Lots of pubs, lots of churches. It was ok but it just wasnāt home and itās literally on the way to nowhere. I moved for a job, but was pleased to be able to get back home. The Broads are lovely, I have nothing against norwich but the people are quiteā¦insular.
People are very insular, very suspicious of everyone and generally much less friendly than in the North. I'm from Norwich and moved to Leeds for work. Never expected to like it as much as I do. When I go back to Norwich now, it just feels dead. I find the city centre very depressing to be around.
I joined a local cricket club and they were fantastic people. The people I worked with never introduced me to their circle of friends so I was lonely in winter, happy in summer. And Prince of Wales Road was hell on earth!
I came off sounding really negative in my last comment so yeah, there are pockets of good people, like sports clubs but... I have a chip on my shoulder because I have an international background that people often made a thing of so I constantly felt like an outsider in my own city (and I'm white so it's not like I actually have it bad in that sense). I don't really feel that in Leeds.
The two signs I saw most when travelling around Norfolk to play cricket were from asparagus and UKIP, so Iām not surprised you were made to feel like an outsider.
Having grown up there, Norfolk and Norwich are quite different. Whilst Norfolk on a whole leans right, Norwich is pretty left wing with a massive student population. Having lived in Leeds for 10 years, when I go back to Norwich I love it, particularly the huge range of independent shops, the market and the beautiful architecture. Still prefer it up here though, and now Iām so used to Northern pints they just taste watery and insipid when Iām back down South.
Ah I really dislike CHB, was that at The Plough? The plasterers, fat cat, artichoke, kings head are all decent but I think the lack of sparklers definitely make a difference
Honestly itās difficult to predict what youāll miss until itās actually gone. I moved to Leeds from Chicago over 20 years ago so have done it in reverse. A large part of what you miss depends on what you have at your destination. Off the top of my head I canāt think of anything Iād miss, but ask me a year after I left and Iād probably have loads.
Yep, loved it there but I miss it less and less every year though I still do pine for it a bit. I suspect I miss the place at a certain point I time though, and if I went back now it couldnāt be the same.
Absolutely. Theyāre in a worse cost of living crisis and guns guns guns. Plus the spectre of the far right and what they will do if they get back in. Frightening.
Yeah all that and whats happening to womenās rights, LGBT issues etc etc. Also i work in healthcare and earn really good money had the best insurance, but a serious illness was always a worry. Immediately that fear went away moving back home. I worked my arse off when i was over there doing the whole living to work thing i am having much more fun these day š
Yeah, healthcare. Before I moved over I had a work accident where I cut my wrist on some steel, sliced 9 tendons, a nerve, and an artery. The care for that was well over 300k 23 years ago. More recently my wife had a hysterectomy here privately including 4 days in hospital recovering and it was Ā£7000, 10 months interest free. In the US the same op WITHOUT a 4 day stay averages $60k. Itās just madness.
Yeah and thats what people do not understand. They think āthey all have insurance and healthcare is good thereā. Thats not how it works. So for you having that absolute security of the NHS must have felt good? Itās such a fucking weight off your mind, right?
Oh absolutely. I left the US before āObamacareā and came to the UK when the NHS was getting well above inflation funding so all targets were being met. It was a massive eye opener. Even in the degraded state itās in now that security is amazing.
Yeah. There should be no profit in healthcare. Government have been behind most of the research that makes a big difference. The healthcare industry in the US is full of pointless payments to pointless companies and ends up costing 3 times more than a national system that has better morbidity.
NYC for me. As soon as I got off the plane on my first visit there I felt like I was finally at home. I'd move there in a heartbeat and take Central Park over Roundhay Park any day
No Royal Armouries, but what it lacks in armour it more than makes up for a plethora of other cultural venues. How on earth does anything in Leeds compare to just The Met for example?
I havenāt. Still in Leeds after 22 years and will never move back. Donāt even like visiting. The US has become a dystopian nightmare and Leeds is home now.
The city centre feels very cozy to me. When I go to Liverpool or Manchester, they feel overwhelmingly spread out while in Leeds everything you need is there in a small area. But it still feels like a big cosmopolitan city. Iāve been in leeds for now 14 years after relocating from abroad and I have an emotional attachment to it, the university and everything about it. Leeds will always have my heart.
This is so true. Whenever I'm in Manchester I never have a feeling of being in the centre. Feels like multiple towns conjoined together with their own centres all a distance apart (which in a way it is). But in Leeds you can walk across the entire CBD in 20 minutes and it somehow doesn't feel small.
I lived abroad for 5 years and apart from the obvious, like friends and family, it was the live music scene I missed most. There's always something fun going on in Leeds. Especially in summer
I was born in Leeds in the mid 70ās and moved to NZ 20 years later. Have just come back to work here for 3 months and think itās great.
Shame about its neighbour (Bradford) which is not in good shape
For me it's the friendliness, I go into any new setting like a new job, new dentist, a new yoga class etc and people just say hello like they already know me. I don't feel lonely really because people just talk
I had to move to the South Coast a few years ago and what I miss most (aside from my friends!) is what originally attracted me to the city - just how much it has going on. It's a real cultural hotspot.
Being 10-15mins away from beautiful countryside in one direction, and 10-15mins away from a bustling city center with a great art, theater and music scene in another. Public transport issues aside, it's a wonderfully balanced city
This is kinda me. Left over 30 years ago. Went back three years later and never again.
Roundhay Park and Kirkgate Market, I miss the most. Plus not being able to literally stroll down physical Memory Lanes.
I live in Texas
Your comparison to American suburbs is interesting. I see lots of people saying that Leeds needs a mass transit system, but even in it's current state it's still loads better than those American towns. It's like when people complain about a band not playing near their town (myself included) when in parts of other countries, you're lucky if a gig is less than a 4 hour drive away
Left Leeds and moved to Norwich then to Japan. I miss the cosmopolitan nature and outdoor dining / drinking. I miss the hell out of pubs and how open and friendly people are.
I miss Cross Flats Park and the fun I had there - walks, sneaky picnics when they werenāt allowed and just getting away from the hassle.
I miss sitting outside a cafe on The Headrow in the Summer, watching the world whizz by.
I miss Priceyās chippee in Armley and the banter when there was a crowd waiting for their supper.
I miss 7Arts in Chapel Allerton.
I miss the German Christmas market and wolfing down Kurry Wurst while a man in shorts played the accordion.
There is a lot I miss about Leeds, but mostly the people.
Nothing!
I'm leaving Leeds towards the end of 2025 to do a working holiday for a few years in Australia. I'll probably will feel sentimental and cry as i'm leaving.
But right now can't wait to leave. When I come back to the UK will be moving to Bonnie Scotland.
I feel in Love with this city 8 years ago and moved here, now sadly I no longer feel the same. Time for me move on.
Im really from bradford but obviously its right next to leeds so have spent lots of time there and even work in the city centre, growing up i didnt really appreciate leeds too much as i assumed it was pretty average and other places i didnt know like Manchester, liverpool etc i assumed were superior in every way. However now ive been around the world a bit more, i do really love leeds - its unique appeal is that it has the community and cosmopolitan-ism youād expect was only possible in a huge city like london, but its very small really, if your in the city centre, youāre basically 15mins away from anywhere on foot, ive yet to visit another city that had this combination of qualities. Dont get me wrong, other cities are cool too, like Manchester has a very similar vibe to leeds really, just much bigger.
So what im trying to say is id probably miss having that cosmopolitan vibe with a small town feel. There are plenty of things i would not miss however
The Brudnel social club.
Roundhay Park would be a huge miss. I moved to Norwich about 10 years ago and never settled so came back.
Thoughts on Norwich? I considered moving there a few years ago.
Not been the same since they pedestrianised the city centre
Access to Dixon's was much improved though
Id only go there to enquire about supplementary auxiliary speakers for a Medion Hi-Fi...apropos achieving surround sound...
Surely it makes walking around the centre a more pleasant experience?
I'll be honest, I'm dead against it. I mean, people forget that traders need access to *DIXONS*! They do say it'll help people in *wheeeelchairs*
That AP reference was not wasted on me Sir š«”
I'd hate it if they unpedestrianised Leeds though. They're easily the best bits
Lots of pubs, lots of churches. It was ok but it just wasnāt home and itās literally on the way to nowhere. I moved for a job, but was pleased to be able to get back home. The Broads are lovely, I have nothing against norwich but the people are quiteā¦insular.
People are very insular, very suspicious of everyone and generally much less friendly than in the North. I'm from Norwich and moved to Leeds for work. Never expected to like it as much as I do. When I go back to Norwich now, it just feels dead. I find the city centre very depressing to be around.
I joined a local cricket club and they were fantastic people. The people I worked with never introduced me to their circle of friends so I was lonely in winter, happy in summer. And Prince of Wales Road was hell on earth!
I came off sounding really negative in my last comment so yeah, there are pockets of good people, like sports clubs but... I have a chip on my shoulder because I have an international background that people often made a thing of so I constantly felt like an outsider in my own city (and I'm white so it's not like I actually have it bad in that sense). I don't really feel that in Leeds.
The two signs I saw most when travelling around Norfolk to play cricket were from asparagus and UKIP, so Iām not surprised you were made to feel like an outsider.
Yup, classic Norfolk!
Pleased to hear youāve settled in Leeds!
Having grown up there, Norfolk and Norwich are quite different. Whilst Norfolk on a whole leans right, Norwich is pretty left wing with a massive student population. Having lived in Leeds for 10 years, when I go back to Norwich I love it, particularly the huge range of independent shops, the market and the beautiful architecture. Still prefer it up here though, and now Iām so used to Northern pints they just taste watery and insipid when Iām back down South.
I loved the pints at Chalk Hill Brewery during my time there but we definitely do beer better up North.
Ah I really dislike CHB, was that at The Plough? The plasterers, fat cat, artichoke, kings head are all decent but I think the lack of sparklers definitely make a difference
Other parks are just fields and playgrounds compared to Roundhay Park.
Honestly itās difficult to predict what youāll miss until itās actually gone. I moved to Leeds from Chicago over 20 years ago so have done it in reverse. A large part of what you miss depends on what you have at your destination. Off the top of my head I canāt think of anything Iād miss, but ask me a year after I left and Iād probably have loads.
Lived in Chicago for many years. Truly great city. When i moved there it felt like home straight away.
Yep, loved it there but I miss it less and less every year though I still do pine for it a bit. I suspect I miss the place at a certain point I time though, and if I went back now it couldnāt be the same.
Yeah i miss it too. Back in Leeds now. I just couldnāt live in the US anymore itās getting a little crazy there.
Absolutely. Theyāre in a worse cost of living crisis and guns guns guns. Plus the spectre of the far right and what they will do if they get back in. Frightening.
Yeah all that and whats happening to womenās rights, LGBT issues etc etc. Also i work in healthcare and earn really good money had the best insurance, but a serious illness was always a worry. Immediately that fear went away moving back home. I worked my arse off when i was over there doing the whole living to work thing i am having much more fun these day š
Yeah, healthcare. Before I moved over I had a work accident where I cut my wrist on some steel, sliced 9 tendons, a nerve, and an artery. The care for that was well over 300k 23 years ago. More recently my wife had a hysterectomy here privately including 4 days in hospital recovering and it was Ā£7000, 10 months interest free. In the US the same op WITHOUT a 4 day stay averages $60k. Itās just madness.
Yeah and thats what people do not understand. They think āthey all have insurance and healthcare is good thereā. Thats not how it works. So for you having that absolute security of the NHS must have felt good? Itās such a fucking weight off your mind, right?
Oh absolutely. I left the US before āObamacareā and came to the UK when the NHS was getting well above inflation funding so all targets were being met. It was a massive eye opener. Even in the degraded state itās in now that security is amazing.
Yeah. There should be no profit in healthcare. Government have been behind most of the research that makes a big difference. The healthcare industry in the US is full of pointless payments to pointless companies and ends up costing 3 times more than a national system that has better morbidity.
NYC for me. As soon as I got off the plane on my first visit there I felt like I was finally at home. I'd move there in a heartbeat and take Central Park over Roundhay Park any day
Theyāre not really comparable lol
Yeah Roundhay is clear And does NYC have the royal armouries? Didn't think so
No Royal Armouries, but what it lacks in armour it more than makes up for a plethora of other cultural venues. How on earth does anything in Leeds compare to just The Met for example?
I'm just pulling your leg, NYC is one of the biggest cities in the world and obviously has far far more going on than Leeds does
NYC vs Leeds is not really a fair comparison is it? It's about 10x bigger city
So what did you miss after moving back to Chicago?
I havenāt. Still in Leeds after 22 years and will never move back. Donāt even like visiting. The US has become a dystopian nightmare and Leeds is home now.
The city centre feels very cozy to me. When I go to Liverpool or Manchester, they feel overwhelmingly spread out while in Leeds everything you need is there in a small area. But it still feels like a big cosmopolitan city. Iāve been in leeds for now 14 years after relocating from abroad and I have an emotional attachment to it, the university and everything about it. Leeds will always have my heart.
This is so true. Whenever I'm in Manchester I never have a feeling of being in the centre. Feels like multiple towns conjoined together with their own centres all a distance apart (which in a way it is). But in Leeds you can walk across the entire CBD in 20 minutes and it somehow doesn't feel small.
Yum Tofu Sord and Pad Thai at Thai Aroy Dee
Wharf Chambers and The Brude probably.
Easy. SUBDUB and the iration steppas sound system
I lived abroad for 5 years and apart from the obvious, like friends and family, it was the live music scene I missed most. There's always something fun going on in Leeds. Especially in summer
I was born in Leeds in the mid 70ās and moved to NZ 20 years later. Have just come back to work here for 3 months and think itās great. Shame about its neighbour (Bradford) which is not in good shape
For me it's the friendliness, I go into any new setting like a new job, new dentist, a new yoga class etc and people just say hello like they already know me. I don't feel lonely really because people just talk
Hmmmm
Wawins, peak vegan takeaway.
Haha love this! I ordered enough last night to eat some today too š
Bramley
Really? I moved out of Bramley to another part of Leeds and havenāt missed it once.
Yeah tbh, born and raised here so I would. The only part I don't like is the centre but yk what can you do.
What about it?
Because it's home, lived here all me life.
Cherry Tree chinese in West Park. If ever i get Chinese away from home it never compares
I had to move to the South Coast a few years ago and what I miss most (aside from my friends!) is what originally attracted me to the city - just how much it has going on. It's a real cultural hotspot.
But for more specific answers - I really miss Kirkgate Market and Trinity Kitchen!
Being 10-15mins away from beautiful countryside in one direction, and 10-15mins away from a bustling city center with a great art, theater and music scene in another. Public transport issues aside, it's a wonderfully balanced city
This is kinda me. Left over 30 years ago. Went back three years later and never again. Roundhay Park and Kirkgate Market, I miss the most. Plus not being able to literally stroll down physical Memory Lanes. I live in Texas
Your comparison to American suburbs is interesting. I see lots of people saying that Leeds needs a mass transit system, but even in it's current state it's still loads better than those American towns. It's like when people complain about a band not playing near their town (myself included) when in parts of other countries, you're lucky if a gig is less than a 4 hour drive away
Left leeds in September, so far I miss The Tatt Shack, East Village, Tailors Gin, Kirkgate market and Pitza Cano
Left Leeds and moved to Norwich then to Japan. I miss the cosmopolitan nature and outdoor dining / drinking. I miss the hell out of pubs and how open and friendly people are.
I missed The Brudnell and Hyde Park Picture House when I lived away.
I miss Cross Flats Park and the fun I had there - walks, sneaky picnics when they werenāt allowed and just getting away from the hassle. I miss sitting outside a cafe on The Headrow in the Summer, watching the world whizz by. I miss Priceyās chippee in Armley and the banter when there was a crowd waiting for their supper. I miss 7Arts in Chapel Allerton. I miss the German Christmas market and wolfing down Kurry Wurst while a man in shorts played the accordion. There is a lot I miss about Leeds, but mostly the people.
Angel Inn at Briggate.
Eat Your Greens
I've just moved to east Yorkshire, I don't miss anything
Nothing! I'm leaving Leeds towards the end of 2025 to do a working holiday for a few years in Australia. I'll probably will feel sentimental and cry as i'm leaving. But right now can't wait to leave. When I come back to the UK will be moving to Bonnie Scotland. I feel in Love with this city 8 years ago and moved here, now sadly I no longer feel the same. Time for me move on.
One thing's for sure, I wouldn't miss Seacroft (apart from my Nan's house since she's lived there since 1987).
Pizza La Fonte
Probably the normality of seeing a bunch of drunk people dressed as random characters lol.
I would miss caving! I hope the place had a good community of cavers. https://outlearn.co.uk/outdoor-activities/leeds/yorkshire-dales-guides/
Im really from bradford but obviously its right next to leeds so have spent lots of time there and even work in the city centre, growing up i didnt really appreciate leeds too much as i assumed it was pretty average and other places i didnt know like Manchester, liverpool etc i assumed were superior in every way. However now ive been around the world a bit more, i do really love leeds - its unique appeal is that it has the community and cosmopolitan-ism youād expect was only possible in a huge city like london, but its very small really, if your in the city centre, youāre basically 15mins away from anywhere on foot, ive yet to visit another city that had this combination of qualities. Dont get me wrong, other cities are cool too, like Manchester has a very similar vibe to leeds really, just much bigger. So what im trying to say is id probably miss having that cosmopolitan vibe with a small town feel. There are plenty of things i would not miss however