The United Kingdom's fastest growing city situated in the heart of Yorkshire. Business, Finance and Media forms the city's commercial hub complemented by great shopping, sports, leisure and tourism facilities.
Leeds is the second largest metropolitan district in the UK; extending 15 miles from east to west, and 13 miles from north to south. This wide boundary contains some 562 square kilometres - of which two thirds is Green Belt - affording some of the most beautiful scenery in Yorkshire.
A vibrant, affluent capital, Leeds complements its economic success with a lively arts, sporting and entertainment scene. New and refurbished theatres, shopping malls, hotels, galleries and cafe bars rub shoulders with stylish offices and award-winning architecture.
Leeds has even transformed its once neglected Waterfront into a chic dining quarter and thriving visitor attraction, fashioned city apartments from former grain mills and built the country's largest regional theatre. Its modern style and traditional beauty continue to delight and astonish many visitors, but to those who have known and loved Leeds over the years, its appeal is far from surprising.
The city's central positioning - midway between Edinburgh and London - places Leeds in the heart of the country. Leeds Bradford International Airport, less than 30 minutes from the city centre, operates one of the best domestic networks, as well as scheduled daily flights to the rest of Europe - whilst a direct rail link from Leeds runs to Manchester Airport. Soon the new Leeds Supertram will provide a fast, frequent and environmentally-friendly service, to complement Metro Train and Regional Railways' North East network. Hourly electric trains already connect London to the Northern Capital in under two hours, whilst the regional attractions of York, Harrogate and The Dales rest even closer to hand.
As Leeds takes up the mantle as a key European commercial and cultural centre, it attracts new residents to its cosmopolitan centre. Already numbering over 700,000 residents, Leeds is home to more than 75 nationalities.
Numerous household names have their roots in Leeds. The famous Marks and Spencer department store began life when Michael Marks opened his Penny Bazaar in Leeds Market; Waddington’s, the makers of the board game Monopoly, was founded here; Thomas Chippendale’s furniture began life in Leeds; and the largest clothing factory in Europe was controlled in Leeds by Burton’s founding father, Montague Burton, a name synonymous with every British High Street.
The city’s fastest-growing industry is financial services. Leeds has more law and accountancy firms than anywhere outside London. The engineering, textile and clothing sectors suffered greatly in the eighties, but they have recovered and still provide for nearly a quarter of all jobs in the city.
Leeds’ claim to be a cosmopolitan city is no idle boast: shoppers can relax at street cafes; what is believed to be Britain’s first city centre boules court which will feature three life-size figures
has been opened here; the range of eating places means there is cuisine from all over the world, with several award-winning restaurants. International events on the Leeds calendar cover a wide range of sport and musical entertainment.
Remember, the city has opened one of Europe’s most hi-tech information centres, Gateway Yorkshire, next to the city’s main railway station. It is the ideal place to find out more about the Leeds and Yorkshire area.
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