When you are living in Sheffield, it is important to know more about the city as a whole. For example, did you know that Sheffield is home to more than 555,000 people? The city has a reputation as being one of the nation’s great industrial cities. Therefore, it has gained an undesirable reputation of being cold and inhospitable when nothing could be further from the truth. In actual fact, Sheffield is one of the United Kingdom’s greenest cities with green belts and woodland in close proximity to the city centre.

Cost

When living in Sheffield, or any UK city for that matter, the first thing you will be concerned about is the cost of living. Mention the word ‘London’ to anyone in the UK and watch them shiver as they think of exorbitant prices for mundane items. However, living in Sheffield is a world away from living in London or other UK cities price-wise. Research has shown that the city is not only 25% less expensive to live in than London, it is actually 10% cheaper than the national average.

Part of the reason for this low cost of living is the fact that Sheffield is a huge student city. There are an estimated 50,000 students in the city, no doubt this figure is so high because Sheffield is the third cheapest city in the UK for students. If you are working in Sheffield, it doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on the fun and frolics enjoyed by students. You may not be eligible for the same discounts but you can benefit from the leisure activities on offer. Those who have been living in Sheffield for years understand its standing as an entertainment centre, contrary to popular opinion.

Transport

If you are working in Sheffield, be aware that there are traffic congestion problems. However, the city council are constantly fighting against this issue and in the meantime, they are improving the public transport system (which is already top notch) in order to help residents of the city to get to college and work on time. Stagecoach are one of the main bus companies in the city and they have recently halved their prices in a bid to steal customers from rivals First. This has worked a treat with an influx of extra passengers leading to less overall congestion. The FreeBee service runs every seven minutes and travels around a circular route in the city centre.

Amenities

When it comes to entertainment, living in Sheffield certainly has its perks. The city is home to the internationally famous band, The Arctic Monkeys, and hosts major concerts on a regular basis in the Sheffield Arena, Sheffield City and the Octagon Centre amongst others. Lovers of the arts can enjoy plays at theatres such as the Crucible and Lyceum with museums and art galleries at every corner of the city. There are dozens of major retail outlets in the city centre. They are constantly trying to usurp one another. The result is lower prices and a win-win situation for consumers.

Do not underestimate the importance of sport in the city of Sheffield. As well as hosting two major professional football teams, Sheffield also hosts an ice hockey team with snooker’s world championships taking place at the Crucible theatre every year. Sheffield also has the world’s deepest diving pool and an Olympic sized swimming pool.

Nature

Despite being one of the United Kingdom’s largest cities, Sheffield uniquely manages to mix green belts with industry. More than 40% of the city’s population live within a 5 minute walk of woodland. More than 50% of the population live within 15 minute’s walk of the open countryside. The Peak District National Park is also located here and attracts millions of tourists every year.

If you are thinking of living and working in Sheffield, remember that property prices are currently low and the cost of living is well within the UK average budget. It is a city that has everything: Culture, music, sport, shopping and natural beauty. Few cities in the UK have such an eclectic mix and even fewer offer such a high quality of life. Working in Sheffield could be one of the most rewarding decisions you’ve ever made so if a job offers itself in the city, you would be remiss not to jump at the opportunity.