Area Guide – Headingley

Headingley is a fantastic Leeds suburb, a trendy, young but slightly pricey, leafy and cosmopolitan place with a lovely group of shops, cafés, bars and restaurants.

Headingley is an exciting yet sophisticated place, great for students, young professionals and families alike, the people who rent in Headingley enjoy socialising in the many bars, cafes and local restaurants on offer.

Headingley is a hit with both students and professionals. The stats tell their own story, 80% of the people who live and rent in Headingley are single, 60% are students, with only 29% of Headingley’s occupants working for a living. In Headingley, LS6, amazingly, 58% are between the ages of 20 to 29.

From an owner-occupier’s point of view Headingley certainly has some lovely period properties, a nice village vibe and easy access to the city. But with two universities close by, a hip and happening local life and the city centre within walking distance it’s also bound to appeal to students and young professionals, many of whom rent property in Headingley and close-by Hyde Park.

That makes for a lot of people interested in living in Headingley, and as a consequence it’s relatively expensive by Leeds standards – both to buy and to rent. Letting agents in Headingley usually rent to large house shares occupied by students. Many of Headingley’s properties have been converted into HMO properties and are let to students by the many student letting agents in Headingley.

There are also a large number of newer built flats and apartments to let in Headingley which are often taken up by young professionals and mature students. There is a variety of professional letting agents in Headingley offering good value property to let in LS6. Usually property in Headingley is let for 12 month periods between July and September.

Nightlife is lively and eclectic, with the character of traditional pubs – such as the popular Original Oak – complemented by contemporary styled bars such as Arc, Box and Trio. Sport-lovers are also treated to top cricket and rugby action with Headingley Cricket Ground and the Leeds Rhinos stadium at the heart of the area.

Getting into the city centre is fast and convenient with regular direct routes via train and bus, and both university campuses are close at hand. Due to its high ratio of quality bars, pubs and restaurants Headingley has long been the location of choice for students. Headingley provides all the amenities that you would normally find in a city centre, yet is a self-contained town situated a few minutes by bus, car or train from the City Centre of Leeds.

For those looking for student rental there is a diverse range of properties from stone built terraces to large detached properties so Headingley is very popular. HOP offer property to let across Headingley as well as offering property management and let-only services to landlords with property to rent in Headingley. A large proportion of property in Headingley is classed as HMO property.

Beckett Park is an attractive expanse of greenery with tennis courts and a kids’ play area. Meanwood Valley Nature Reserve, close to Headingley, is a large nature reserve with a landscape of varying habitats including bogs, heaths, grassland, becks and a pond. The Meanwood Valley Trail runs from Woodhouse Moor, through the Meanwood Valley and on to Breary Marsh.

Woodhouse Moor is located at the Hyde Park end of Headingley, this is an attractive wooded park with tree-lined walks, skateboard ramps, and several public statues. The Leeds Rhinos stadium is next door to the cricket ground – also used by the Leeds Tykes rugby union club as well as Headingley being home of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Even the lettings agents in Headingley make an effort to be down with the kids – their offices feature high stools, coffee-house interiors and colourful quirky designs. The estate agents, on the other hand, are busy keeping investors happy: with so many students, Headingley is buy to let heaven, investors flock from all over the country to invest in an area that seems almost fool-proof. Although recently, the student market in Headingley has seemed a little ‘twitchy’. Nevertheless, a whopping 60% of those living here rent their property, compared to the Leeds average of 12%.

According to the council, nearly 15% of houses in Headingley are detached, with 38% of homes in Headingley semi detached and 18% are flats in Headingley to rent. The Broomfields (The Cardigan Triangle) is the network of streets between Cardigan Lane, Burley Park train station and the rugby stadium/cricket ground the Cardigan Triangle, but letting agents in Headingley refer to it as the Broomfields.

It is a nice neighbourhood of around 400 Victorian terraces, popular with families and students. They offer very nice period properties to buy and rent as well as a good community atmosphere and a location close to Burley station and Otley Road shops and services.

Central Headingley has a good mix of Victorian and Edwardian property, with some 30s semis and a few streets of lovely Art Deco housing. There’s a mix of terraces, semis and detached property to rent in Headingley. There are also some apartment blocks and student halls of residence in Headingley.

Central Headingley is popular with families and professionals but also a large student community. Here there are some nice period properties on attractive tree-lined streets with easy access to Leeds City Centre.

Far Headingley is filled with lovely period properties, including charming brick and stone terraces as well as 30s semis and some large detached period properties. There are pretty rows of redbrick Victorian terraces, some with cobbled streets, like the Highbury’s towards Meanwood. There are a mix of families, students and professionals.

Far Headingley is a quieter area close to Meanwood Valley Nature Reserve as well as its own local shops and pubs and the well-established Cottage Road cinema.

Beckett Park is a large gathering of thirties semis with gardens front and back on tree-lined streets with grassy verges. Leeds Met University is to the north and looks over the park. Becketts park, Headingley was popular with families, however is now largely run by a large student population, and that draws investors. It is a nice suburban area that’s also handy for Otley Road’s shops and restaurants. The park is a big bonus, especially in the summer. Good road connections to the city, good bus service too, and Headingley train station a ten minutes walk away.