Leeds is officially Europe’s 71st best city

Leeds has officially been ranked as Europe’s 71st best city, according to a new report by World’s Best Cities.

The ranking places Leeds behind many other UK cities such as Oxford, Manchester and London, the latter of which was crowned Europe’s best city overall for its high investment and popular appeal amongst international tourists.

While #71 might not seem like an incredible achievement, when the fact that Europe as a whole boasts over 800 cities is taken into consideration, Leeds’s placement suddenly becomes far more boast-worthy. Not only that, but Leeds also managed to beat other iconic cities such as Bologna and Naples, which attract visitors from all over the world each year.

World’s Best Cities gave plenty of justifications for the ranking, ranging from the creativity and innovation provided by Leeds’s six universities to its stellar air quality in comparison to other European cities. Overall, the message was overwhelmingly positive: “Ripe for fun and investment, it’s hard not to fancy Leeds.”

The city also ranked #39 for theatre and #29 for nightlife in Europe (clearly somebody’s paid a visit to Call Lane), in keeping with its reputation as a prime party destination for fun-loving uni students and stag dos alike.

Most Read

Leaked emails show Brook sent MAFS Australia a cease-and-desist after *that* dinner party

‘I’d end up on the no-fly list’: Choir goes viral for ‘nightmare’ behaviour on delayed flight

As Love Is Blind groom gets 15 years for trying to murder his show bride, here’s his apology

The website’s methodology for the ranking also incorporates factors such as weather, quality of public transport, and employment rates when deciding which cities come out on top.

Of course, a ranking like this wouldn’t be complete without consulting Leeds’s considerable student population on their opinions. When The Leeds Tab posed the question “Do you agree with this ranking?” on an Instagram story poll, they answered in droves, and responses were mixed.

Out of over 300 student respondents, 38 per cent agreed that Leeds deserved the #71 spot, while the remaining 62 per cent did not. When asked to elaborate, reasons for their decisions varied. Emilia, for example, felt that Leeds “should be higher,” adding that she thought it was the “best city in the world.” Other respondents, however, acknowledged potential reasons for Leeds’s failure to rank higher on the list, citing issues like “shit transport” and the lack of “stereotypical English historic charm” when compared to cities like Oxford and Bath.

While Leeds’s most iconic spots (think Hyde Park, Warehouse and Briggate Maccies) might pale in comparison to Trafalgar Square or Tower Bridge, it’s University of Leeds student Dhvani who best sums up the general feeling about Leeds amongst those of us lucky enough to call the city home: “Leeds is love.”