Leeds: A place to belong

To truly make the most of your time at university it is a good idea to get to know the area that you’re living in. I mean really get to know it. Talk to the locals. Visit the independent cafes. Get involved with community organisations. This will help you feel truly at home during your time in Leeds.

Leeds has so much to offer that it can be hard to know where to start. Fear not though. Read on for a handy guide to what’s going on in the areas close to you.

Hyde Park

A ten-minute walk from the University of Leeds campus and 30 minutes from Headingley, Hyde Park is home to different communities and cultures with churches, the headquarters of Leeds Muslim Council and a Hindu temple.

Lotti Morton, former LUU Community Officer, said:

I love all the murals around Hyde Park which are a really nice visual representation of some great community work that has gone on there.

Community Organisations

• Rainbow Junktion: a pay-as-you-feel community café that reduces food waste and run a foodbank.

Emily Carrigan, Community Cafe Manager at Rainbow Junktion, gave her advice for living in Hyde Park:

The people and the community spirit of this area are just the best. Get involved with local organisations doing good work for the area, there are so many to choose from and they will help you integrate into the local area. We are always looking for new volunteers for the cafe as well as supporters to organise donation drives or amplify what we share on social media.

• Hyde Park Neighbourhood Forum, South Headingley Community Association (SHCA), Hyde Park Source and Woodsley Community Centre are all community organisations working to bring together the people who care about Hyde Park.
• Don’t miss Hyde Park Unity Day: an annual celebration organised by local volunteers for everyone across the community to celebrate the diversity, cultures and residents living in the area.

Greenspaces

Getting outdoors is key to a healthy lifestyle so make sure you know all the best places to explore and hang-out in the area. Always remember to respect outdoor areas and other visitors.

• Woodhouse Moor joins Hyde Park and Woodhouse and is constantly buzzing with students and local residents. Don’t miss the parkrun here every Saturday at 9am.
• Venture through campus for a stroll through the Sustainability Garden which is soon to include a mindfulness space or head through Woodhouse to wander along Woodhouse Ridge.

Local must-sees

• Eat: Hyde Park Book Club: a creative space where you can hang out whilst eating, drinking, reading and writing. Check out their programme of gigs and performances
• Drink: The Brudenell Social Club: a cornerstone of musical culture across Leeds which doubles as a lively drinking venue
• Relax: catch a film at Hyde Park Picture House, the oldest, grade II listed cinema in the UK (currently on the road due to refurbishment)
• Shop: Vintage Boutique: one of the largest vintage collections in the city!
• Something different: get crafty at Left Bank Leeds; a creative community set in a beautiful grade 2* listed former church building on Cardigan Road.

Headingley

Thanks to its world-famous Stadium, Headingley is probably better known than Leeds itself!

Lotti, former Community Officer at LUU, said:

I love how close everything is! And feeling like you were surrounded by your friends, and all the places to meet felt really close to everyone. Really make the most of being part of the community, and don’t see yourself as just someone ‘passing through’.

Community Organisations

• As part of Headingley Development Trust (HDT), Headingley Enterprise and Arts Centre (HEART) is run by the community offering volunteer opportunities, an on-site café, a shared workspace and a varied programme of classes and events.

Mike, Centre Manager at HEART said:

Headingley is a great place to live. Not least because it genuinely has a community and HEART does play its part at being at the centre of that. People in this area don’t just care about ‘our community’ but about wider issues such as the environment. If students want to be a part of this community they will get a warm and encouraging welcome but just to be mindful that there is a community of professionals, families and older people for whom this is ‘home’ too.

• Headingley Farmer’s Market, also part of HDT, sets up every second Saturday of the month with stalls of local produce, food and seasonal plants and flowers.

Greenspaces

• Meanwood Park: only a 20-minute walk from Headingley where you can also access The Hollies and Woodhouse Ridge
• Beckett Park is a short walk north of the centre of Headingley into Leeds Beckett University Campus
• West Park Fields: check out the two full-size football pitches, the community orchard and the wildflower meadow.

Local must-sees

• Eat: Kuala Lumpur Cafe: Malaysian cuisine designed to cater everyone including veggies and vegans!
• Drink: Growler’s Social — craft beers, cocktails, mouth-watering burgers and milkshakes all under one roof
• Relax: Cottage Road Cinema: As the oldest cinema in Leeds, Cottage Road Cinema is perfect for a trip out for a movie with its competitive prices and traditional feel. They even put on special classic performances, so keep an eye on their film programme for your favourites!
• Shop: The Green Yard: browse a great selection of both indoor and outdoor greenery!
• Something different: Workshop: a sewing café that hosts craft workshops whilst also supplying coffee and cake!

Visit HeadingleyLeeds for everything you need to know about the area.

Woodhouse

Woodhouse is a popular choice for those wanting to live close to the city centre and campus at a more affordable price. Plus, it’s also close to Hyde Park Corner where you can access the wide range of shops, cafes and retro boutiques.

Harriet Matthews, Sustainability Projects Assistant, said:

I loved the pubs, cafes and restaurants in Woodhouse where there isn’t a division between students and all the families, couples, young professionals and anyone else living in the same community — you really feel the connect between students and permanent residents.

Community Organisations

There are numerous community opportunities across the neighbourhood and, as the area borders Woodhouse Ridge, there are multiple conservation projects and groups to join.

• Oblong: a community development charity which aims to help people and the local community flourish.
• Woodhouse Ridge Action Group carry out practical conservation and path maintenance activities in and around Woodhouse Ridge in partnership with the Council’s Parks and Countryside Service.

Greenspaces

• Woodhouse Ridge runs between Headingley and Woodhouse as a strip of peaceful woodland. It also offers some great views across Meanwood Valley and has two main paths along its 2.5km length so great for an afternoon stroll.
• St George’s Field: an important piece of Leeds’ Victorian history as a former cemetery where the original monuments and chapel remain. Living relatives regularly visit the site to pay their respects so please be considerate when visiting.
• Woodhouse Moor joins Hyde Park and Woodhouse and is constantly buzzing with students and local residents. Don’t miss the parkrun here every Sat at 9am.

Local must-sees

• Eat: Bakery 164: Famous across Leeds, Bakery 164 regularly has a queue up the street of people willing to wait to get their hands on one of their ciabatta or focaccia sandwiches.
• Drink: The Library: sits between Hyde Park and Woodhouse next to campus and offers a chilled out vibe where you can drink after a hard days of studying or before a night out.
• Relax: Bedford Fields is a community forest garden where all the plants are either edible, medicinal or useful in some other way! Designed and planted using permaculture principles, the garden is both an educational resource and an urban greenspace where you can volunteer, join events or simply have a stroll.
• Shop: Leeds University Green Action Society has a volunteer-run food co-op in the Union building which provides cost-price, ethical food to members.
• Something different: Check out Ecotopia which is a zero-waste shop in the city centre and Fabrication Crafts which is a social enterprise supporting smaller design businesses from across the city.

Kirkstall and Burley Park

A bit further afield from the University Campus, Kirkstall and Burley have their own unique atmospheres and we’ve combined them here to give you a brief overview of what they have to offer.

You can explore the famous Kirkstall Abbey ruins, visit the largest collection of video games in Europe, get involved with the new Kirkstall Valley Development Trust or sample Kirkstall Brewery beers and ales in one of the many pubs alongside the River Aire and Leeds canal!

Zoe Gilbank, Sustainability Officer, said:

Although Kirkstall and Burley are a little bit further from campus, they both have their own unique vibe which is definitely worth exploring. There is such a mix of residents living there and so many projects to get involved with, so make sure you take any opportunity to be part of and contribute to such a diverse community.

Community

There are numerous community organisations and action groups across Kirkstall and Burley working to improve the local neighbourhoods including Kirkstall Valley Development Trust, Burley Top Community Association, Leeds Grand Mosque (LGM), Cats of Burley, Kirkstall Village Action Group, and Burley Village Community Association.

• Seagulls: established as a grassroots social enterprise in 2002, Seagulls focuses on reducing paint waste and also has a zero waste shop, whilst also offering a training, volunteer and employment opportunities for the community. Don’t miss one of their arts and craft workshops too!

Cat from Seagulls said:

As a fellow Leeds student, I think it’s important that students recognise they are part of a community and, if possible, contribute something positive to the area. Students can help Seagulls by visiting our shops, signing up for a workshop or visiting our markets.

Green Spaces

Getting outdoors is key to a healthy lifestyle so make sure you know all the best places to explore and hang-out in the area.

• Kirkstall Abbey is one of the most famous landmarks in Leeds as the grade 1 historic ruins make up one of the most complete Cistercian monasteries in Britain! You can enjoy a leisurely walk around the grounds and along the River Aire, explore the interactive visitor centre or head across the road to Abbey House Museum.
• Burley Park: 2 minutes away from Burley Park train station. Head across Cardigan Lane to Burley Bottom Park.
• Leeds Canal runs through Kirkstall and Burley so make sure you check out the many walking routes on offer. You can even take a leisurely stroll into the city centre waterfront.

Burley Green, Burley Lodge Park and Willow Field are also great places to hang out as each space has large green areas that are perfect for a kick about and other games.

Local must-sees

• Eat: Lupe’s Cantina is a family run restaurant serving traditional Mexican street food.
• Drink: Kirkstall Bridge Inn is an independent pub perched on the edge of the River Aire that serves traditional pub classics alongside beer from Kirkstall Brewery and beyond.
• Relax: Arcade Club offers three floors of classic and modern arcade gaming that make up Europe’s largest collection of video games!
• Shop: Revive is located at Kirkstall waste recycling centre and is an award-winning reuse shop on a mission to divert waste from landfill.
• Something different: Abbey House Museum, opposite Kirkstall Abbey, transports you back into the 19th century with authentic Victorian streets that recreate shops, pubs and houses.