular Leeds Carnegie (Union). Leeds City AC is one of England’s largest athletics clubs and its athletes compete and succeed frequently in the British Athletics League. The universities and communities host an array non-professional sporting teams, clubs and leagues for students and members of the community alike. The city offers professional training and leisure facilities for both professional and recreational athletes and enthusiasts. You can even find a real snow indoor ski and snowboard park in the nearby town of Castleford. Where you can earn the thrill of a real ski session at a low cost!

Music; Leeds caters to the musical interests of people from Britain and across the world. The Kaiser Chiefs, Pigeon Detectives and The Music are just a few of the notable acts whose members are Leeds natives, while the town itself attracts some of the world’s most famous performers on a weekly basis. From the underground post-punk hardcore anthems to chart hits, you will find a place any night playing the music you most fancy hearing. The city is no stranger to the performing arts and orchestral and acoustic concerts are featured in both professional and student venues across the city on a regular basis.

How to make your life easier

Computers & Internet; There aren’t many internet café’s across the city but the universities and school have several computer clusters throughout the campuses which are readily available for student’s use daily and nightly. Some clusters are also open for 24 hours. Bring your own laptop to campus and you can gain free internet access via. The wireless signal. Printing is at a reasonable price of on average 4 pence per page. Several restaurants and cafes throughout the city also are Wi-Fi (Wireless) internet at a small fee per hour. If you are living in student accommodation, please be advised that the universities do not allowed downloading programs (Limewire, Napster, Bearshare, etc) to run on your computer or else it will be shut down until you have removed the program. Legal downloading programs such as Itunes are permitted however.

ID or passport; Many restaurants, services (health, sport, transport, etc) and retail outlets offer a discount to students upon presentation of their student ID. Bring a valid driver’s license or passport with you on a night-out. You will need it if they ask you for some identification.

Job Opportunities; The city has dozens of jobs readily available for students and professionals and opportunities are listed via internet, newspaper and signage. Leeds Metropolitan and the University of Leeds both have helpful careers and job-search web pages for students where many opportunities from hospitality to labour are posted daily.

Your Student card; You will need your student card to gain access to a select few places on campus (libraries, fitness centres, etc) and you will need to as a means to indentify yourself as a student in Leeds when required. Try to get your student card as soon as you can – before term starts if possible – in order to avoid long queues and undue stress. You will also need to present your student card during each formal exam you have.

Interesting Things About Leeds…

- Nightclubs, pubs and all late-night venues are often frequented by students in fancy dress (costume). Whether groups are celebrating an event or students merely feeling like dressing up, it is more uncommon not to see a monkey, banana and wonderwoman dancing together in any nightclub on any given night.

- From 1920 – 1925, Lord of the Rings author J.R.R Tolkien was a professor in the University of Leeds’ School of English and lived in Headingley on Holly Bank and Otley Roads.

- Natives of Leeds are known as Loiners.

- Kirkgate Market in Leeds is where Michael Marks first opened his Penny Bazaar in 1884. This was to lead, ultimately, to the foundation of Marks & Spencer, in 1890.

The boring stuff

To view information about Bank Accounts & Money transfers, Internet & Telephone and Health, visit our UK homepage.

Finding Student Accommodation in Leeds

Here is a very quick guide to help you find your ideal student accommodation in Leeds. First of all you should check out our student residences in Leeds and our Leeds private student accommodation lisitings. Your next port of call should be to contact the university. If you are studying at Leeds university their student accomodation website is University of Leeds Student Accommodation. The Leeds Met university student accommodation webpage can be found here: Leeds Met Student Accommodation.

Useful websites

Leeds City Council (city information, tourist information) - www.leeds.gov.uk

Yorkshire Evening Post (local, national and international news) - www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

Unipol Leeds (Official Leeds student accommodation website) - http://www.unipol.org.uk/leeds

Student Jobs in Leeds (extensive listings) - http://www.e4s.co.uk/jobs/leeds.htm

BBC feature on Leeds (city information, student information) - www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/students

Working in England (advice) - http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0501/working_in_the_uk.shtml

UK student Life (helpful ideas and information) - http://www.ukstudentlife.com/index.htm

Guide written by Jenna Ladd; Canadian exchange student Leeds, 2007/2008.

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