Living in Yorkshire / Leeds area (advice)
Discussion
I am likely to move back to UK from asia early- mid next year ( could split time between UK and Asia as semi retired )
Am seriously considering a move up North - and thinking of either Leeds or Dales as a UK base.
Any suggestions / advice on good places to live in the area ( friends have suggested Ilkley - though maybe that’s rather quiet in the evenings )
I enjoy hiking / climbing/ outdoor stuff but also am used to living somewhere there are good pubs/ restaurants / nightlife / culture ... hence the idea of Leeds. (Have been singapore based for nearly 8 years )
Anyone have experience of living in Leeds city centre? Reasonably vibrant ?
Thanks for any thoughts / suggestions
Am seriously considering a move up North - and thinking of either Leeds or Dales as a UK base.
Any suggestions / advice on good places to live in the area ( friends have suggested Ilkley - though maybe that’s rather quiet in the evenings )
I enjoy hiking / climbing/ outdoor stuff but also am used to living somewhere there are good pubs/ restaurants / nightlife / culture ... hence the idea of Leeds. (Have been singapore based for nearly 8 years )
Anyone have experience of living in Leeds city centre? Reasonably vibrant ?
Thanks for any thoughts / suggestions
Ilkley is very nice, but without knowing your age it’s hard to say whether it would be right for you. To me, it still is a bit “blue rinse” - but still a very nice place albeit expensive. It does have a direct train to Leeds too so the nightlife etc there is fairly easily accessible.
Harrogate has a bit more going on that Ilkley but can be horrendously expensive too. Plus if you like outdoors stuff, then apart from the open green spaces of The Stray etc you’ll have to jump in the car.
Otley is a nice lively place, plenty of pubs, eateries, market 3 times a week plus loads of nearby walking attractions. But a downside is a lack of train station so if you want a Leeds fix, then access is tricky other than driving or taxi. Think there is a bus though!
As far as living in Leeds (centre) is concerned, it is a big university town and has a kicking night life. Excellent shops, restaurants etc but I’d find it too much to live there due to the literally hoards of drunk youths virtually any night of the week who seem to run feral.
Baildon has a lot going for it, at the top end it butts onto the moors that stretch to Ilkley, has a few pubs and take aways and a big Co Op. There is a station too but unfortunately no direct link to Leeds - which means at commuter times traffic can be a mare.
Just some thoughts - if you want to PM any ideas etc then please feel free. There are some really nice areas but others are places you’d not want to go in the day, never mind after dark!
Harrogate has a bit more going on that Ilkley but can be horrendously expensive too. Plus if you like outdoors stuff, then apart from the open green spaces of The Stray etc you’ll have to jump in the car.
Otley is a nice lively place, plenty of pubs, eateries, market 3 times a week plus loads of nearby walking attractions. But a downside is a lack of train station so if you want a Leeds fix, then access is tricky other than driving or taxi. Think there is a bus though!
As far as living in Leeds (centre) is concerned, it is a big university town and has a kicking night life. Excellent shops, restaurants etc but I’d find it too much to live there due to the literally hoards of drunk youths virtually any night of the week who seem to run feral.
Baildon has a lot going for it, at the top end it butts onto the moors that stretch to Ilkley, has a few pubs and take aways and a big Co Op. There is a station too but unfortunately no direct link to Leeds - which means at commuter times traffic can be a mare.
Just some thoughts - if you want to PM any ideas etc then please feel free. There are some really nice areas but others are places you’d not want to go in the day, never mind after dark!
Fat Wolfie said:
Ilkley is very nice, but without knowing your age it’s hard to say whether it would be right for you. To me, it still is a bit “blue rinse” - but still a very nice place albeit expensive. It does have a direct train to Leeds too so the nightlife etc there is fairly easily accessible.
Harrogate has a bit more going on that Ilkley but can be horrendously expensive too. Plus if you like outdoors stuff, then apart from the open green spaces of The Stray etc you’ll have to jump in the car.
Otley is a nice lively place, plenty of pubs, eateries, market 3 times a week plus loads of nearby walking attractions. But a downside is a lack of train station so if you want a Leeds fix, then access is tricky other than driving or taxi. Think there is a bus though!
As far as living in Leeds (centre) is concerned, it is a big university town and has a kicking night life. Excellent shops, restaurants etc but I’d find it too much to live there due to the literally hoards of drunk youths virtually any night of the week who seem to run feral.
Baildon has a lot going for it, at the top end it butts onto the moors that stretch to Ilkley, has a few pubs and take aways and a big Co Op. There is a station too but unfortunately no direct link to Leeds - which means at commuter times traffic can be a mare.
Just some thoughts - if you want to PM any ideas etc then please feel free. There are some really nice areas but others are places you’d not want to go in the day, never mind after dark!
Thanks for that Harrogate has a bit more going on that Ilkley but can be horrendously expensive too. Plus if you like outdoors stuff, then apart from the open green spaces of The Stray etc you’ll have to jump in the car.
Otley is a nice lively place, plenty of pubs, eateries, market 3 times a week plus loads of nearby walking attractions. But a downside is a lack of train station so if you want a Leeds fix, then access is tricky other than driving or taxi. Think there is a bus though!
As far as living in Leeds (centre) is concerned, it is a big university town and has a kicking night life. Excellent shops, restaurants etc but I’d find it too much to live there due to the literally hoards of drunk youths virtually any night of the week who seem to run feral.
Baildon has a lot going for it, at the top end it butts onto the moors that stretch to Ilkley, has a few pubs and take aways and a big Co Op. There is a station too but unfortunately no direct link to Leeds - which means at commuter times traffic can be a mare.
Just some thoughts - if you want to PM any ideas etc then please feel free. There are some really nice areas but others are places you’d not want to go in the day, never mind after dark!
I am late 50s ... live in Asia so am used to going out to music and nightlife without any ‘feral drunk youth’ running about .... Leeds sounds lively .. but maybe too ‘rough’ in city centre from what you say.
may drop you a PM
I live just outside Ilkley and am hitting my mid-40s.
I think Ilkley may be a very good answer to your requirements. Yes it does have a blue-rinse reputation and there are quite a few older people in the town, however there are also a lot of younger people who have either grown up in the area or moved to it (from Leeds or Bradford) to settle down. This has brought a new demographic and increased the vibrancy.
There's an excellent range of bars and restaurants, with more opening all the time. Cocktail bars, gin bars, real ale, plus all kinds of food. If you want to stay out until the small hours you can do.
As has been posted above, Leeds is easily accessible by train (35 mins from Ilkley) with the last train back at 11.30pm so a night out in Leeds is easily doable without the need for taxis. The train service is one of the reasons why the town (and other locations on the line) have continued to rise in popularity.
I should add that I grew up in Harrogate but prefer Ilkley over it as it offers most of what I need from Harrogate in a more compact setting yet on the doorstep to great countryside.
I think Ilkley may be a very good answer to your requirements. Yes it does have a blue-rinse reputation and there are quite a few older people in the town, however there are also a lot of younger people who have either grown up in the area or moved to it (from Leeds or Bradford) to settle down. This has brought a new demographic and increased the vibrancy.
There's an excellent range of bars and restaurants, with more opening all the time. Cocktail bars, gin bars, real ale, plus all kinds of food. If you want to stay out until the small hours you can do.
As has been posted above, Leeds is easily accessible by train (35 mins from Ilkley) with the last train back at 11.30pm so a night out in Leeds is easily doable without the need for taxis. The train service is one of the reasons why the town (and other locations on the line) have continued to rise in popularity.
I should add that I grew up in Harrogate but prefer Ilkley over it as it offers most of what I need from Harrogate in a more compact setting yet on the doorstep to great countryside.
Unless you need to be close to Leeds, I think York is a better option, it was voted the best place to live in the UK this year. It's compact and beautiful and near to the moors and dales and has a vibrant night life with more restaurants and such like than it needs,
It also is on the main line to London and Edinburgh ( 37 trains to London every weekday) and well linked to most places. Traffic can be a problem but not on the Leeds level and the tourists can be too much at times, but otherwise its low crime and a wonderful place to be . It does also suffer the saturday night party drunk nightmare but I believe this is being addressed.
Its a city but easy to access the country ( 5/10 mins drove out from the centre) and coast( just over an hour) and Leeds in less than 1/2 by train. But its the atmosphere of the place that makes it special and most of the people are wholesome and nice and friendly to boot.
Within York/Harrogate/Leeds catchment there is something for everyone. Where might suit you will depend on how urban/rural you want to be and where (if you are working) you'll want to travel to regularly from home.
I live in Rawdon, which is about 6 miles out from the centre and considered a decent (as in middle class, not that I see myself as that) area. This and Horsforth are seen as desirable in Leeds, but there are many other areas in the same boat.
If you have areas in mind happy to give an opinion. I was born in Harrogate, lived away from Yorkshire, including abroad, and moved into Leeds about 6 years ago.
I live in Rawdon, which is about 6 miles out from the centre and considered a decent (as in middle class, not that I see myself as that) area. This and Horsforth are seen as desirable in Leeds, but there are many other areas in the same boat.
If you have areas in mind happy to give an opinion. I was born in Harrogate, lived away from Yorkshire, including abroad, and moved into Leeds about 6 years ago.
alfaman said:
I am likely to move back to UK from asia early- mid next year ( could split time between UK and Asia as semi retired )
Am seriously considering a move up North - and thinking of either Leeds or Dales as a UK base.
Any suggestions / advice on good places to live in the area ( friends have suggested Ilkley - though maybe that’s rather quiet in the evenings )
I enjoy hiking / climbing/ outdoor stuff but also am used to living somewhere there are good pubs/ restaurants / nightlife / culture ... hence the idea of Leeds. (Have been singapore based for nearly 8 years )
Anyone have experience of living in Leeds city centre? Reasonably vibrant ?
Thanks for any thoughts / suggestions
PM me - I have a handy guide for colleagues that have considered such a move...Am seriously considering a move up North - and thinking of either Leeds or Dales as a UK base.
Any suggestions / advice on good places to live in the area ( friends have suggested Ilkley - though maybe that’s rather quiet in the evenings )
I enjoy hiking / climbing/ outdoor stuff but also am used to living somewhere there are good pubs/ restaurants / nightlife / culture ... hence the idea of Leeds. (Have been singapore based for nearly 8 years )
Anyone have experience of living in Leeds city centre? Reasonably vibrant ?
Thanks for any thoughts / suggestions
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