Leeds/Headingley area - safe after dark?
 

Hello and thanks for your help.

Daughter and I are scouting out some unis this fall and staying in Headingley on the Leeds Met campus.

By the time our train arrives, it will already be dark and we'll have about a 20-minute walk from the rail station to our accommodations.

Is this something that would concern you? We've been to Leeds but not enough to "know" the area. We *might* be able to get a slightly earlier train, but it would be dramatically more expensive and autumn days in England are so much shorter than the US that it still might be close to dark, according to the daylight calendars I checked.

Looking for some insight ... thanks.

In zillions of times riding trains to zillions of British stations at all times of day and night I have never felt threatened nor seen any signs of violence against others - this is not the USA!

If a'tal worried just take a taxi from station to hotel.

Good point of reference, thanks. I didn't *think* it could be more ... interesting ... than Washington DC at night or some parts of Chicago any time, but I didn't want to make that assumption.

Many thanks --

Kandace

>>and autumn days in England are so much shorter than the US that it still might be close to dark<<

That actually isn't true -- unless your trip is very late Autumn.

The days in say mid-October in Leeds are almost exactly the same length as in New York City. Now in December -- yep it will be dark much earlier.

We'll be there in late October/early November, and I think the sun sets around 4:30 then?

janis - what is your take on the OP's question about security? You are much more an expert on all things UK than I am so I wonder what your take is?

If you are worried why not get a taxi?
Headingley is full of students and pretty safe.

There is quite a period of twilight after the sun sets btw. It doesn't go instantly dark.

The main dangers/annoyances are prevalent much later in the evening, especially at weekends where there is widespread drunkenness, occasional mindless violence and anti-social behaviour on the streets. Inner city / student areas are amongst the worst for this. I wouldn't think twice about walking through this area in the early evening, but at 1am on Sunday morning, definitely not.

frankly, I'd get a cab. not because it's dangerous in any way, but 20 mins may be more like 30 mins, you don't know where you're going, and you'll have luggage with you.

with a 5 minute cab ride, you could be there in comfort.

you'll have plenty of time to explore in the daylight while you are there so that when you go out at night, you'll know where you are going.

Good info, thank you!

Annhig, we're backpackers so we travel light, but you raise a good point. We arrived late into Paris and roamed the neighborhoods around the Latin Quarter for a couple hours before finally locating our hotel (our cell phones weren't worked). It made for interesting talk later, but no one in our family was comfortable, and I don't want to repeat that debacle.

Kandace

Headingly (NW Leeds) is safe and will busy with students, it wouldn't worry me unless it was raining hard (then I'd take a taxi). If you look at the map of Leeds, to the North East are Chapel Town and Harehills which are the two dodgy areas in the North of Leeds. There is no reason to visit there except the best NHS hospital (St James) in on the edge of one of these. The walk is easy if uphill, or you can catch a bus or a taxi.

I live just outside Leeds, any other questions?

Just noticed you are on the Met campus, a bit more of a walk than I expected then.

The bus timetables are all here
http://www.wymetro.com/howtogetto/pl...y/?widget=true

bilbo - you know the local conditions, how much for a cab from the station to the Met campus? £5? £10?

Sorry ann, never taken a cab in Leeds but I guess £2.75 start and £1.50 a km.

so not much then, in the great scheme of things.

There is a little bit of the Met campus offering sports facilities near the cricket ground in Leeds, but the majority of it is near the ring road out at Lawnswood. It's just off Otley Road. I would not walk that sort of distance without luggage and suggest you catch a cab regardless of the weather.

It would certainly take you longer than 15 minutes and maybe more like 45 minutes minimum.

Thanks very much, everyone -- I appreciate it now and I'm sure I'll appreciate it even more when we get there. :-)

Kandace

hope you and your DD enjoy yourselves, Kandace.

Thanks, everyone -- we'll have a busy few days but we'll work in a fantastic time along the way. Your help is appreciated!