Park Hill is the sixth coolest place to live in the UK, according to The Times

I love you will u marry me


Sheffield’s Park Hill estate made it into The Times’ Top 20 coolest places to live in the UK. The Grade II listed building is the largest listed building in Europe. Often described as an eyesore looming over the city, the flats are currently being redeveloped by Urban Splash. At number six on the list, the estate beats Glasgow’s West End, but comes just behind St Pauls in Bristol.

The redeveloped flats are home to S1 Art Space as well as Sheffield’s Uber HQ. They have featured in ‘This is England’ and an Arctic Monkeys music video. Last summer, Urban Splash helped to host a screening of Romeo and Juliet at Park Hill.

Park Hill is also famous for the I love you bridge. The “I love you will u marry me” graffiti is now lit up in neon lights and has become a phrase synonymous with Sheffield. It welcomes visitors as they get off the train, as the flats are situated just behind Sheffield train station.

The estate was transferred to Urban Splash in 2004 for redevelopment. The first part of the redevelopment project was nominated for the Stirling Prize for architecture. However, the response to the redevelopment has not been wholly positive. The flats were originally supposed to provide housing for people from poor economic backgrounds, but with prices for a one-bedroom duplex starting at £112,000, it is clear that this has changed.

Park Hill is a hub of culture and history. Though many find it ugly, that adds to its charm. No wonder it was named one of the coolest places to live in the UK.