Vacation in Leeds

Introduction

Leeds is a city in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in
West Yorkshire in the north of England. The River Aire runs through the
city. In 1974 the former county borough of Leeds was merged with the
towns of Wetherby, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, and other surrounding areas
to form a metropolitan borough — the city status of the county borough
being conferred on the new metropolitan borough.

History

Leeds was an agricultural market town in the middle ages, and received its first charter in 1207. In the Tudor period Leeds was mainly a
merchant town manufacturing woollen cloths and trading with Europe via
the Humber estuary. At one point nearly half of England's total export
passed through Leeds. The introduction of the Leeds and Leeds Canal in
1816 and the railway in 1848 catalysed the city’s industrial growth.

Places of interest

Despite its longtime reputation as a grimy northern industrial city,
Leeds will surprise anyone with the beauty and diversity of its City
Centre. Some places to visit except the museums and art galleries:
* Quarry Hill Cultural Quarter
* Millennium Square
* Leeds Arena
* Harewood / Eastgate shopping quarters (commence
Late 2006/Early 2007)
* Trinity Shopping Quarter (commence 2006)
* South Leeds Sport Centre

Museums and Art Galleries

Leeds has a large number of museums, being the home of the Royal
Armouries Museum (opened in 1996), the Leeds City Museum which is
dedicated to the history of Yorkshire, the Thackray's Medical Museum
and the Leeds City Art Gallery. Leeds also boasts the Grand Theatre,
the City Varieties music hall and the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Shopping

While many cities can boast innumerable shopping centres and high
street stores Leeds trademark is sophistication. It has become the
shopping Mecca of the North - Gucci, Prada, D&G grace Harvey Nic’s
rails. Excepts these, street shops like - Karen Millen, Jigsaw, Kookai,
Lambretta, Vivienne Westwood, Joseph, Ted Baker and Mexx jostle, are
waiting there to feast the shopping spree in Leeds. The heart of Leeds
is The Headrow, the city’s main thoroughfare. Along its length one can
find some of the city’s main attractions; the City Museum, City Art
Gallery and The Henry Moore Institute which has the finest collection
of 20th Century paintings outside of the Tate. Off The Headrow is
Briggate with its ornate shopping centres. The Grand Theatre and Opera
House are located here also. Major shows visit regularly so it’s worth
checking out. Over all the City Center hosts a shopping center that
fulfills every need of shopping.

Food & Drink

The city of Leeds offers an extensive choice of places to eat, drink
and relax. Award winning restaurants, Victorian pubs, fashionable wine
bars and venues offering every type of ethnic cuisine ensure that all
tastes. Leeds has a very large student population and boasts a large
number of bars and nightclubs, as well as venues for live bands such as
the Cockpit, The New Roscoe, and Joseph's Well, which combine to
generate a vibrant nightlife. For American style restaurants TGI
Fridays, Wellington Street, Frankie and Benny's, Cardigan Fields,
Kirkstall, Hard Rock Café are few to name. Babylon, 10 York
Place, Browns, The Headrow, The Calls Grill are some of European style
restaurants. From Chinese, French to Italian all type of food is
available in Leeds. Listed are some famous among them: Cafe Rouge,
Canton Flavour, Lucky Dragon, Little Tokyo, Cactus Lounge etc.

Education

Leeds has two universities, the University of Leeds, and Leeds
Metropolitan University as well as various higher education colleges,
including Trinity & All Saints' College accredited by the
University of Leeds, giving it one of the largest student populations
in the country. The main campuses of both universities are near the
city centre, as is that of the similarly revered College of Art. Leeds
Grammar School, situated on the outskirts of the city at Alwoodley
Gates and dating back to 1552, is the principal public school for boys.
Leeds Girls' High School is an independent, selective school for girls,
located in Headingley and consistently ranked highly in education
tables.

Sports

The town has a strong sporting heritage, with the Yorkshire County
Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos (the Rugby League team) and Leeds Tykes (the
Rugby Union team) playing at Headingley Stadium, and Leeds United F.C.
playing at Elland Road.

Tours and Sightseeing

An organized tour in Leeds consists of local sightseeing including
museums and playhouses, shopping and Leeds Castle.

Hotels and accommodations

The dedicated team at SleepUK can assist and advise on all your Leeds
hotel requirements. Online and offline access to Leeds’ accommodation
network ensures travelers will be offered the best possible deal at the
time of your visit whether you require luxury hotels in Leeds or budget
hotels in Leeds.
Hotels in all categories are opening in Leeds all the time, reflecting
the city’s renewed prosperity and popularity as a short-break
destination.
Whether you are visiting Leeds on vacation or just on business trip,
you may need to find accommodation in Leeds and stay overnight in a
B&B or a budget or luxury hotel.
Leeds has lots of budget and luxury hotels. They are very much
convenient, friendly and comfortable. Among them - Ascot Grange Hotel,
Malmaison Hotel,
Hotel Leeds Express
by Holiday Inn Leeds,
City Centre, The
Butlers Hotel, Haley's
Hotel and Restaurant, Weetwood Hall
Conference Centre & Hotel, 42 The Calls, Harewood Arms, Quebecs, The Leeds Boutique
Hotel, Golden
Lion Hotel, Comfort
Inn Leeds, Merrion
Hotel, Harman
Suites 1 & 2, Self-Catering Apartments, Nea Ramada, Leeds Parkway Hotel,
Village Hotel &
Leisure Club Leeds are few to name about.

Transport

It has in the past been served well by its canal, and today by its rail
network at Leeds station, from where Metro Trains operate to all parts
of West Yorkshire and other operators to the rest of the country. Leeds
Station is the busiest in the UK, outside London. With two motorway
(the A1 (M), M1 and M62) intersecting at Leeds, it is the principal
northern hub of the motorway network. Leeds Bradford
International Airport is located to the north-west of the city and
has scheduled flights to destinations within the U.K and Europe.