Fashion

Where to Shop in Leeds

October 20, 2015

One of the perks of living in Europe is that top notch shopping is always around the corner. Even though I live in a small city like Hull, we have plenty of great shops and malls. Once in a while, however, it’s healthy to change things up a bit. This past weekend, my friend, her boyfriend and I took our love for shopping to grander heights. We went to Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre.

{On the train, ready with coffee in hand}

With Leeds being only 50 minutes away by train, and only £11 for a return ticket, we opted for the train. With a honeycomb latte from Pumpkin Cafe in hand, I was ready for our expedition. I needed to get new jeans and some shirts, since I had finally lost some weight and my clothes are not fitting properly (yay!). My friend was looking for a dress and her boyfriend needed a suit. My friends go to university in Leeds and currently, they are both living elsewhere for their placement year. It was fun to explore their city with them. I hope, one day, to take my friend back to Boulder and show her all of my favorite places from university too!

{Friends don’t let friends go shopping… Alone…}

An interesting element to the shopping mall is that it is built on a hillside, so there are lots of levels. Also, the top floors aren’t all connected on the same level. Sometimes, you have to go up, and then go back down to go back up again to get to another shop at a different end of the mall. It’s a bit confusing, but my fitbit was loving the extra steps (I managed to get 20,406 steps whilst in heels!). Also, I really loved the old church it was built around. Apparently, they had originally wanted to knock it down, and they were thankfully not allowed. The Brits do a great job of preserving history. The modern art/sculptures were also phenomenal. Leeds is the perfect blend of the old with the new.

{Busy streets in Leeds. Also notice the premature Christmas lights emerging.}

Leeds, in general, is a very pretty city. It is much bigger than Hull, and has a lot more things to do. The last time I was here, I went with another work friend to see the Buena Vista Social Club play on their “Adios” tour. What inspiring musicians!

Leeds seems to have more movement and commotion than Hull does. I liked the overall city centre. Christmas lights are already being put up even though it hasn’t even been Halloween yet, but that’s a crime committed in every city.

{Best burrito I’ve had in the UK – from Tortilla}

I had burrito on my mind since before our train even got into Leeds. H, my friend, was telling me about the best burrito places in Leeds, and we ended up going to the one in the food court at Trinity Leeds. It’s called Tortilla, and it’s the closest thing I’ve had to a Chipotle burrito since I’ve gotten here. An average barbacoa burrito is about 1000 calories, so Saturday was obviously going to be my cheat day.

{Matcha Green Bubble Tea}

Another cheat in my diet – Matcha Green Bubble (or Boba) Tea. When we past by the shop that makes them, I absolutely had to have some. Boulder, Colorado has a large population of Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese people. That included having some of the most amazing sushi restaurants, pho restaurants, and of course, Bubble/Boba tea shops. I remember fondly one place on the Hill (the commercial zone right next to my university) that had the best boba. I gave some to H to try, and she was not a huge fan of the tapioca boba balls. That is my favorite part because I love their texture.

{Trinity Shopping Centre in Leeds, England}

After a successful shopping trip, it was time to take the train home. I made it out with a couple flannel shirts (one from Top Shop and the other from Primark), two pairs of Top Shop jeans, boot socks and some absolutely necessary underthings.

Other places to shop in Leeds include: Victoria Quarter (this includes all the designers), White Rose, Brigitte and Queen’s Arcade.

{It’s flannel season}

This Autumn, I am really falling for the soft flannel fabrics. I’m not exactly sure why, but they just remind me of home. I’ve been listening to country music a lot lately, as well as lusting after cowgirl boots. I think the Coloradan in me is longing for a bit of Mountain. Leeds nor Hull, unfortunately, do not have those.