Unipol works in partnership with NSCD to offer you the best possible advice and information on finding suitable accommodation
Whether you are a prospective student coming to Leeds for the first time or already living in Leeds and wanting to find something for next year:
Unipol is the first place to start your search
Unipol offers properties that it owns or manages for other landlords and a database packed full of quality properties from private landlords and managing agents.
The website displays many different types of properties, from bedsits to self-contained flats, rooms in shared houses to rooms and studios in large developments.
Unipol can offer properties close to your school in Chapeltown and Harehills or properties in popular student areas, like Headingley, Hyde Park and the City Centre, close to transport links.
Unipol is committed not only to offer you a wide range of properties but to also offer you the highest quality of accommodation and we do this through our accreditation scheme known as the Unipol Code.
Areas to consider when house hunting
Below is some information on popular locations with students at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, along with details on other areas popular with students more generally.
Chapeltown and Harehills
Living close to college is the top priority for some students. Chapeltown is not a traditional student area but has properties available for students. It has the advantage of good local amenities and good transport routes in to the City Centre.
Chapeltown is approximately one mile north of Leeds City Centre. In the nineteenth century, the area was constructed as a wealthy suburb, and many large terraces and villas from the period remain, though a large proportion are now divided up into smaller, lower-rent flats. The area remains leafy and architecturally notable. Buildings have been adapted over the years by successive communities who have settled in the area as places of worship and for a range of social uses.
Throughout its history Chapeltown has been home to successive emigre communities that have each added a new dimension to the culture, religious practices and heritage of the area. In 1932 the Chapeltown Road New Synagogue, a large domed Byzantine style building, was opened. The artist David Hillman was commissioned, in 1935, to design three stained-glass windows for the shul in commemoration of the Silver Jubilee of King George V. These have since been moved to Shadwell Lane Synagogue. In the following decades the Jewish population in Chapeltown began to decline with many families moving further north to the Moortown area.
Photograph above was taken by Brian Slater
In 1985 the synagogue closed and the building was bought by Leeds City Council. It is now home to the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
Harehills is another popular area to look for Dance students and again is a vibrant culturally diverse area and borders Chapeltown.
Roundhay is approximately 2 miles from the School and has a wide variety of housing. There is a mixture of Victorian through terraces, villas and twentieth century detached and semi detached housing. Roundhay is known for its Victorian park, the second largest city park in Europe. So if you don't mind a short commute Roundhay with its leafy suburbs may be for you.
City Centre Living
Leeds City Centre has boomed over recent years and there has been a massive explosion of housing provision. A surplus of properties across the city has lead to areas such as the City Centre becoming more affordable and many more students are living there. The City Centre is roughly divided in to 4 quarters:
The Civic Quarter is the area at the north of the City Centre, home to the Leeds Magistrates and Crown Courts. Leeds Town Hall is a prominent landmark. The City Library and City Gallery are next door. Behind Leeds Town Hall is Millennium Square and Leeds Civic Hall, two other prominent Leeds landmarks. The Civic Quarter also lies in close proximity to the universities of Leeds Beckett University, University of Leeds and other academic institutions such as Leeds Arts University and the Park Lane and Technology campuses of Leeds City College.
The Shopping Quarter is home to many of city's largest shops. Like any major city the shopping district has major international chains, including Marks & Spencer (founded in 1894 on a small stall at the city's market), luxury stores such as Harvey Nichols and many independent shops. Off Briggate are several of Leeds' famous shopping arcades, such as the Thornton Arcade and the Victoria Quarter.
The Cultural Quarter is situated in the east of the City Centre. Landmarks here include the BBC building, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the home of Northern Ballet and the Leeds College of Music. The Cultural Quarter is also where the Royal Armouries Museum can be found and has become one of the city's major tourist attractions.
The Financial Quarter is centred around the Georgian Park Square, one of the green spaces in Leeds city centre. Leeds Law School is located at Cloth Hall Court. Major names can be found in the financial quarter such as Norwich Union and The Bank of England. Infirmary Street is a major bus interchange in the financial district. The railway station which lies on the fringes of the financial district also has a bus interchange.
For Dance School students City Centre living is a good option as transport links are very good.
Unipol has properties in the Civic Quarter (Alexander Court), the Shopping Quarter (New York Street) and the Cultural Quarter (Mill Street).
These developments are intended for students who want to be "at the heart" of a dynamic and thriving city, with restaurants, bars and life all around them. Many students have part-time jobs in the city and for those who live in these developments they are often just round the corner from work.
Other areas to consider
If you are looking for that full-on student experience there may be other areas that you would enjoy living in. There are other areas in Leeds that have good access links to the School, which have good local amenities and are still close to the City Centre. Below we will talk through the main areas we recommend for you to think about when looking for accommodation.
Hyde Park and Burley
Both these areas are close to the City Centre and if you choose the streets quite carefully you can get a property within a short walk of Burley Park Railway station, which offers a direct service to the City Centre and there are numerous buses that you can catch too.
Hyde Park is the most popular student area of the moment, offering a trendy and vibrant student scene, with amenities such as a cinema that specialises in Art House films; to independent vintage shops and cafes; to pubs and the Brudenell Social Club, where many of the great independent music scene bands visit. Many students from all the institutions choose to live in this area and this will certainly be a great way to meet more people. The housing choice in Hyde Park is a little less varied than some and mostly comprises terraced housing and back to back properties. Burley, not quite as trendy as Hyde Park, offers the proximity to Hyde Park and Headingley but tends to offer lower rents so would be a good choice for those on a tighter budget.
Headingley
A very popular and vibrant student area, where students from all institutions enjoy living and socialising. It has a range of facilities and amenities including a cinema, lots of bars, pubs, restaurants and shops and hosts the Headingley cricket and rugby league grounds. Housing costs are higher than average but due to the surplus of student housing in the area students are encouraged to try and negotiate with landlords. For example: There has been an increase in the percentage of unlet bed spaces in Headingley from 23% to 27% and although this does not seem dramatic this is the largest concentration of surplus bed spaces in Leeds.
Headingley has great links to the City Centre with buses running every few minutes from Otley Road, where the main shopping centre is located, in to the City Bus Station. Buses run frequently from here up Chapeltown Road to your school. Headingley also has its own train station, with a direct service running to the City Centre and beyond.
Unipol has many properties within its own housing portfolio available in Headingley, Hyde Park and Burley. Find out the benefits of living in a Unipol property by looking at the Unipol housing section or using the link below.
The Photograph the dancer was taken by Chris Nash.