Week 1: Check!

It's hard to believe that only one week ago I was still in Ann Arbor, finishing up some last minute packing and saying bye to friends. I feel like I've lived a lifetime in a week!

Dublin was so much fun and it was a great opportunity to spend some time with my new team and learn more specifics of my new job. I didn't get to do much site seeing this time around, but I'll be going back next month for a mini-vacation, so I'll get to see a bit more than I did this time. I did manage to get a good picture though from the patio of one of the Google buildings in Dublin.

On Friday, I flew from Dublin to Leeds so that I'd have the weekend to get settled before starting work on Monday. My apartment is in the City Centre and only a 15 minute walk from work. Check out some pictures of my apartment!

I did a "dry run" to work this morning to make sure I know how to get there tomorrow. I also wanted to spend some time getting to know the city, so I just walked. And walked. And walked. It was a beautiful sunny day in Leeds so it was nice to take everything in by foot. My first impression is that Leeds is a lot more cosmopolitan than I initially thought. I learned today that the city has the most green space and parks in its city limits of any European city other than Vienna. 

Leeds has also positioned itself as a shopper's paradise in the North, so I'll feel right at home! There are multiple arcades set within buildings that have beautiful Victorian architecture. For those of you from Ann Arbor, the arcades are like Nickel's Arcade, except they are all over the City Centre area. Here are some pictures from my walk around Leeds today.

 A square near my apartment.

 One of the many streets in Leeds that is closed off to traffic. 

Inside the Leeds Corn Exchange, one of only three in the country that operates as a retail space. There are a lot of independent boutiques and restaurants. 

I picked up a magazine called the Style Guide to Leeds which covers some of the major sites, restaurants, shops, and activities happening in Leeds. I spent a lot of time reading it and decided to make a list of the places to check out.

1. Leeds Art Gallery
2. The Millennium Fountain
3. Brasserie Blanc - owned by Raymond Blanc, a Michelin rated chef
4. Kirkgate Market - largest covered market in Europe
5. Jamie's Italian - Jamie Olivier's first restaurant in the Northern England
6. Call Lane - top 5 contender on Google Maps 'Most Hip Street' list
7. Anthony's - family run restaurant with a few locations around the city
8. Victoria Quarter - I spent some time here this past weekend, but it is the Somerset of Leeds, so I will be back
9. Carluccio's - Italian restaurant and market
10. Elland Road Stadium - home of Leeds United, the football team. I'd love to see a game, but the season is winding down
11. Kirkstall Abbey - medieval abbey just outside of the city
12. The Reliance - bar and restaurant

These are places I just learned about today so I'm sure I'll be adding more to the list soon! Wish me luck on my first day of my new role tomorrow!