Growing up in Leeds, people are always shocked when I tell them that I much prefer Sheffield as a city.. “but the shopping is so good, but the night-life is amazing” they exclaim. Yet my preference still remains firmly with Sheffield, so to explain I thought I’d come up with 10 things that, in my opinion, make it so special.

The 10 Best Things About Sheffield:

1. The people – It’s a cliché, it’s what many people say when you ask them about what they love about Sheffield but it’s true. The people are friendly, warm and welcoming and it makes the city feel safer and creates a real sense of community. Well they do say that Sheffield is the biggest village in the world!
2. The Peak District – You can drive a few miles out of the city and you enter a beautiful land of valleys, mountains, trees and streams. The Peak District and the villages which surround it are picturesque in their natural beauty. Well worth a walk or a picnic in the summer!
3. The music heritage – Sheffield has produced some world class musicians: The Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Richard Hawley, The Human League, Def Leppard just to name a handful! It also has hundreds of lesser known bands and artists who are often playing in venues around the city.
4. Tramlines – A city centre music festival which ignites the whole city, every pub, bar, venue in central Sheffield joins forces to put on gigs and events over weekend. Although of recent years you find many of the locals complaining that Tramlines is no longer free, I think that a price of £30 for the whole weekend to see as many of the acts as you like is fantastic value for mone! Even if you decide not to pay for a ticket, this doesn’t stop you experiencing Tramlines to its fullest. With many free gigs and an abundance of varied street food around the city, you really can’t go wrong.
5. It’s got its own island and beach – Okay well Kelham Island (not really an island) and Eccy Beach (the nickname for Ecclesall Road – not really a beach) but both of these areas have a wonderful array of pubs, bars and restaurants that you have to forgive them for their… misleading names!
6. Hendersons relish – A list about Sheffield isn’t complete without Sheffield very own condiment! The age old debate as to whether it’s really just Worcestershire sauce with a Yorkshire accent, but this is not the case. ‘Hendos’ differs as it doesn’t contain any anchovies! Sheffielders are very proud of Henderson’s relish and I can’t blame them – it’s a great addition to cheese on toast!
7. Meadowhall – People often cite the shopping in Leeds as its best feature and something that the city centre of Sheffield lacks. But for someone who finds shopping a chore, what could be better than an indoor shopping centre with everything you need in one place!
8. The independents – Sheffield is brimming with a collection of independent shops, restaurants and cafes. Each one brings something different to the city, with little quirks and interesting products and interior design which really make them special.
9. The accent – Hearing the Sheffield accent always makes me happy, a broad Yorkshire accent with many words specific to it which to me reminds me of the friendly, down to earth people who live here. Although there are a few words the Leeds and Sheffield dialects disagree with, jennel for example. What an earth is a jennel? It’s definitely a ginnel!
10. Sheffield Hallam University – I can’t write a list about Sheffield without mentioning the whole reason I live here. I loved every minute of being a student at Sheffield Hallam, I fell in love with Sheffield the minute I arrived and I am thankful I have been able to stay after University and start my career in this wonderful city.