Everything you said you’d do in Leeds as a fresher, but never did

Leeds is bigger than you realised

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Everyone began their first year in Leeds with a vision of the endless things they would be doing while in the city. You told everyone over summer about all the cool places you would spend your days off and all the edgy places you would drink in at night. The reality however is far from this fading vision and you seem to find yourself in the same pub every night, or worse still, the library. Here we have the finest selection of places which (as much as it pains you to hear) you probably never experienced in your first year. So here’s to your second or third year…

Bars on Call Lane

You had heard such promising things about the edgy music bars on Call Lane. You have seen the foreign beers at Milo and the Mexican décor of Neon Cactus all over Instagram. It was almost guaranteed that you were going to check it out the week after fresher’s week. But you didn’t. You didn’t check it out the week after that either and now, as you travel home for summer, you wonder what the pizza from The Black Swan actually does taste like. Will you ever try the two for one cocktails at Mook? Only time will tell…

Everyman Cinema

The Everyman Cinema is possibly the coolest cinema ever. When you arrived in Leeds and learnt that the screens have big comfy seats with pillows and access to pizza, every other cinema you had ever known became irrelevant. You were going when that film you have been waiting for was released, or when the next student loan dropped and you could have a weekend in Hollywood. After a full day of seminars however, Netflix seemed more convenient and cost effective and Everyman remains unseen.

 Kirkstall Abbey

History students are not the only people who planned a weekend at Kirkstall Abbey. You planned to expand your Leeds horizons and take a perfect Instagram post. It has stood in Leeds for 856 years, it will still be there in your second year.

Belgrave Music Hall

A roof top terrace, live music, craft beers and cocktails within a five minute walk of your halls. But still, you resort to your tried and trusted four pack of cider and a Spotify playlist. You can’t help it, it is just too comforting. Belgrave however goes unvisited, because the roof top terrace is only going to be worth visiting in summer, right?

Oxygen Trampoline Park  

It doesn’t matter that you are an independent adult who is studying at uni, something about that trampoline park just calls out to you. Why would an afternoon in a room full of trampolines not appeal to you? The amount of anticipated fun you would have however does not justify actually going. Surely it would be more beneficial in the second year when your work actually counts and you need an effective stress relief.

Trinity Kitchen

The first time you ever visited Leeds you were wowed by the colours and flavours of Trinity Kitchen. It was one of the coolest places you had seen since arriving but it wasn’t going anywhere. You were going to try Vietnamese street food for the first time when your friend came up to visit or as soon as you got an assignment in, then you would have time. You needed time to do the place justice, a deadline shouldn’t get in the way of your first Chicago Rib Shack.

Brudenell Social Club

With a live band every night you began the year wondering how you would ever actually have time to do any work. You could see yourself trying to lie your way through your seminar about the questions you never looked at, but it was cool because of the great night before at Brudenell. You may still be lying your way through, but that is because you spent your night somewhere other than in this Leeds icon. When you move into your second year house in Hyde Park in September you’ll be minutes away, so you have no excuse not to visit.

Leeds Library

The Rolls Royce of library’s situated in the very heart of Leeds, studying in such a setting would almost guarantee a first in every module. You imagined the snaps you would send your old school friends with the inventive hashtag #librarygoals. The snap will have to wait for the second year however, when you need to do your work in the library. Plus you might actually have a chance of finding a seat in this one.

If you like the look of these Leeds gems, don’t forget you still have two more years to enjoy them. So keep to your word and explore further than the comforts of campus.