'''Location, Location'''
Wakefield's location at the heart of England and at the centre of the UK's communications network offers unsurpassed transport links, providing fast connections by road, rail, and air.
At the intersection between the M1 and M62 and with the A1 at its eastern boundary, the district is well placed to access other regional centres such as Leeds, Sheffield and York.
Ease of commuting extends beyond the region with Wakefield Westgate, the city's mainline station situated on the high speed east coast mainline, offering excellent connections to key UK destinations. Direct half-hourly services operate to London throughout the day with the quickest journey taking under 2 hours. Sheffield, York, Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle are also within easy reach.
Several airports offering domestic and international flights are nearby, including Leeds Bradford, Robin Hood Airport, Manchester and East Midlands. Leeds Bradford, Manchester and East Midlands all provide direct flights to London and Brussels.
The district has emerged from over a century of reliance on coal mining to become a thriving manufacturing, shopping and distribution centre, taking full advantage of its place at the heart of the region's transport network.
Future Vision Wakefield is a district with a proud heritage and a buoyant future, whose people are represented by forward-looking Wakefield Council that has a vision for the future:-
"in ten years time, Wakefield will be a distinctive, vibrant city at the heart of the district's economy with a skilled workforce, making a real contribution to the prosperity and diversity of the Yorkshire and Humber region.
The city will be a place for people, with a strong public transport system allowing quick and convenient access to and around the city and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Wakefield will be a thriving commercial centre presenting distinctive retail areas, modern office accommodation, a range of quality residential opportunities and a mix of excellent leisure opportunities."
The City Wakefield city is a historic seat of regional government in Yorkshire and for two centuries provided the county headquarters of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Today the city retains its strong tradition of public service employment with the headquarters of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, the Yorkshire and Humber regional assembly and the West Yorkshire Police located at its heart within the civic quarter.
Public sector presence extends to the health service including the headquarters of the West Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
The District Wakefield district covers some 350 square kilometres and is home to 315,000 people in a diverse range of city, urban and rural communities, and an amalgam of what were previously 14 different local authorities.
The north west includes Horbury, Ossett, Wrenthorpe, Stanley and Altofts, while Normanton, Castleford, Pontefract, Knottingley, Featherstone and a host of smaller settlements make up the five towns. In the south east, there are the towns of Hemsworth, South Kirkby and South Elmsall as well as other communities. Image:WakefieldCathedral_small-1-.jpg
Some 70 per cent of the rural communities of the district is designated as green belt. Dotted about the rolling countryside are villages like Middlestown, Crigglestone, Crofton, Woolley and Ackworth.
Wakefield Council and its partner organisations in the Wakefield District Partnership are making great strides in bringing new life to the old mining communities of the south east. Major achievements have already been made in reclaiming former colliery sites for both leisure and industrial use.
Wakefield has a lot to offer. It has a rich industrial heritage which visitors can experience at the National Coal Mining museum. It is known for its lively nightlife. The District itself is made up of the City and it's Five Towns, Castleford, Horbury, Normanton, Ossett and Pontefract.
There are three airports that are general seen as accessible from Wakefield, [http://www.robinhoodairport.com Doncaster/Sheffield Airport] ; [http://www.lbia.co.uk Leeds Bradford International Airport]and [http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk Manchester Airport] which is the best airport for non-european flights. However, access to London by train means that Wakefield is accessible from all of the major London airports.
[http://www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com/ National Express East Coast]
[http://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/ East Midland Trains]
[http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/ Arriva Cross Country Trains]
[http://www.northernrail.org Northern Rail]
Wakefield is served extensively by [http://www.nationalexpress.com National Express].
Wakefield is accessible from Rotterdam and Zeebrugge and is approximately 1hr travel time by car from the UK point of arrival at Kingston Upon Hull, the service is operated by [http://www.poferries.com P&O Ferries]. If travelling by coach change in Leeds. If travelling by train change in Doncaster or Leeds.
Local bus services are provided by [http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/ Arriva] and [http://www.stagecoachbus.com/yorkshire/ Stagecoach].
'''Wakefield Free City Bus'''
A free city bus service provided by Metro and the Council is available in the city centre.
The bus operates throughout the day on a circular route linking the two train stations, the bus station and the main shopping areas:-
Bus Station > The Springs > Kirkgate Station > Ings Road Retail Park > Westgate Retail Park > Westgate Station > Westgate > Bus Station
More information (including a downloadable route map) is available at the Metro website (see Related Link)
(http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/070207.htm)
'''Westgate run''' Famous in the north of England for its weekend nightlife with numerous late night bars, fast food jounts and a number of nightclubs all within 400 metres to the city centre. The 'Westgate Run' is a pub crawl commencing at 'The Redoubt' pub, and finishing in the town centre having taken in perhaps a dozen pubs along the way.
The Harewood Arms quietly prides itself on being one of the best, in both quality, quantity and value, home cooked traditional "pub grub" venues in Wakefield. The regular menu covers all the usuals and check the special boards for fabulous "home cooked" tasty meals. Sundays can get especially busy but believe me it's worth it!!!
'''Prego Pizzaria''' url="http://www.pregopizzeria.co.uk/"></eat>
'''Applebees''' 15 Commons Corner Way South Kingstown RI 02879 phone 4017824578