Leeds is absolutely full of great spots for dining out, music, shopping and more.
We have a Michelin-starred restaurant, several city centre shopping centres, popular stadiums and more. Everyone has their favourites - and also the places that they really just aren't that enthusiastic about stepping foot in.
British people love to complain - and many of them seem to find going online to leave a review of their least favourite places helps. We're not focusing on particular shops or restaurants here - instead the Leeds institutions that we all walk past or use regularly that some people just aren't that impressed by.
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That includes shopping centres, public squares, and transport hubs. We've rounded up the ones people in Leeds are grumbling about the most, and examined whether their complaints are justified.
Note: My own personal choice for this list would be St John's Shopping Centre (what is that place even for?), but it doesn't have a TripAdvisor page, so hasn't made it on to the list.
Crown Point Shopping Park
I have never felt the urge to visit Crown Point Shopping Park in the whole time I've lived in Leeds. It has just two stars out of five on average from 93 reviews on TripAdvisor.
Many of those are complaints about the parking situation - with many saying they'd been fined after misunderstanding the parking rules. Customers warn that they have been fined for staying over three hours.
For example, Joanne Cook wrote: "Confusing parking rules. Unreasonable fines for parking in wrong place. Go to Meadowhall. This place don’t deserve money."
Crown Point has a JD, a big Home Bargains, Poundland, TK Maxx, Asda, and so much more. It's certainly got variety, if that's what you're after - just double check those parking rules.
The Core
This city centre shopping venue has only an average of 2.5 stars on TripAdvisor, though that is only from 10 reviews. I haven't felt the need to go in this one either - at least not since my friends and I were 12 and wanted to visit the old New Look.
Ludwik D says: "Another shopping place that has gone downhill and this was before Covid. Now it's very few shops and a few eating places.
"I admit that I enjoyed the fish and chips and that's it! Many many years ago this was the site of Schofield department store, which was superior to the likes of John Lewis etc."
The Core has a Footasylum, a Matalan, MenKind, Poundland, and Blacks. There's a few different places to eat including Burger King and fish and chips and a gym upstairs.
Leeds Train Station
Lots of people are also ready to grumble about the train station - which feels a little harsh to me. They just revamped the whole entrance way - it's much nicer than it used to be and there's an M&S!
There's even more major refurbishment work planned this year, focusing more on New Station Street. But the train station has a very average three out of five stars on TripAdvisor from 106 reviews.
Gelvis Blue said: "Chaotic, poorly signposted throughout, no system to keep people in orderly queues. Not enough staff around." He did still give it three stars though.
"No seats when waiting at the platform for a train. People were having to sit on the filthy floor as the waited for the train," Clayton T wrote.
Markets and events held in Millennium Square
Millennium Square itself isn't really the target of much grumbling on TripAdvisor, but several visitors to events and markets held in the square have taken to the site to grumble about those. That brings its star rating average down to three out of five, from 188 reviews.
Many of the complaints about the Christmas Market actually date from before Covid when it was still the German Market. I remember the actual German Market as having much more going on than the Christmas market incarnations we have now - but regardless, both do see large crowds flock to the square.
Sharon JT said: "Didn’t come to Leeds just for the markets which is just as well as they were underwhelming, lots of food stalls, hot drinks or mulled wine which were over priced. There were a few selling Christmas decorations but nothing special, not been to the markets for a number of years but going back hard, not a patch on Edinburgh!"
Merrion Centre
The Merrion Centre doesn't come out too badly - but still gets its fair share of grumbles. It has 3.5 stars from 38 reviews.
Alison B says: "This place doesn't really offer much if your visiting Leeds. I would say it's best for locals who want to do their food shopping."
And how right she is - the Merrion Centre is home to a lovely Morrisons. For me, the Merrion Centre has some good restaurants around its outside - including the great Oba Kitchen, but I also agree with Gemma below that the main reason I go through the Merrion Centre is to walk through it.
Gemma P said: "This centre is fairly busy but I think this is because it’s used by people walking through to get to other places quicker. The centre itself is quite tired and could do with modernisation. This is not somewhere you would head to specially unless looking for a particular shop.
"We visited as part of the Jurassic trail, the staff about helping people were friendly."
Where are your least favourite spots in Leeds? Let us know in the comments.
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