Students in Leeds Learn to Love Living in the City
Leeds has always been a popular student city, with approximately 65,000 university students at its universities, and for the last 20 years or so, many have made Headingley their home.
Indeed when you ask anyone in Leeds about Headingley, 99% of them will say ‘cricket and students because students in Leeds have been at the heart of life in Headingley for such a long time. Things are changing!
Increasingly, students now want to live as close as possible to the city centre. And, if they can’t afford or don’t want to live right in the city centre, many are opting to live closer to the campus, in Hyde Park or Woodhouse, which means these suburbs are very much on the up.
There are differing opinions as to what has caused this sea-change and academics struggle to understand the precise factors at play. It seems the growth of campus living is a major factor which serves not only to provide homes for thousands of first years – and increasingly returning students too – but also creates a much more vibrant lifestyle hub, which students want to be close to. Just as the tidal wave of student demand has pushed all the way out to West Park over the last 20 years, it is now receding at a similar pace.
Developers are creating homes that specifically appeal to the next generation of students and a number of purpose built developments have established enclaves, particularly around Burley Road, the University Campus and Woodhouse and this clustering draws students further towards the city.
The numbers of young professionals and families choosing to rent in Headingley has in turn increased significantly with the majority of clients at our North Leeds office now consisting of couples and professionals who are renting homes for between £500 and £850 per month.
There will always be a core of students in Leeds who want to live in Headingley and that’s great. It is a vibrant and friendly place where families, young professionals and students can live happily side by side, as they do in many other areas.
