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LIVING IN YORK
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Living in York For more information please contact: business@makeityork.com
Located at the heart of the UK, York is one of the country’s most visited cities, and offers a wealth of things to do, see and enjoy. With its excellent transport, public services and educational facilities, York offers an unrivalled quality of life. In order to help ease you into, and make the most of life in York, we have put together the following information. Covering both the practicalities of moving into a new area, and highlighting the must-do activities, we hope that this brief guide to living in York will provide you with the tools you need to enjoy all that York and the surrounding area has to offer.
Voted 4th in the UK for satisfaction with home and place – Rightmove, 2015
Voted the best city in England and Wales for families to call home – OneFamily’s Family Hotspots Report, 2015
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Shopping and leisure York is home to more than 2,000 stores. The city centre is compact, with many of the shops set in York’s medieval and Georgian streets, and it is perhaps most famous for its specialist and independent stores, antiques shops and designer boutiques. One of York’s most attractive shopping streets is Stonegate, which runs from York Minster to the river. The open-air Shambles Market in the city centre is a good source of fresh produce, unique crafts and essential merchandise. Open seven days a week from 7am, the market is the perfect shopping destination with more than 85 stalls offering a diverse selection of goods. Regular farmer’s markets also provide an opportunity to purchase locally grown food directly from the producer. York also houses major retail chains and bigname high street outlets, including Topshop, Reiss, Jigsaw and Whistles. There are three major department stores located in the city centre: Fenwick, Browns and Debenhams, all housing major concessions including MAC, Bobby Brown, All Saints, Lacoste and Barbour. Out of town, there are also modern shopping complexes. The York Designer Outlet to the south of the city is home to 120 luxury and designer brand names, and Vangarde Shopping Park is home to John Lewis, the region’s largest M&S store and one of York’s two new Primark stores. All in all, York offers some of the most distinctive, specialist and stylish shopping in the UK. Within walking distance of the city centre is Bishopthorpe Road which beat off hundreds of high streets across the country to be crowned Britain’s Best High Street and Winner of Winners in the Great British High Street Awards 2015.
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York is world famous for Betty’s afternoon tea. Located in St Helen’s Square in the centre of York, Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms was inspired by the founder’s voyage on the Queen Mary. The city boasts an impressive range of restaurants, suiting all tastes and budgets, and is renowned for both its thriving and elegant cafe culture and its multitude of friendly pubs, bars and lounges. These range from chic bistros to original and quirky bars, chilled-out cafe bars and traditional old-world pubs. Many of these offer live music throughout the week. York has a varied and vibrant nightlife which offers something for everyone. Ranging from real-ale pubs to clubs, there is an eclectic mix of live music venues across the city, including jazz, rock, folk, indie and acoustic and a thriving comedy scene. Key venues include the York Barbican, Fibbers and The Basement. York has two main theatres offering drama, musicals, opera, dance and comedy – the York Theatre Royal, which was established in 1744, and has just reopened after a £4.1m redevelopment, and the Grand Opera House. There is also the 100-seat Friargate Theatre, which hosts visiting performing arts groups, and the Joseph Rowntree Theatre. For film lovers, York offers a choice of cinemas. York City Screen in the centre of York is an arthouse cinema with three screens and luxury seating, showing mainstream, independent and world cinema. A modern, 12-screen multiplex Vue cinema is situated at the Clifton Moor Retail Park, showing all of the big-name blockbusters, and The York Reel Cinema on Blossom Street is a further city centre option for film viewing.
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Attractions, events and festivals There is always something to do in York, with numerous events and activities, too many to list here. On a day off, bank holiday or weekend, residents of York can:
> Stroll along the 2.5 miles of medieval walls which encircle the city, and sip a drink beside the beautiful River Ouse. > Visit York’s most prominent visitor attraction – York Minster, one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals and the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. > Visit the award-winning National Railway Museum – a fantastic, free day out spanning 200 years of railway history, including the Mallard and The Flying Scotsman. > Embark on a “unique thrill-filled journey through 2000 years of York’s murky history” at York Dungeon, featuring 11 shows created with professional actors. Other highlights include Jorvik Viking Centre, Clifford’s Tower, York Castle Museum, York Art Gallery, Yorkshire Museum, York’s Chocolate Story, The Shambles, and the York snickelways.
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There is a year-round programme of events in York, including the Great Yorkshire Fringe Festival, illuminating York, the Viking Festival, York St Nicholas Christmas Festival, and the Christmas Markets. As well as this, York is famous for being home to some of the country’s most talented street entertainers. York has held an annual Festival of Food and Drink every September since 1997, promoting local food from York and North Yorkshire. It is the largest food and drink festival in the UK, attracting around 150,000 visitors per day attending over 10 days. The annual York Residents Festival takes place on the last weekend of January, and offers the chance to explore the city and be a tourist for the weekend. Organised by Visit York in partnership with the City of York Council, this annual festival is a great way to discover York’s visitor attractions for free and to wine and dine using discounted offers.
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Sport and recreation Sport enthusiasts, whether armchair or participant, will be cheered on by York’s diverse range of amateur and professional sporting events and activities.
In 2014, York hosted the Tour de France Grand Depart Stage 2 and went on to host the Tour de Yorkshire in 2015. Facilities for cyclists include high quality cycle retailers, cycle parking at popular destinations, combined cycling/pedestrian routes and a Bike and Ride scheme. York itself is linked to several regional, national and international cycle networks that reach from Scotland to Sweden. If golf is your passion, York has seven golf clubs, including the course at Fulford, which is home to 23 international and European professional tour events. One of the premier tracks in Europe and recent winner of Flat Racecourse of the Year award, York Racecourse was founded in 1731. It hosts 15 race meetings each year, which sees thousands of fans flocking to York. York has its own football team – York City – with a ground at Bootham Crescent. For Rugby fans, York
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has the York City Knights Rugby League Team and a thriving York Rugby Union club, which also runs a very busy junior section. York has an array of gyms and leisure centres across the city. York Sports Village has a wide range of first class sport, health and fitness facilities, services and programmes in the city. Their two facilities, York Sport Village and York Sport Centre are home to a fantastic array of gym, cycling, swimming, sports, racquet and fitness facilities. With the addition of artificial pitches, health facilities and an array of classes, there is something on offer for all the family. City of York Council offers comprehensive information on all the sport and leisure activities on offer in the city. Follow this link to find out more: york.gov.uk/homepage/38/sport_and_physical_ activity
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Beyond York York is surrounded by the stunning Yorkshire countryside and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the Wolds and Howardian hills nearby. Countryside, coast, cities, stately homes, theme parks and outdoor pursuit centres are all within easy reach of York.
The city lies within the Vale of York, which is surrounded by the Pennines, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales – some of the most fantastic scenery in the UK. The North York Moors includes Dalby Forest and Sutton Bank which cater for cycling, walking and gliding activities and provide the backdrop for numerous musical and theatrical events. Living in York gives you easy access to some of Britain’s most attractive and awe-inspiring countryside. In under an hour’s drive you can reach the Yorkshire coast, with its rugged beaches, fishing villages and stretches of family friendly seaside resorts, and the beautiful market towns of Beverley, Helmsley and Malton, to name but a few. If you want to visit a larger city, then Leeds is only 20 minutes away by train, and Hull, Manchester and Sheffield are within easy reach.
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Some of the key attractions outside of York include: > Fountains Abbey, a World Heritage Site with 12th century abbey ruins set in 800 acres of beautiful countryside. > The Deep in Hull, one of the world’s most spectacular aquariums and home to over 6,500 fish. > Castle Howard, located just 15 miles north east of York, a magnificent 18th century historic house with 1000 acres of breath-taking gardens. > North York Moors Railway, the world’s most popular heritage steam railway, which offers fun days out for all the family.
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Education, employment and health Education For families looking to move to York, there is an impressive range of educational establishments from which to choose. The excellent provision of schools in York is evidenced by its position amongst the leading UK cities for both Key Stage 2 and 4 results and its place as one of the UK’s top hotspots to buy a property for education. City of York Council prepares an annual comprehensive parents’ guide for schools admissions. This helpful guide includes map of schools and catchment areas: york.gov.uk/downloads/file/236/guide_for_parents In addition to this the Council also produces a helpful post-16 guidance document to support young people with next-step choices: york.gov.uk/downloads/file/456/year_11_parents_ guide North Yorkshire County Council produces an interactive online guide for information about schools, catchments and application processes. This can be viewed here: northyorks.gov.uk/article/26374/Browse-schoolinformation-for-your-area
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Details of Ofsted reports and school league tables can be viewed here: reports.ofsted.gov.uk York also has several private schools, including St Peter’s School, The Minster School, Bootham School, The Mount School and Queen Margaret’s School. More information on independent schools in the area can be viewed here: yorkboarding.co.uk The University of York opened in 1963 with just 230 students. By 2013 it was number one in the UK and seventh in the world in the Times Higher Education world rankings of universities less than 50 years old. It is one of the top ten universities in the UK for teaching and research, and is amongst the top 20 in Europe. It has over 30 academic departments and research centres, and around 16,000 students. In 2012 it became a member of the Russell Group of top British universities, alongside the likes of Oxford and Cambridge. The University of York has a highly rated medical school, Hull York Medical School. Recently, the university has undergone a £750 million campus expansion, which has included the opening of seven new buildings to increase their student capacity and to provide world-class facilities for the new century.
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York St John University, formerly an autonomous college of the University of Leeds, gained full university status in 2006, thus becoming York’s second university. Catering for students from 60 countries around the world, it is currently achieving a graduate employability figure of 95.7%. With a growing reputation for working with businesses in York to help improve performance, the University has a commitment to supporting local economic growth.
Employment
York is home to two major further education colleges. York College has been recognised as one of the leading colleges in the country after it was judged ‘Outstanding’ by national inspection body Ofsted during an inspection in December 2013. The college offers a range of academic, vocational and degree courses for both school leavers and adult learners. Askham Bryan College, which offers further education courses, foundation and honours degrees, specialises in more vocational subjects such as agriculture, horticulture and animal management.
Tourism is an important element of the local economy, and a specific website is dedicated to recruitment opportunities within the tourism and hospitality sector:
Compared with the rest of the UK, unemployment is generally low in York. Major employers in York include the University of York, York St John University, York Hospitals NHS Trust, City of York Council, Network Rail, Northern Rail, Aviva, Nestle, British Telecom, NFU Mutual, Hiscox, Shepherds and Portakabin. Each of these organisations has its own Job Pages listing opportunities.
yorkhospitality.co.uk The York Press offers a local jobs board yorkpress.co.uk/jobs as well as having a jobs section every Wednesday in the paper.
Health York is served by the purpose-built York Hospital, which was opened in 1976 and became a Foundation Hospital in 2007. It has over 700 beds and an A&E department. For local GP services information, NHS choices publishes up to date information on local services, including GP, Dental and specialist health providers: nhs.uk/service-search There is also a range of private health providers in the York area including clinics and hospitals.
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Transport connections York is one of Britain’s best-connected cities – not surprisingly as it was founded by the Romans. It is well served by long-distance trunk roads; leading to and from York are the A59 Liverpool to York road, the A64 Leeds to Scarborough road, the A19 Doncaster to Tyneside road, and the A1079 York to Hull road. A 10-mile journey down the A64 takes you to the A1 (M) motorway and the M1 motorway. Also nearby is the M62 transpennine motorway, linking Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. With its rich railway heritage, York is also a major railway centre. A principal stop on the East Coast Main Line, York lies halfway between London and Edinburgh. You can reach London King’s Cross in less than two hours, and there are around 46 direct trains each day. Cross Country services also link York to Edinburgh and Newcastle, and the south west of England via Birmingham. The TransPennine Express train links York, Leeds, Manchester, Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Newcastle and Scarborough. For moving in and around the city, York is well served by an extensive network of public transport.
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There are six Park and Ride car parks on the outskirts of the city, allowing people to park their car and catch the bus into the city. This means that much of the city is car free, leading to a safer, less congested and less polluted city centre. Details on routes available, up-to-date timetables, cycle routes and car sharing opportunities can be viewed here: itravelyork.info Several international airports are within easy reach of York. Leeds-Bradford Airport is nearby and provides easy access to most major European airports as well as North Africa, New York and Pakistan. The TransPennine Express direct trains link to Manchester Airport in just 1hr 45m. Manchester Airport is the principal airport for the north of England, with flights to Europe, America, Asia and Africa. Ferries go from nearby Hull to a range of European countries. So, whether you need to get to work, want to visit friends or family, take a weekend trip or go away on holiday, you’ll be able to get to wherever you need to go quickly and easily.
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Moving to York Short–term accommodation If you require accommodation as a short-term measure, York has a variety of accommodation to suit every budget. Visit York provides comprehensive listings of all B&B, Hostels, Guest Houses and Hotels. If you require short-term accommodation for a month or longer then it is worth considering a rental arrangement. External professional and family households in the area let out rooms on websites such as spareroom.com
Long–term accommodation House prices in York are nationally competitive. 2015 property prices in York ranged from terraced properties, which on average sold for £224,656, through to semi-detached properties with an average selling price of £223,655 and detached properties averaging at £337,227.
If you want to buy a property the easiest way to search property is to visit Rightmove or Zoopla, entering ‘York’ as your search criteria. The websites list properties from all the different agencies in York and the surrounding area. rightmove.co.uk zoopla.co.uk
New developments There are a number of new housing developments in and around the York area: Easingwold and Stillington: danielgathhomes.co.uk/location.html York: redrow.co.uk/locations/yorkshire; dwh.co.uk/new-homes/Yorkshire/York/ Selby: persimmonhomes.com/staynor-hall-2140
Rental prices range from £625 and £750pcm for 1- and 2-bedroomed apartments respectively, and £700 and £875pcm for 2-bed and 3-bed semidetached properties respectively. Once you have found your way around York you may wish to search for long-term accommodation. If you have children, bear in mind that the choice of school depends on where you live and whether your street will be in the catchment area of your preferred school. It is worth researching the local schools to ensure you are in the right catchment area.
For full details of what’s on in York, download the Visit York App, or go to visityork.org For maps of York and surrounding area: visityork.org/information/maps-of-york.aspx To view or subscribe to Make It York’s weekly guide to some of the best things happening in and around York: visityork.org/7daysinyork.aspx
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We hope that this guide has given you a flavour of why York is such a wonderful place in which to live, but if you would like to know more then please do call us on 01904 554400 and we’ll be happy to chat with you. Alternatively, nothing beats seeing the city for yourself, so why not come and visit York to get a feel for the city and the full York experience.
business@makeityork.com 01904 554400 @York_Means_Biz makeityork.com/invest
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live, visit, study, work and do business Make It York is the city’s Destination Management Organisation. Our purpose is to develop and promote the city and its surroundings – nationally and internationally – as a vibrant and attractive place to live, visit, study, work and do business.