Tell me about living in "Leeds, City of Wonder"

[LesterLester]

Hey everybody!
Looks like I will spend the next academic year (Sept. 2009-June, 2010) in Leeds on the basis of the international Erasmus Student exchange(from the University of Munich).
Is somebody living in Leeds or the surrounding area and could give me some insider information or general advice? What is living in Leeds like?

...until now, I've only read the University of Leeds advertising brochures and got some general information (from sources like Wikipedia, tourist information)...yes I know, maybe I should have chosen more carefully, but Leeds was the only available GB university on our exchange list, sounded not too shabby for academic work...and I like surprises(at least I thought I would).

What I have heard by now (extremes):

-"Leeds?Whut?...Where?...oh..."

-"Leeds? Isn't this one of those ugly, rundown brick-industrial cities where people stab each other to death when they aren't trying to mug somebody? Well, Good Luck!"

-"Leeds...yeah...it's ok...I guess":smallsigh:

Well, now that all is settled and I already booked the flight, there is no turning back, even if I now find out that Leeds is a literal hellhole:smalleek:

[Player_Zero]

It's a Russell group university, so it's bound to be a fairly good standard. Leeds ain't as bad as some of them. Could be London for instance.

Awful people though. Just like everyone else in England who isn't where I am.

[Myshlaevsky]

I almost pissed myself when I read the title of this thread. I shouldn't have, because my hometown is undertitled "City of Discovery", but I still found it pretty damn funny.

[Faulty]

Awful people though. Just like everyone else in England isn't who me.

I assume you meant this.

[Player_Zero]

I assume you meant this.

I can't mean that. It makes no sense.

"Just like everyone else in England who me."

Who me?

[Nano]

I can't mean that. It makes no sense.

"Just like everyone else in England who me."

Who me?

Yes you. You stole the cookies from the cookie jar!

[Phaedra]

Leeds is... well, it's your average large UK city, to be honest. It has nasty concrete areas that you probably shouldn't walk through at night and it also has some really nice areas. Very good shopping city from what I remember, though I haven't been to Leeds for a few years. It's also got very good nightlife from what I've heard from some friends who live there.

It's a good place to be if you want to visit the rest of the UK on your year out as well - you can get the train to pretty much any other UK city direct from Leeds. It's also easy to get to less urban areas pretty quickly from Leeds - you can get to York (my hometown, and a very pretty tourist city, I recommend a trip :smallsmile:) in 20 mins on the train and there are plenty of little quaint Yorkshire touristy villages nearby too. I'd also recommend wandering out to the Yorkshire Dales at some point, they're exceptionally pretty.



Awful people though. Just like everyone else in England who isn't where I am.

Pfft, I live in Shottingham too. It's not great.

[Player_Zero]

Pfft, I live in Shottingham too. It's not great.

Since when? You're not going to turn out to be my nextdoor neighbour or my estranged cousin are you?

Oh yeah, and every train seems to have at least one stop in Leeds. Even if you're going from London to Oxford.

[eidreff]

What Phaedra said.

Also.. You have Places like Sheffield, Durham, Newcastle and Manchester within easy striking distance all good places to see.

[Phaedra]

Since when? You're not going to turn out to be my nextdoor neighbour or my estranged cousin are you?

Since about five years ago. And in that time I've been working as a puppetmaster, engineering every move in your life.

Or I've been studying. It's been one of the two. I can never remember.

[Player_Zero]

Education eh? I'm on to you! It's muggings in the Meadows isn't it!

[CurlyKitGirl]

My aunt lives there, she loves it, but I think it's a bit of a dump. But it's a very good university; I applied there actually.
It's reputation is so - so; a bit of a dump, "but not as bad as Manchester".

[Phaedra]

Education eh? I'm on to you! It's muggings in the Meadows isn't it!

<.<
>.>

Hey, that student debt won't pay itself off, y'know. And there's nothing else to do on a night.

[Player_Zero]

But seriously. You come to West Bridgford and I cut you. With my Rapier Wit.

It's what I call my stabbin' knife.

[Phaedra]

But seriously. You come to West Bridgford and I cut you. With my Rapier Wit.

It's what I call my stabbin' knife.

Well, I have never been to West Bridgford before. There'll be fresh blood for my muggings. You bring your Rapier Wit, we'll make a night of it.

[Anuan]

But seriously. You come to West Bridgford and I cut you. With my Rapier Wit.

It's what I call my stabbin' knife.

I lol'd heartily. Might I use that joke in a book that may end up published?

[Player_Zero]

Knock yourself out. The delivery of the joke is ten times more important than the joke itself, mind

[Totally Guy]

I moved to Leeds about 3 years ago and it's a mixed bag.

It's got it's very nice areas such as the city centre arcades and Roundhay and it's got it's not so nice areas.

And as with the places I've found the people to be very mixed too. There is a prevailent attitude about that "if it's not the yorkshire way it's bad" that some people tend to have and a local accent that's rather unattractive. But if you find more liberal people you'll see that they're not all bad.

The night life... well lets just say the skirts around here are very short.

There are lots of very nice cars in Leeds compared to other places I've been.

Anything more specific to ask?

[Faulty]

I can't mean that. It makes no sense.

"Just like everyone else in England who me."

Who me?

Damn and blast. I meant "who isn't me".

[potatocubed]

Leeds is... acceptable. I think the university is pretty good - I applied there, so it must have ticked some boxes on my 'quality-ometer', but all I remember from the open day is that the students were having a strike against tuition fees, so nothing was open because students were camping in it.

Key facts about the UK: Aberdeen and Birmingham are to be avoided. Oxford and York are both worth a visit while you're only a (grossly overpriced) train fare away.

[banjo1985]

Key facts about the UK: Aberdeen and Birmingham are to be avoided. Oxford and York are both worth a visit while you're only a (grossly overpriced) train fare away.

Too true, avoid Birmingham if you can. We smell and we talk funny. :smalltongue:

[Totally Guy]

Birmingham is not so bad. I lived there for 6 months and never had any problems, less so than with the Leeds people anyway.

I think that Leeds is where the olsdest ever film strips can be traced back to.

[LesterLester]

Thank you very much for the information!
Does not sound too bad till now.
Some little questions:
1)As a member of an EEA country, I am allowed to work in the UK.
What kinds of sidejobs does a (foreign) student usually get in Leeds and generally, the UK? Stuff well paid enough to help me pay for the flight home on Christmas?:smalleek:
2) Would it be difficult to find vents for my nerdy needs like D&D, creative writing and general wackyness?
3) How expensive is Leeds compared to other English cities (I have to calculate how many of those puny "pints" you brits are so crazy about I can afford..:smallwink:
4)what about crime in Leeds(and in the dorms)?Do I have to expect to "loose" my new 600€ laptop(for playing tf2 huzza!) after a few weeks?

:smallwink:

Once again, thanks for answering!

[Totally Guy]

Working in the uk shouldn't be too troublesome, there is a community of polish workers that are fairly ubiquitous. Student jobs, there's a couple of cinemas, shops, restaurants and probably cleaning work withing the city itself...

Vents for nerdy activities... there's a shop called Travelling Man in the city centre I could probably find an address for that, that would be a good place to start your search.

For drinks there are cheaper bars about... but since I got all my riches I've not really paid much attention to which is which.

Crime in Leeds... I don't know it depends on area but I've only been there a few years so I'm not entirely sure which bits are bad. Where will you be?

[bosssmiley]

Too true, avoid Birmingham if you can. We smell and we talk funny. :smalltongue:

♪ It's the city of love
It's the city of sunshine
All of your dreams now
They can come true in

Birmingham!♫ (http://www2.b3ta.com/birmingham/)

Leeds?
Good uni.
Nice Victorian city centre w. cultural stuff.
Royal Armouries Museum and (IIRC) the northern branch of the Imperial War Museum.
Footy team are poorer than a church mouse.

Weather: bracing.
Beer: cheap and plentiful.
Food: cheap and filling.
Girls: cheap. :smallamused:

Oh, and people from Leeds don't like people from Bradford much.

[Eldpollard]

Ah someone already mentioned Travelling Man. It's a really good game shop in Leeds. If I recall correctly they also have a couple of stores in Manchester and Newcastle. Lots of manga, comics, and many, many miscellaneous games. I have spent far too much money there.

I can't help you with the uni itself, but I quite like Leeds. The centre's quite nice, good shopping, I have no idea how the nightlife is as I tend to go elsewhere for that.

As for part time work Leeds does have a lot of shops so you should be okay. Oh, and if you're going to be there in November there is a comic convention on. (http://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/08home.asp)

[comicshorse]

If you are short of cash. Covance is very near the University.
They are a medical testing company that will hire you to be a guinea pig. Its boring but pays very well for just sitting around watching TV and giving blood samples

[Totally Guy]

Oh, and people from Leeds don't like people from Bradford much.

Phew, I thought it was just me.