The Civic Quarter is the area at the north of the city centre, roughly north of the Headrow. It is home to the Leeds Magistrates and Crown Courts. Leeds Town Hall is a prominent landmark which was completed in 1858 and opened by Queen Victoria. The City Library and City Gallery are next door. Queen Square is also found here. The city's largest hospital, the Leeds General Infirmary, is also located here and was first opened in 1869.
Behind Leeds Town Hall is Millennium Square and Leeds Civic Hall, two other prominent Leeds landmarks. Millennium Square was Leeds' flagship project to mark the year 2000 and hosts regular concerts.
The architecture in the civic quarter is predominantly Victorian to match the civic buildings. The Civic Quarter also lies in close proximity to the universities of Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Leeds and other academic institutions such as Leeds College of Art and the Park Lane and Technology campuses of Leeds City College
Civic Quarter
The Civic Quarter is the area at the north of the city centre, roughly north of the Headrow. It is home to the Leeds Magistrates and Crown Courts. Leeds Town Hall is a prominent landmark which was completed in 1858 and opened by Queen Victoria. The City Library and City Gallery are next door. Queen Square is also found here. The city's largest hospital, the Leeds General Infirmary, is also located here and was first opened in 1869.
Behind Leeds Town Hall is Millennium Square and Leeds Civic Hall, two other prominent Leeds landmarks. Millennium Square was Leeds' flagship project to mark the year 2000 and hosts regular concerts. Civic Hall is the home to the Lord Mayor's Room and the council chambers.
Because of its close proximity to the courts, many barristers' chambers and solicitors' offices are found here. The architecture in the civic quarter is predominantly Victorian to match the civic buildings. The Civic Quarter also lies in close proximity to the universities of Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Leeds and other academic institutions such as Leeds College of Art and the Park Lane and Technology campuses of Leeds City College
The Shopping Quarter
The Shopping Quarter is the area which extends south from the Headrow to Boar Lane. Many of city's largest shops are found here. Like any major city the shopping district is home to both major international chains, including Marks & Spencer, and independent shops.
Most streets in the Shopping Quarter are connected to Briggate. It is one of many of the main shopping streets and is also home to several national and international food chains, like McDonald's, Burger King and Nando's, and several international shopping chains, including Zara.
Department stores include Debenhams, Harvey Nichols (which when opened in 1996 became the first branch outside of London), Marks and Spencer, and House of Fraser.
Off Briggate are several of Leeds' famous shopping arcades, such as the Thornton Arcade and the Victoria Quarter. Briggate was fully pedestrianised in 1996 and connected the two previously pedestrian areas either side of it. Other shopping attractions include the Corn Exchange, Leeds Kirkgate Market, Granary Wharfe, Leeds Shopping Plaza, Headrow Shopping Centre, The, the St John’s Centre, the Merrion Centre and Crown Point Retail park which lies half a mile away from the retail core. In addition, two further shopping centres are proposed, namely the Eastgate Quarters which is to include a John Lewis department store and Trinity Quarter.
The Cultural Quarter
The Cultural Quarter is situated in the east of the city centre. Landmarks here include the BBC building, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, and the Leeds College of Music.
The Cultural Quarter is also where the Royal Armouries Museum (opened in 1996 when the collection was transferred north from its previous location, the Tower of London) can be found, although it is more in the south of the city centre than it is the east. The building, designed by architect Derek Walker, was built at a cost of £42.5 million and completed in two years, and has since become one of the city's major tourist attractions. Clarence Dock also lies on the fringes of the Cultural Quarter.
Financial Quarter
The Financial Quarter is bounded by Park Row to the East, Leeds Inner Ring Road to the west, The Headrow to the north and Wellington Street to the south. It is centred around the Georgian Park Square, one of the green spaces in Leeds city centre. The City Centre Loop passes through the quarter, using City Square, Quebec Street, King Street and East Parade. Leeds Law School is located at Cloth Hall Court. Major names can be found in the financial quarter such as Aviva and The Bank of England.
In the areas around Park Square, some of Leeds' finest Georgian architecture can be seen; the relative age and small size of the buildings in this part of the financial quarter make it popular with smaller companies, in particular small legal and clerical companies such as solicitors and management consultants.
Although its principal function is as a financial quarter, there are a number of restaurants and hotels. Hotel Metropole, Residence 6, Quebecs Hotel are some of the hotels, Wagamama, Slug and Lettuce and Loch Fyne Seafood are some of the restaurants, mainly around the East Parade and Park Row areas. Greek Street houses many of the bars in the financial quarter, which are usually open later than the restaurants.