University of Leeds

Leeds

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What's Hyde Park in Leeds like?

Heard it has high crime and also a strong Asian community with some racial tension (read from wikipedia) -

Doesn't seem to be an abundance of local amenities etc.

Interested to know peoples views on the area - do not want to live in an extremely high crime area when i go to university this year - me and my girlfriend are intending to move into a house there which is PERFECT for us - just want to check up on the area first :smile:

thanks Guys :woo:

Reply 1

Bong-Bong

Inferior to the O.G.

University of Leeds

Leeds

Reply 2

PinkMobilePhone

Volunteer Team

fairly high crime rate so I've heard but there are other areas in the city that are far worse. It's very very studenty - students left right and centre - it's just basically reknown for being a student area.

I wouldn't necessarily say it's known for having a high asian community - that would be Harehills.

As for local amenities, it's right next to Headingley where there's loads of shops and bars and things, and it's not very far from the city centre either (very short bus ride) so I wouldn't worry there.

I've never lived in Hyde Park myself but I drive through it on a daily basis - seems alright to drive though, just gazillions of students all over the place. There's a nice looking park there with a skate park in it, so you get a lot of skaters and bikers and so on in it.

Reply 3

jquarrie

thanks
seems like headingley would be a better area to live as there is just much more stuff to do (i think) however its further away from the Uni and the only houses in my price range are bedsits - Hyde park i can get a 4 bedroom house for £500 a month... its just the area is worrying me at this point

Reply 4

The Socialite

Hi there,

I lived very near Hyde Park last year (my halls was right by it) and it's a great community of students. I'll be living there for my second year, it's where all the students want to be - most of my friends have houses there! True, there is an Asian community with lots of Asian cuisine restaurants and takeaways and corner shops, but I've walked around there at night by myself and I've never seen any trouble. Once a little gang of Asian kids, about 11-15 year olds came past on bikes shooting water guns, and we laughed openly at them, asking if this is the Leeds version of a drive by...and they meekly scooted away. The most trouble is really students having rowdy house parties and the police turning up to ask to turn it down.

I'm really excited and glad that I'm living there next year, it's where all the house parties are! Not sure what you mean by a lack of local amenities...there's a Sainsbury's Local slap bang in the middle, many corner shops/tabacconists, a hair salon, loads of takeaways, a 24-hour co-op just over the road, it's a 10 minute walk to uni, near the Hyde Park Pub and Library pub where most students hang out on weeknights and right beside Hyde Park, the park, which is where everyone hangs out in the summer.

Honestly I think it's the perfect student location.

Reply 5

JW92

jquarrie

I think most Leeds students live in Headingley, and it does have loads of ammenities (lots of pubs, supermarket, fast food outlets etc.) - and the bus service down from Headingley to town is very regular to the point that you'd be hard pressed to wait more than 5 minutes for a bus, even quite late at night. Hyde Park is quite rough, although I've never lived or spent any time (other than in the actual park) there so I can't really comment.

Reply 6

trojan10_om

I would recomend Burley.

I've lived in Burley, Hyde Park and Headingley - admitably all the houses were within 10 mins walk.

Burley > Headingley for value for money
Burley > Hyde Park for crime rate

Noise levels or slightly lower, but it by no means a quiet area. A mixture of students, postgrads, young perfessionals, families.

Slightly further away from the uni though, your looking at 20 mins walk

Reply 7

bigman_ben

Is hyde park round where the mosque is cos I went for a wander round Leeds cos I'm going there in september and got a bit lost!

Reply 8

Cooljack

a friend of mine says it looks like brooklyn, im not so sure. Though i've walked from Hyde park to the station many times at early hours of the morning and late at night and i've never had any problems, or felt un-safe. Seems like a generally social place to live.

Reply 9

sharpesparkle

The Socialite

...hyde park stuff...

I'm moving into Hyde Park for second year...actually I'm moving in this week, so excited! And ditto to everything you said. Did you mention the Picture House?

Reply 10

loiiis

I wouldn't be too worried :smile:

Of course, in a less 'posh' area, especially in a large town, you're bound to have some crime. However I've stayed in the Headingly area many a time now, and have walked home in the middle of the night/early morning and never seen anything too alarming/scary.

Reply 11

Moonbeam1991

Have you looked into Double Occupancy at IQ, Unite, Broadcasting Tower etc?

I dont know if there cheap or expensive but it works out cheaper per person than my gfs small flat does back home and you get all utlities and internet etc. You wont be spending much time inside anyway hopefully if your Uni experience goes well and can meet a tonne of new people by befriending those living in Cluster Flats u cud all go cook together with them if they let you in. Or if you want to get away from it all you got your own kitchen have a nice quiet meal in with your partner.

I know myself and my partner will be at concept and we ruled out a bedsit etc as not an option for us as Freshmans because we want to make friends. Maybe once we have the friends it would be an option to put in together but really when the quality of the big new studio builds is so nice. I dont know if I could go live in a very old house which will most likely never compare to the spec of the studio.

Reply 12

MagicNMedicine

There's not much crime in Hyde Park. I've lived there since 2005 and never had any trouble or seen any trouble, never seen any racial tension either. Its either asian families or students, and students are generally pc do gooders who go on marches against the BNP and whatever, you don't have any skinheads in the vicinity.

Before I moved here I'd heard all sorts of stories of Hyde Park being this ghetto but its fine.

It's a really good place to live with a great atmosphere, I definitely recommend Hyde Park over Headingley.

Reply 13

guitarromantic

As long as you're not an idiot and do things like leave your ground floor windows open when you're not around, or walk home at 4am through the park with your phone and iPod on show, you'll be fine. There's no ethnic tension or whatever that I saw, people are pretty open minded. There's loads of shops and pubs/bars etc, and it's near Headingley which has everything a yuppie could want. And to whoever asked, yeah, it's got the big mosque.

Reply 14

fake plastic love

I love Hyde Park! I really miss it now I'm back with my parents for the summer. Its complete student central: the only people you'll ever see are students (although not too annoying students, and the odd asian family. The reputation for bad crime that you've heard about is literally just houses being broken into. It does happen, but 8/10 times its because someone has left their window open or not locked the door. Just be smart and you'll be fine. I have never felt even slightly unsafe walking around.

Your wrong that it doesnt have many amenities.
Bars: Hyde Park Pub, Royal Park Pub, Hyde Park Social Club, Brudenell Social Club, Hookas..
Food: LS6, Cafetiere, L'Oranaise, like 4 chip/kebab shops, Seven Spices, that Morrocan on Hyde Park Road, Popinas, that sandwich place..
Shops: Sainsburys Local, One Stop, Co-Op (serves alcohol 24hrs!), two international supermarkets, a DIY shop, a couple of vintage shops and gift shops, etc etc.
All of which will be within 10-15 minutes (but more likely 5 minutes). Then you've got the park right next to you, which is so lovely to walk through every day and amazing in the summer when everyone just gathers there. House parties all the time (which are often a better night out than clubbing in town). The Hyde Park Picture House (a really cool old cinema). Virtually everyone you know will live just a few minutes away (seriously, about 90% of people I know live in Hyde Park lol). But then you can walk to Headingley in 15 minutes, uni in 10 minutes, town in 25 minutes - so you dont exactly live in a bubble. Aw man its just great, I want to go back now!