Leeds is a city in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. The River Aire runs through the city. In 1974 the former county borough of Leeds was merged with the towns of Wetherby, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, and other surrounding areas to form a metropolitan borough — the city status of the county borough being conferred on the new metropolitan borough. History Leeds was an agricultural market town in the middle ages, and received its first charter in 1207. In the Tudor period Leeds was mainly a merchant town manufacturing woollen cloths and trading with Europe via the Humber estuary. At one point nearly half of England's total export passed through Leeds. The introduction of the Leeds and Leeds Canal in 1816 and the railway in 1848 catalysed the city's industrial growth. Places of interest Despite its longtime reputation as a grimy northern industrial city, Leeds will surprise anyone with the beauty and diversity of its City Centre. Some places to visit except the museums and art galleries: * Quarry Hill Cultural Quarter * Millennium Square * Leeds Arena * Harewood / Eastgate shopping quarters (commence Late 2006/Early 2007) * Trinity Shopping Quarter (commence 2006) * South Leeds Sport Centre Museums and Art Galleries Leeds has a large number of museums, being the home of the Royal Armouries Museum (opened in 1996), the Leeds City Museum which is dedicated to the history of Yorkshire, the Thackray's Medical Museum and the Leeds City Art Gallery. Leeds also boasts the Grand Theatre, the City Varieties music hall and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Shopping While many cities can boast innumerable shopping centres and high street stores Leeds trademark is sophistication. It has become the shopping Mecca of the North - Gucci, Prada, D&G grace Harvey Nic's rails. Excepts these, street shops like - Karen Millen, Jigsaw, Kookai, Lambretta, Vivienne Westwood, Joseph, Ted Baker and Mexx jostle, are waiting there to feast the shopping spree in Leeds. The heart of Leeds is The Headrow, the city's main thoroughfare. Along its length one can find some of the city's main attractions; the City Museum, City Art Gallery and The Henry Moore Institute which has the finest collection of 20th Century paintings outside of the Tate. Off The Headrow is Briggate with its ornate shopping centres. The Grand Theatre and Opera House are located here also. Major shows visit regularly so it's worth checking out. Over all the City Center hosts a shopping center that fulfills every need of hopping. Food & Drink The city of Leeds offers an extensive choice of places to eat, drink and relax. Award winning restaurants, Victorian pubs, fashionable wine bars and venues offering every type of ethnic cuisine ensure that all tastes. Leeds has a very large student population and boasts a large number of bars and nightclubs, as well as venues for live bands such as the Cockpit, The New Roscoe, and Joseph's Well, which combine to generate a vibrant nightlife. For American style restaurants TGI Fridays, Wellington Street, Frankie and Benny's, Cardigan Fields, Kirkstall, Hard Rock Café are few to name. Babylon, 10 York Place, Browns, The Headrow, The Calls Grill are some of European style restaurants. From Chinese, French to Italian all type of food is available in Leeds. Listed are some famous among them: Cafe Rouge, Canton Flavour, Lucky Dragon, Little Tokyo, Cactus Lounge etc.

Biography Name: Maria Williams Occupation: Traveller Website: http://www.sleepuk.com Biography: Maria writes for Sleep UK - providers of discounted hotels to make your stay in the UK as comfortable as possible.