Living here

Our city region is more than just a vibrant economy in which to base a global business. It’s a modern and inspiring place to live, work and settle down.

There’s a rich cultural heritage, unspoilt rural assets and contemporary urban developments that suit 21st century lifestyle and leisure, all within easy reach of our growing cities and industrial centres.

Art, culture and history

Our region is famous for nurturing creative minds. Artists like Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney and Damien Hirst all originate from Yorkshire, or came to study at our leading colleges of art and design.

In film, TV, music and literature, the Bronte sisters, Ted Hughes and Alan Bennett are among the important and influential artists inspired by our region.

Leeds City Region also has also produced more than its fair share of international sporting gold medal-winners, including Olympians Lizzie Armitstead, Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee and Nicola Adams. In fact, Yorkshire athletes were so successful at the 2016 Rio Olympics, that if Yorkshire competed as a country in its own right, it would have finished higher in the medal tables than New Zealand, Canada and South Africa.

We have internationally-renowned galleries and cultural space, such as the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, which spans the Leeds City Region and includes the 122 hectare Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds city centre, and Wakefield’s iconic Hepworth art gallery on the city’s rejuvenated waterfront.

Along with two UNESCO world heritage sites at Fountains Abbey and Saltaire, five national museums plus countless stately homes, cathedrals and Roman and Viking archaeological sites, the Leeds City Region has an inspiring cultural history.

It’s a prestigious heritage complemented by more contemporary additions like royal theatres, the West Yorkshire Playhouse and two renowned performing arts companies both based in the Leeds City Region; the award-winning Opera North and Northern Ballet.

Leisure and entertainment

The Leeds City Region is now a major destination for recreation with developments like Leeds’ Trinity, a £350 million retail and leisure destination and Victoria Gate, which hosts high-end and designer brands, including the region’s flagship John Lewis store.

Other towns and cities have their own shopping destinations such as York Designer Outlet, offering discounts on over 120 designer brands, and Bradford's Broadway. The shopping centre sits close to City Park, an events and social space awarded the title of Best Place in the UK and Ireland by the Academy of Urbanism in 2012.

As well as attracting national high-street brands Leeds City Region has a strong independent retail sector, particularly in Saltaire, Leeds and Huddersfield.

Aside from retail, Leeds City Region is also home to the First Direct Arena, a world-class entertainment venue with a 13,500 capacity, HIC Yorkshire Conference and Exhibition Centre in Harrogate and sporting destinations such as the unique Headingley Stadium.

Leeds City Region also boasts a thriving food and drink scene, with Michelin-starred and Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated restaurants, as well as innovative street food outlets, like Leeds’ Trinity Kitchen.

Most of our region's cities are less than an hour's travel from magnificent moorlands, mountains and rivers, as the 2014 Yorkshire Grand Depart’s endless aerial panoramas attest. And many of the Leeds City Region's towns are nestled in rejuvenating countryside or close to three of the UK's national parks.

These are pleasant and prestigious places to impress clients, inspire innovation and give talented people a reason to live and work here.

More affordable than Berlin, Dublin, and Frankfurt

According to Numbeo, the world's largest database on cities and countries, the cost of living in the Leeds City Region is lower than many other major European cities including Berlin, Dublin, and Frankfurt, as well as many UK cities and business centres including Manchester, Brighton and Bristol.

At £315,000 ($406,000), the average detached home in Leeds City Region is over £220,000 ($283,000) cheaper than the average apartment in London, so talent can afford to buy property and settle for the long term.

Countryside

Most of our region's cities are less than an hour's travel from magnificent moorlands, mountains and rivers, as the 2014 Yorkshire Grand Depart’s endless aerial panoramas attest. And many of the Leeds City Region's towns are nestled in rejuvenating countryside or close to three of the UK's national parks.

These are pleasant and prestigious places to impress clients, inspire innovation and give talented people a reason to live and work here.