Our area guide to living in Headingley

Headingley lies north of Leeds City Centre and is a popular, laidback suburban area. This trendy and sophisticated suburb is home to a mix of students, families and professionals.

Local amenities

Headingley is home to several primary schools with a lot of them being above the national average Ofsted rating. The suburb is also home to the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University with its traditional campus buildings surrounded by green woodlands, yet close enough to the hussle and bussle of nearby Headingley shops and eateries. You’ll find the Arndale Centre located in the centre of Headingley, this is where you’ll find national retailers, post office and much more. Alongside shops, there are a few eateries and take-away bakeries. 

Headingley is well known for having a fantastic selection of charity shops and trendy vintage stores. With most of them on Otley Road, it means you can visit several in one trip. Find special items from a mix of books, vintage clothes and vinyl to general bric-a-brac. The eating scene in Headingley is excellent for choice. From well-known restaurants to independent brunch places, you’ll find something that’ll satisfy any craving. Anything from the well-known Salvo’s which serves classic Italian dishes, Ecco Pizzeria who many regard as having the best pizzas in Leeds to Thai food, juice and smoothie bars, European cafes and brunch places. 

Headingley is also home to several bars and pubs along the Otley Road. The Original Oak is highly recommended, with its large outdoor space and beer garden, it’s great for when the sun comes out. Manahatta, an all day bar/restaurant, offers a lively atmosphere with its colourful and unique decor. You’re likely to spot groups of people in fancy dress on a Saturday, anything from superheroes to sports-stars, as they attempt the famous Otley Run challenge, a pub crawl involving 16 pubs!

Leisure and pleasure

Headingley Stadium is home to Yorkshire Country Cricket Club, Leeds Carnegie Rugby Union Team and Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Team. The cricket club is the most successful team in English Cricket and you can learn more at the Yorkshire Cricket Museum, located in the East Stand at Headingley Cricket Ground. The stadium also hosts several international cricket fixtures as well as the renowned and lively 20/20 matches. A great day out!

For strolls, Beckett Park, Woodhouse Moor and Meanwood Park all offer attractive walks. Beckett Park boasts a great green space with tennis courts. Woodhouse Moor is a wooded park with enchanting tree-lined walks, skate park and tennis courts. 

Art enthusiasts can enjoy the Bowery Gallery, a visual arts centre which carries out events and workshops and showcases exhibitions. There’s also a cafe on site which sells delicious bakery goods.

Activities and entertainment 

Being home to many students, Headingley is not short of activities to keep all entertained. Watch a film at Cottage Road Cinema, showing films since 1912, it’s one of the oldest cinemas in the UK.  If you’re looking for that lively pub that hosts pub quizzes, karaokes, pool and darts you’ll find this at Skyrack. It’s known to be the student pub and located on Otley Road, so good for grabbing some food afterwards. The Box which is also on Otley Road, is Headingley’s only place close enough to be a club. It closes late at 2am on Fridays and Saturdays if you don’t want to travel into Leeds City Centre. It’s chilled throughout the day but becomes lively in the evenings. It’s also a great sports bar.  If you like a foodie challenge head to the Greasy Pig Cafe on the borders of Hyde Park, already a hit with students. The Paralyser is a breakfast not to be underestimated; if you can finish it under 12 minutes you can get your money back.

Travel links 

The A660 (Otley Road) is conveniently located through Headingley, giving easy access to the city centre by car, bus or foot. Also, access to the M62, M6 and M1 make it simple to travel out of the city. You can find bus services that run through Leeds and West Yorkshire. Bus numbers 1 or 6 will take you to Leeds City Centre. The train station located in Headingley offers frequent, direct transport to Leeds, York or Knaresborough. Leeds Bradford International Airport is very close by, only around a 20 minute drive. The airport has internal flights and flights to Europe.