Mexican Riviera Beaches -Puerto Vallarta Villa Rentals, Hotels, Resorts

City guide to Bradford

Bradford is a large northern city, with a long and documented history, and a population of almost 300,000 people.

Numerous important historical buildings and monuments, including mills and factories and one of only two World Heritage Sites in Yorkshire, make the city a first choice of many history-seekers and the city never fails to reward the effort! Bradford is also home to the most visited museum outside of London.

The vibrant cultural life in Bradford, and award-winning restaurants, make the city an ideal destination for a relaxing evening out or weekend away; but the city also boasts a lively nightlife and music scene for those seeking entertainment a little more adventurous!

Like many other areas in the region, millions of pounds are pouring in for regeneration and the city offers an exciting up-and-coming feel.

History

Bradford was granted city status at the end of the nineteenth century, but its history is documented back to the thirteenth century. Bradford formed an important manufacturing area during the Industrial Revolution, but suffered the collapse of the manufacturing industry during the twentieth century. There have been signs of improvement over the last twenty years, but the rate of unemployment remains below the national average.

The National Media Museum is the most visited museum outside of London, exploring developments in photography, film and television, and housing the largest cinema screen in the world.

The Industrial Museum is based in an eighteenth century mill, and houses artefacts exploring the area's manufacturing past.

The nineteenth century village of Saltaire was built to house the local mill workforce, and is one of only two World Heritage Sites in Yorkshire.

Art Galleries

Bradford has numerous galleries including Cartwright Hall with comprises four separate galleries, displaying British works of art from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and a selection of South Asian arts and crafts.

Salts Mill is a shopping and arts complex, located in a converted Victorian mill in the village of Saltaire. There are four galleries in the complex, including David Hockney Gallery, a gallery exploring the area's heritage and a third displaying operatic costumes and masks.

The Manor House, in Ilkley, and the Arts Centre, in Bingley, host a range of temporary exhibitions.

Theatres

The Alhambra Theatre is Bradford's sole large-scale theatre, and housed in an impressive Victorian building. The theatre regularly hosts large-scale touring productions, including West End plays and performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The Alhambra Studio is located next door, and stages small-scale performances.

The Bradford Theatre-in-the-Mill is adjacent to the university campus, and offers small-scale productions, and drama and technical workshops.

Theatres specialising in musicals and concerts include St George's Hall, The Tamsin Little Music Centre and The Little Priestley.

Restaurants

Amongst Bradford's award-winning restaurants is Weaver's. The restaurant comes highly recommended by Good Food Guide, AA, Michelin and Hardens, and serves traditional and contemporary British cuisine.

Bradford's Curry Mile is home to more than twenty Indian and Asian-influenced restaurants, of which, The Kashmir is widely regarded as the best by customers, and Mumtaz Paan House is recommended by Good Food Guide. Kipling's Indian restaurant was awarded the 'Best in Britain Award' by a customer vote.

Chino Thai serves Chinese and Thai dishes in an up-market environment, and offers seating for 100 people.

Pubs/Bars

CAMRA recommends numerous Bradford pubs in the city, and named The Junction 'Pub of the Year' in 2006. Other contenders were Haigy's and Fighting Cock.

Brewery Tap is a rock pub that presents live acts two or three times each week, offers a free jukebox and various drinks offers. Bradford's longest serving music venue also comprises a poolroom and beer garden.

Fubar is a cocktail bar and tapas restaurant, boasting a vast selection of cocktails, wines, liqueurs and beers, with a chic and stylish interior that belie its low prices.

The Sun Hotel is one of Bradford's most popular gay bars, and features regular DJs, drag acts and pub quizzes. There is a lounge area, pool and games room, secluded beer garden and rooms to rent upstairs.

Nightclubs

Rio is a rock club and live music venue, one of many Bradford nightclubs, open three nights a week and presenting a selection from 80s and punk to indie and goth. Admission is free before 9:30pm and drinks are cheap.

Run by the owners of The Sun Hotel, Club Life is a very popular gay club, offering the best of sing-along classics and 'cheesy pop'. Admission is free on Thursdays, and a variety of DJs perform on Fridays.

Lingards is a house, speed garage and techno complex, comprising a pre-club bar, Ascension nightclub and Subterranea nightclub. There are club nights at the complex twice a week.

The Love Apple is another complex; this one comprising a cafe, bar, nightclub and art exhibition space. The club specialises in non-mainstream music, and hosts live music performances.

Shopping

The Kirkgate Shopping Centre is home to 65 shops and a large market on its top floor. There are 550 parking spaces, and the centre is easily accessible in the city centre. It is open every day.

The Oastler Shopping Centre is a market in the city centre, comprising 80 stalls and shops and trading in fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. There are also cafes and markets. St James Wholesale Market is located out of the city centre, and is the place to find exotic food produce.

Salts Mill is a converted Victorian mill, now a shopping and arts development. The development is home to numerous shops trading in unusual goods, a cafe, a diner and four art galleries.

Sports

The Richard Dunn Sports Centre is the largest of forty leisure centres in the city, and comprises a 25-metre pool and leisure pool activities for children, a gym, and a sauna, a solarium and squash courts. The centre is open every day.

The city university offers an impressive range of sporting facilities over three venues. The Sports Centre houses most of the facilities, the Laisteridge Lane site is home to squash, football and hockey courts/pitches, and the Woodhall Sports Ground provides sites for football, rugby and cricket.

There are forty golf courses in Bradford; including Queensbury Golf Club, an 18-hole course with a lounge and bar on-site.

There is also a branch of Hollywood Bowl in the city, comprising 24 ten-pin bowling lanes.

Author: Leisha Greenfield Having spent 10 years working as a visitor guide at various top London tourist attractions, Leisha Greenfield has now writes articles on UK tourism. http://www.ukcityguide.info.

MORE ARTICLES:

Negotiating Tips to Use When Buying a New Car Part 2
You have to remember that they are trying to negotiate you into paying more money just as you are trying to negotiate paying less. Here are some of the things that you can expect to hear from them.

NanoAndMore USA Opens West Coast Office
NanoAndMore USA attains complete office hour coverage for all US time zones by opening an office in Portland, OR. John Quintero heads the office and adds over 5 years experience selling AFM probes to our customer base of scientists and engineers. Sales and technical support is now available for NANOSENSORS, NanoWorld and BudgetSensors AFM probes from 8:00 to 5:00 your time.

Ski and Ride for 36 Hours at Keystone Resort's Annual Celebration of Winter Season
An epic 36th season for Keystone is set in motion with the 36 Hours of Keystone. ResortQuest Keystone will offer nearby Keystone vacation rentals.

A Family Owned Antigua Hotel in Falmouth Harbour
Looking for a small family owned beautiful Antigua Hotel in a historic part of the island, then check out the Catamaran Hotel You can certainly have a very pleasant and affordable vacation at the beachfront 15 room Catamaran Hotel, sitting on the south shore at Falmouth Harbour which is right next door to Nelson?s Dockyard, so you are very much in the historic part of Antigua as well

Los Angeles International Airport A Hub For Travel And Transportation
Los Angeles International Airport, the main airport in Los Angeles, CA, is best known by its airport abbreviation, LAX. It is located in city's southwestern area, about 15 miles away from downtown Los Angeles.

Visiting a Spa Resort Makes for the Ultimate Relaxation Experience
After the month to month grind of a stressful job and the time comes to choose a vacation, you want to have the most relaxing experience possible, in this case you cant go wrong if you think about going to a spa resort. Spa resorts include facilities that are totally geared towards spoiling and helping you to relax that little bit more...and it can all be included in a package deal if you choose.

What You Need To Know About – Students Travel
When traveling across the globe can be edgy for the adults, what to say of the students! However traveling abroad for learning or picnic can be entertaining for students too.· The reason of your trip The foremost task is to mull over the raison d'être of your trip for this determines the destination, the monetary issues, accommodation etc.

Innovative BAWTmobiles Offer Affordable Transportation to get Youth Outdoors : City CarShare and Bay Area Wilderness Training Pool Resources to Serv
Here in the Bay Area, where we often pay the highest gas prices in the nation, transportation costs get lots of attention. But for many youth workers, transportation is not only expensive; it is often the missing link in efforts to get kids to nature. Short trips across the Golden Gate, or even across San Francisco from The Bayview neighborhood to the Presidio have been near impossible. But now there?s a new, innovative solution to this barrier, called the BAWTmobile. This aptly named problem-solver is part of a groundbreaking program that was recently launched by two San Francisco based non-profit organizations- City CarShare and Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT).

Discovering Nice With Car Hire
In choosing Nice car hire, you?ve opened the door to a world of exciting adventures Not only is Nice a fantastic destination in itself, it?s also a gateway to the shimmering turquoise waters of the Cote d?Azur, the beautiful fragrant landscapes of Provence and the Mediterranean

All-Inclusive Vacation Packages: How To Find Them
Are you interested in taking a trip or a vacation? Whether you are looking to travel to the Caribbean or another popular vacation destination, it is advised that you book your travel arrangements well in advance. This is particularly important if you are looking to visit an area that is considered a popular vacation destination. Making your travel arrangements in advance will help to ensure that your travels are just as you imagined them to be, literally, giving you the vacation of your dreams.

Young Driver Car Insurance
It has become increasingly difficult to get young driver car insurance in the UK. The reason behind this is because the statistics for young drivers having a car accident are not very good.

Buying a Cyprus Holiday Home or Villa is Easy
Buying a Cyprus holiday home or villa is a worthwhile investment with the UK property market stagnating many people are now looking at the international markets and Cyprus property for sale has so much to offer Some first-time buyers are purchasing abroad so they can get on the property ladder as they can?t at home, and if you buy off-plan and then when completed, rent the property out part-time you can afford it and have a holiday home and a great investment at the same time

The Third Annual Wave Loch Flow Series is Underway and is Coming to a City Near You
Wave Loch® and Royal Caribbean International® are teaming up for the 3rd Annual Wave Loch Flow Series. The national competition will bring together the best flowboarders, bodyboarders, and drop knee riders in the country. The competitive Flow Series kicks off on Saturday, June 14 in Collinsville, IL. The Wave Loch Flow Series will consist of 13 city stops with local "flow" heroes across the nation coming to a venue/city near you. The competition will stop in Illinois, Florida, California, Oregon, Missouri, Utah, Hawaii, Minnesota, Idaho and Pennsylvania. Athletes will vie for titles in flowboarding, bodyboarding, and drop knee divisions. Winners from the selected venues will be awarded round-trip tickets by Wave Loch to compete at the Natio...

Microsoft Dynamics AX Partner Iteration2 Wins Prestigious GM Award from Microsoft for Partner Excellence and Customer Satisfaction in Pacific Northwes
Recognized with a distinctive award for outstanding value and satisfaction to customers in the Western Region, Iteration2 continues to achieve highly coveted industry awards.