Updated on 15th March 2024
Written on Lifestyle Updated on 15th March 2024

It’s confirmation of what we already knew – The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide has named Leeds as the crown jewel of the North & North East.

We have to give it to them, the folks behind The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide really know their onions. In crowning our great city, they declared that “Leeds has established itself as the true northern powerhouse and is the perfect place to enjoy a good life on a good salary.” Who are we to argue? Leeds can now strut its stuff as the Best Place to Live in the North & North East, for the next 12 months at least.

Starting in 2013, The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide has become an annual benchmark for the villages, towns and cities across the UK to stake their claim to be the places everyone else wishes they lived. Now, of course, we’re biased, but we think it’s about time Leeds was given the recognition it deserves, and for 2024, the judges have agreed, giving it top place in the region and one of the top 72 places to live in the whole of the UK.

Looking down the main arcade of Victoria Quarter Leeds with the stained glass roof above

On picking our fine city, they said, “Leeds has the best-paying jobs outside London. Five universities provide youthful energy and it’s the only UK city outside London to have its own opera, ballet and theatre companies. The markets, Victorian arcades and Trinity Leeds mega-mall make it one of the country’s top shopping destinations and there’s a great choice of places to live, from semi-rural suburbs such as Alwoodley and Horsforth to the new eco homes in the city-centre Climate Innovation District.” 

Hey, they’ve got their fingers on the pulse – but we’d go a little further. In 2024 alone, we’re going to see major things happening across the city, from a slew of new openings to the reopening of the Henry Moore Institute, the foodie transformation of the White Cloth Hall and the ongoing transformation of Leeds Station. Further down the line, there are major developments going up across the city, while Leeds finally moves forward with a tram-led mass transit system.

Looking towards Salt's Mill, Saltaire from the Aire Valley Towpath

The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide doesn’t just tip Leeds as the place to be, but also a few of the city’s neighbours too. Boston Spa, the riverside village outside of Wetherby, gets the nod for its picture-perfect setting and medley of independents. The historic UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire is commended for its back to the future lifestyle complemented by art, coffee and food, while Skipton is lauded for its friendly, family feel at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales.

Further afield, the pretty-as-a-postcard Yorkshire Wolds are included as a whole, taking you from greenery-covered towns and villages under big skies with festivals and farm shops to entertain, while Nether Edge in Sheffield is championed as the South Yorkshire suburb to live in, promising community, coffee and short drives to the Peak District. Whitley Bay in Tyne & Wear and Heaton in Newcastle round off the category’s recommendations.

Find out more about The Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live guide.

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Joseph Sheerin Senior Writer

Joseph was one of the longest-serving members of the Leeds-List team. He’s lived in Leeds for 15 years and knows the city like the back of his hand. From restaurants to gig venues, walking routes to coffee shops, he’s been there, done that and written about the experience.

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