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Woodhouse v Headingley
When planning your Leeds student home, the very first decision you’ll have to make is where?
Woodhouse and Headingley are two of the most popular student areas in the city and both have their unique appeal. However, if you’re not familiar with Yorkshire’s largest city, you may be feeling unsure of which areas to choose. After all, they might be just names to you at the moment.
As experts in Leeds student living, we’re ideally placed to help you narrow down the choice.
Let’s take a look at both Woodhouse and Headingley in a bit more detail to help you decide where you’d like to spend your student life in Leeds.
Woodhouse
Woodhouse is the fastest growing student area in Leeds. Situated just north of the city centre, it’s easily walkable from both the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett. As it’s not as established as say, Headingley, you’ll probably find that student properties in Woodhouse are slightly cheaper than in other areas.
Eating: There’s a great and growing selection of cafés, restaurants and takeaways. Su’s is the place to head before a night out at the union. Make sure to try their delicious dumplings that also have magical beer soaking-up properties. Enjoy tastebud tingling Caribbean takeaway at Yard Style Flavorz and independent coffee and pastry at Coffee on the Crescent
Going out: Woodhouse forms the tail end of the Otley Run (a pub crawl that starts in Headingley and finishes at The Dry Dock) but its pubs are also worthy of a visit in their own right. Enjoy pub quizzes and sports at The Eldon, live music at The Packhorse and craft ales and open mic nights at The Fenton.
Green spaces: Woodhouse Moor (commonly known as Hyde Park) is a large open park space and the city’s first ever urban park. Soaking up the rays on sunny days here is a quintessential part of student life in Leeds. It also hosts Woodhouse Moor Parkrun every Saturday.
Shopping: Woodhouse has a growing handful of great independents, such as Blackwell’s Bookshop and Bakery164, the place to go for amazing sandwiches and coffee. A Tesco Express for essentials is within walking distance or Morrisons and Sainsbury’s are a bit further away.
Headingley
The original in Leeds student living, there’s never a dull moment in Headingley. Packed with bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants as well as an Arts centre and two sports stadiums, you’ll find plenty to do within walking distance of your student accommodation in Headingley.
North of Woodhouse, it’s still easily accessible from the city centre, as well as being close to Leeds Beckett’s Headingley Campus.
Eating: From popular chains like Red’s True Barbecue and Rudy’s Pizza to well-loved institutions like Jino’s Thai Café and Heaney and Mill (a good one for dinner with the parents), there’s plenty of excellent options.
Going out: Headingley is home to many Leeds drinking institutions such as The Original Oak, which boasts a massive beer garden and attracts great names to its comedy nights. If cocktails and dancing are more your thing, Manahatta has you covered, with DJs and 2-4-1 cocktails every day.
Head out on a Saturday and you’ll no doubt be bumping elbows with a dozen Luigis, Where’s Wallys or superheroes partaking in the Otley Run.
And if you fancy a quieter night, Cottage Road cinema is one of the oldest in the UK and offers an eclectic programme of mainstream, independent and classic films.
Green spaces: There are plenty of green spaces and woodland within easy reach. Leeds Beckett University has an exercise trail that leads to Beckett Park, which has exercise equipment and a skateboard park. Or why not explore The Hollies, with its numerous twisting pathways, bubbling brooks and copses, before it springs out onto Meanwood Park and the Valley Trail.
Shopping: There’s a good range of shops in Headingley, so you won’t have to venture too far from your Leeds student home to find everything you need. The Arndale shopping centre covers a lot of bases with a Sainbury’s, Wilkos and Superdrug, whereas you’ll find much-loved independents along the main streets such as record store The Vinyl Whistle and Green Yard Plants at the HEART centre.
Planning your Leeds student home doesn’t just stop at deciding where to live. That’s why, in our blog, we cover all aspects of student life in Leeds, from household hacks and productivity tips to the best place to get ramen.