Moving to Leeds

[Lrd]

Hello All,

I currently work as a bus driver for First in Southampton and was considering moving away to a new city to start fresh. I've visited Leeds on a number of occasions and love going there. I'm just scoping out the idea of moving away at the moment.

I was wondering if there was anyone out there who currently works as a bus driver in Leeds or recently has and if they are able to provide any information about it.

Also, anyone else have any useful info they wish to share about Leeds in general. E.G. areas to consider moving to, cost of living, areas to avoid etc.

Feel free to PM me if you don't wish to publicly share details.

Thanks in advance for any info that you send my way.

Lewis

 

[Ianigsy]

I've been a First Leeds user for about the last 19 years if that helps!

The depots are at Hunslet (on the south side of the city centre) and Bramley (on the west heading out towards Bradford). It's a bit difficult to comment on areas because Leeds does seem to get fits and starts of gentrification in various areas, but as a rule of thumb the roughest areas are to the south and east of the city centre. In general it's a young and multicultural city, and in certain areas (any of the Roundhay Road routes) you'll be driving down streets with Persian restaurants rubbing up against African hairdressers and Lithuanian grocers. But there are also other routes (X84 out to Ilkley and Skipton, X89 out to Wetherby) where after about 45 minutes of city traffic you're out in the country.

 

[telstarbox]

You can get a feel for the cost of renting a room or property on Spareroom / Rightmove. There are lots of students so it's fairly lively and I would be surprised if living costs are any higher than Southampton.

 

[theblackwatch]

Harehills, Chapeltown and Halton Moor are areas I'd avoid living in, or any other place you can find where a lot of the houses have bars over their windows or front doors! (Apologies to anyone living in any of those places!)

 

[Condor7]

As far as where to live or not, will depend very much on what you can afford.

Some of the areas mentioned to avoid I cannot disagree with, however it stands to reason that they are the cheapest areas to live in, as opposed to the areas north of Leeds out towards the Yorkshire Dales, which can be lovely, but the prices reflect that.

You would also no doubt have to take into account where you plan to work from. The traffic in Leeds and surrounding areas can be very congested so how long it will take you to get there must also be a consideration on where you live.

 

[gordonthemoron]

also, do you know about back to back housing?

 

[Bletchleyite]

also, do you know about back to back housing?

Don't they call them "cluster homes" and sell them at a premium elsewhere in the country?

 

[LWB]

I'm Leeds born and bred and lived all my life in the North of the city until moving to the Lakes. Like any large conurbation housing ranges from utter grimness to millionaire's row type properties. If moving back I would head for; Weetwood, Far Headingley, Adel, Shadwell, Lawnswood, Cookridge, Alwoodley, Bramhope etc and any of the outlying towns/villages to the North. My old family house is a thirties semi in a delightfully quiet, semi-rural area but a short bus ride from the centre. I would have though that for someone moving up from down South it would be a quite affordable area. Good Luck with any move. You can't beat being within cycling (or even dog-walk) distance of some of the country's prettiest scenery.
(PM if you want some Google SV refs)

 

[gordonthemoron]

dunno, I'm not up with current housing developments. Only been in a backtoback once, one room per floor and steep staircases
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there's some back to backs near Headingley station on the market, just under 150K, look quite nice

 

[IanD]

there's some back to backs near Headingley station on the market, just under 150K

For how many?

 

[Johncleesefan]

Id move to York any day of the week over Leeds personally. Cost of housing significantly higher but some nice areas around the outskirts for a lot cheaper. First, transdev, Arriva and east Yorkshire all operate around York as well as some others I have forgotten

 

[yorksrob]

I'm Leeds born and bred and lived all my life in the North of the city until moving to the Lakes. Like any large conurbation housing ranges from utter grimness to millionaire's row type properties. If moving back I would head for; Weetwood, Far Headingley, Adel, Shadwell, Lawnswood, Cookridge, Alwoodley, Bramhope etc and any of the outlying towns/villages to the North. My old family house is a thirties semi in a delightfully quiet, semi-rural area but a short bus ride from the centre. I would have though that for someone moving up from down South it would be a quite affordable area. Good Luck with any move. You can't beat being within cycling (or even dog-walk) distance of some of the country's prettiest scenery.
(PM if you want some Google SV refs)

Not to mention being an hour or so on the train from some of the best scenery of the Dales !
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also, do you know about back to back housing?

Back to back housing can be quite decent to live in - surprisingly energy efficient, given you've often only got one outside wall.

I lived in one in Meanwood a few years back and it was great.

 

[DaiGog]

Or you might consider Selby - it's about 20 mins on the train from Leeds and has an Arriva depot, working routes to Goole, Doncaster, York and Leeds as well as local services. Quite a small depot, probably about 30 vehicles. Accommodation is reasonably priced too.

 

[Lrd]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

I've not heard of back to back housing, I won't be buying anyways. I'll be renting for now.

I believe there are 2 First depots in Leeds? (I'm looking in to whether it's feasible to transfer within First, if not then I'll look at other options). Are the areas around either of these depots ok? I would ideally like to be within a reasonable distance, like 20-30 minutes walking.

Also, anyone have any details on how First operate up there, like rotas, overtime, routes etc?

 

[Starmill]

Back to back housing can be quite decent to live in - surprisingly energy efficient, given you've often only got one single layer of bricks.

Corrected that for you! Not sure about 'efficient' :P Although could be worse as long as you're not on the end :P

 

[yorksrob]

Corrected that for you! Not sure about 'efficient' :P Although could be worse as long as you're not on the end :P

Not exactly - They have two layers of bricks - just no gap between them.

The one I lived in was built to a flemish stretcher bond pattern

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brickwork

 

[AndrewP]

For a nice place - consider Harrogate where Transdev operate the buses. Its also easy to get to Leeds and York if you wish to.

 

[Andyh82]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

I've not heard of back to back housing, I won't be buying anyways. I'll be renting for now.

I believe there are 2 First depots in Leeds? (I'm looking in to whether it's feasible to transfer within First, if not then I'll look at other options). Are the areas around either of these depots ok? I would ideally like to be within a reasonable distance, like 20-30 minutes walking.

Also, anyone have any details on how First operate up there, like rotas, overtime, routes etc?

The area around Bramley is mixed, either council estates, tower blocks, or middle of the road housing estates. It's not the best area but also not the worst.

Hunslet Park is situated in an industrial area so there aren't really any houses around, Hunslet itself is not far away but isn't the best area. There's a brand new riverside housing estate next to the First depot though, also you aren't far away from the south side of the city centre and the riverside area with modern city centre apartments.

Hunslet have the better choice of routes as they have the Otleys, Skipton, Wetherby, Scott Hall Road guideway routes to the posh parts of town, the youthful clientele along the Headingley Lane.

Besides the Hyperlink 72 to Bradford, all Bramley's routes are urban east to west services, you'll never leave the city urban boundaries.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

For a nice place - consider Harrogate where Transdev operate the buses. Its also easy to get to Leeds and York if you wish to.

It's also very expensive... One of those places where house prices are so high, you wonder how anything real (such as buses being driven, or walls being built) ever gets done!*

I would be wary of living anywhere on the boundary between Leeds and Bradford, Look North did a report on an area in Pudsey where two next-door neighbours had a big difference in home insurance premiums due to one having an LS postcode and the other a BD postcode.

*Please note, this particular comment is intended to be (semi) light-hearted, before any of our more pedantic members decide to Google house prices in the area, or take offence at how I might have the gall to suggest that (for example) finance is not a "real" industry...

 

[Gemz91]

Moved away from Leeds 5 years ago, and miss it. Hope to move back one day, and when I do move back the only place I'd consider living is back in Beeston. People who've not live there can't appreciate how great Beeston is (although you got to make sure you live on the right side of the park).

At a push I'd also consider Morley or Churwell. House prices in South Leeds tend to be cheaper then North Leeds, and aren't anywhere as bad as people make out them to be.

As for buses, can't help much, but the number 1 is the greatest bus route in Leeds.

 

[AnonymousUser1]

Don't they call them "cluster homes" and sell them at a premium elsewhere in the country?

Leeds still retains back to back terraces , rather than the 'quarter house' found in the Heavy Wollen district and more recently rehabiliated as an alternative to the 'tyneside flat' ..
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It's also very expensive... One of those places where house prices are so high, you wonder how anything real (such as buses being driven, or walls being built) ever gets done!*

I would be wary of living anywhere on the boundary between Leeds and Bradford, Look North did a report on an area in Pudsey where two next-door neighbours had a big difference in home insurance premiums due to one having an LS postcode and the other a BD postcode.

*Please note, this particular comment is intended to be (semi) light-hearted, before any of our more pedantic members decide to Google house prices in the area, or take offence at how I might have the gall to suggest that (for example) finance is not a "real" industry...

if the OP was to work at Bramley he might look at BD3 or wakefield postcodes just south of the M62 ...

 

[317 forever]

I think First Leeds may have the largest portion of 2012-spec double-deckers in the country. They have 98 such Volvo B9TLs at Hunslet Park and 14 such E400s at Bramley.

Also, Arriva Yorkshire is quite an exotic fleet with MAX and Sapphire E400s, Spectras and much other refurbished stock.

 

[Antman]

For a nice place - consider Harrogate where Transdev operate the buses. Its also easy to get to Leeds and York if you wish to.

I've got friends who used to live in Harrogate, lovely place but obviously that is reflected in the house prices

 

[AndrewP]

It's also very expensive... One of those places where house prices are so high, you wonder how anything real (such as buses being driven, or walls being built) ever gets done!*

I agree its not cheap round here but stuff does get done although we are getting close to London style wage / house price issues however, for a bus driver it must be one of the nicer places - Transdev's buses are always immaculate, most people are polite and there is no need for security screens.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I've got friends who used to live in Harrogate, lovely place but obviously that is reflected in the house prices

Actually Starbeck, where the bus depot is happens to be one of the cheaper areas

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Get ready for people asking for Stagcoach ticketing in Leeds.