Do they have more fun up North?

Could the Great British North-South Divide finally be tipping the other way? The BBC’s move to its brand new flagship site in Salford was a sure sign of confidence, investment and long term trust in the region.

MediaCity has already proven a great boost to the economy and has shown that the “Out of London” strategy is one that works. Most things cost less in the north, including property, cost less and the Renaissance underway in Manchester is matched by growth in other northern cities.

The popularity of Leeds universities

Students have been queuing to get places at Leeds and not just for the excellent higher education opportunities. Leeds has an unrivalled reputation as one of the best places for nightlife in the UK. With over 200,000 students living here, all eager to make their college days memorable, the pub, club and bar scene has exploded in recent years. It now caters for all tastes and all budgets, pretty much all night, every night. The quality of life here has led to Leeds becoming one of the most popular university choices in the country. But it’s not just the kids who love the city – Conde Nast Traveller magazine voted Leeds “The UK’s Favourite City”.

Northern “super cities”

The combined population of Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester is larger than that of London and there has long been talk of merging their capabilities into a nexus that could create a hub of excellence in the north. This is all a far cry from 20 years ago when the North was ailing and depressed. So what happened? Well, Leeds has always been a major financial and legal centre. A branch of the Bank of England handles all the bulk notes for the North here. But the wealth creation has been spread across many sectors which are all well represented in the city. In fact, Leeds is the second highest employment sector outside London and a big reason for that is its diversity. This has helped it to absorb the knocks of the recession and focus on future prosperity. Around £4.4billion has been invested in commercial property in the last 10 years alone.

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!

Leeds residents report 91% satisfaction with their city and are particularly proud of the many parks and green spaces, the sporting clubs and the access to the glorious countryside of the Yorkshire wolds and fells. Culturally, it is also extremely well-served with Opera North, Northern Ballet and the Phoenix Dance Theatre – to name just a few.

Many new businesses have been attracted to Leeds in recent years but it’s not too late to get in on the act. If your business is thinking of relocating, there are some compelling reasons to consider this vibrant city. If you are looking for new premises, you can find office space in leeds here.

Retail Heaven

Just to further gild the lily, it has been announced that this “Knightsbridge of the North” will soon have a £350 million Trinity Leeds shopping complex and a massive John Lewis store is also in the pipeline. Life in Leeds, it seems, is about to get even better.