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Why should people visit Sheffield

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If you look at the places in the surrounding area which are regarded as tourist destinations, such as York and Lincoln, they're largely tourist destinations because of history: you've got York Minster and Lincoln Cathedral, you've got the city walls in York and the castle in Lincoln, and you've got a picturesque town centre full of little streets with interesting shops i.e. the Shambles in York and the hill in Lincoln. And those places grew up like that because the Minster and the Cathedral were there. Sheffield didn't really develop until much later and doesn't have that same olde worlde charm that the tourists come for. You can't suddenly turn Sheffield into a place like York or Lincoln overnight.

 

The only way that Sheffield will ever become a tourist destination now is if somebody decides to site some overwhelmingly successful attraction or massive event here; if the Olympic Stadium had been in Sheffield, then we might have had a chance. Our track record on successful attractions isn't great either (National Centre for Popular Music anyone?).

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I went to Prague for my hols this year. Nothing in Prague that you couldn't get in a hell of a lot of other European cities - but it was still a damn nice place to go.

There are masses of things in Prague that you can't get in other cities, which is why their tourist industry exists. It's a hugely popular destination.

 

There is very little in Sheffield to draw people in. It'd be lovely if there was something here, and for that reason it's important to note what we're missing. The idea that being close to the Peak District is a reason to visit has always struck me as odd:

 

"Visit Sheffield. We're near something interesting."

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with the olympics and the likes of Enis suddenly putting Sheffield on the map can this be capitalised on and make Sheffield a top destination for tourism, or is the challenge too great ???

 

What do you think of current atempts to advertise Sheffield as a tourist destination?

 

How would you sell Sheffield if it was up to you? whip out some Sheffield pride and lets hear what's so great about the city.

 

Does it have to be a top destination for tourism?

 

I like living in Sheffield, I was born here, I've lived and worked all over the globe but have always been happy to come home, and am happy for it to just be a nice, clean, tidy city for the people that live and work here, that is looked after and respected by the people that live here.

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The only way that Sheffield will ever become a tourist destination now is if somebody decides to site some overwhelmingly successful attraction or massive event here; if the Olympic Stadium had been in Sheffield, then we might have had a chance. Our track record on successful attractions isn't great either (National Centre for Popular Music anyone?).

 

...or tidy the place up. There are younger cities than Sheffield around the world that don't rely on one single attraction to pull people in, rather as a whole they offer an attractiveness, a friendliness, an interest that compels people to visit. There's another thread on here that virtually applauds the dicks that are happy to dump their rubbish anywhere they want, this is the sort of behaviour that turns people away. Ok so that's just one example of idiocy but it doesn't help your cause.

I'm no fan of Sheffield or cities in general that's why I moved away but in the short time I lived there I have no doubts that I witnessed more of the history of it than many others. It's there if people look. The problem is most only look left and right in shop windows, few have the ability to look up.

I found it to be messy, dirty even, run down and forgotten in many places but that is the fault of people that live in the areas who habitually litter and tip because others do. There are a lot of proud families living in the areas that regularly come under attack on this forum who try hard to maintain their surroundings only to see it undone by more idiots.

 

My view. One of Sheffield's biggest failings are the people in it. Too many allow the ***** to get away with it or follow suit. Too many despise the police for no apparent reason. Too many break simple rules and regulations because they disagree with them.

 

Sheffield has a hidden beauty but too few can be arsed to go and find it.

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Funnily enough I never point anyone at this forum with regards to seeing what Sheffield is like.

 

You just have to look at this thread for the amount of negativity.

 

It's more a pessimism born through experience of living here for, in my case, 43 years.

 

We have a city - some folk prefer to call it a large village - 'run' by a council which is happy to be stuck in the past, goes out of its way to discourage big business and sits idly by while cities which ought to be deemed as competitors - Leeds, Manchester and Nottingham - embrace change, invest millions of pounds, take risks in building projects and welcome the tourist, visitor and businessman with open arms.

 

Our roads are an embarrassment; our road network a maze of one-way streets, dead-ends, no right turns and poorly sequenced traffic lights every fifty yards. The council agreed to Meadowhall being built and responded when all the shoppers flocked there in their cars where they could rightly park for free via two means: increase parking charges in the city and quadruple the order of yellow paint.

 

Then, unsure of why the city centre was suffering so badly, a tram line straight to bright, clean and welcoming Meadowhall was duly provided. (Granted, Meadowhall is not my cup of tea but clearly it is others'.)

 

It's not all quite so doom and gloom though. The Moor - lying there like some urine-infested, forgotten alleyway is finally seeing redevelopment. The Heart Of The City, Winter Gardens and former Peace Gardens are pleasant enough (although totally overshadowed, literally, by the ugly and unnecessary high-rise building nearby). The railway station and forecourt has probably never looked better. SevenStone - or whatever it will be called - might actually get off the planner's drawing board and see reality. (At last, a true indoor shopping centre in the city! Leeds has just okayed what must be at least its fifth such centre.) And plans to expose the castle ruins and redevelop the riverside down Exchange Street sound promising.

 

But to anyone asking me the OP's question, my answer would be spend a night in Sheffield by all means but get yourself out into beautiful Derbyshire the day after. Fortunately for many of us, a ten minute drive away.

Edited by Ousetunes

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Does it have to be a top destination for tourism?

 

That's a good point that I've never considered. I've just looked at it from the point that there's a lot of money to be made from city breaks.

 

There are obviously some towns which should never be considered break destinations - Northampton, Leicester, Bradford to name just three at random.

 

But perhaps our top ten cities - or at least top five, should be doing all they can to promote themselves on the UK and world stage?

 

My biggest gripe is that Sheffield doesn't do enough to promote itself outside the region. The basics are there, it just needs to improve them, and that's to start by getting The Moor sorted and opening Kelham Island on a Saturday.

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tell me about the craziest place in Sheffield where all crazy things happens without any external problem.

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Sheffield should stop trying to reinvent its self.

The city is [was] unique in England as it was in a time warp untouched by the urban modernisation as has happened in Manchester and Leeds etc.

This time warp was itself was an attraction but we are now becoming just another soulless void.

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Sheffield should stop trying to reinvent its self.

The city is [was] unique in England as it was in a time warp untouched by the urban modernisation as has happened in Manchester and Leeds etc.

This time warp was itself was an attraction but we are now becoming just another soulless void.

 

well i guess you mean to say is that city is having a boring attitude.

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well i guess you mean to say is that city is having a boring attitude.

Perhaps like York [not the same infrastructure I know] but its interest is in its uniqueness.

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Perhaps like York [not the same infrastructure I know] but its interest is in its uniqueness.

 

hmm i but i have visited that place its not that bad but i do not think its unique.

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The attractions of Sheffield are too subtle to detect on a quick visit.Sheffield is a place for residents,whereas York is a place for visitors but I would not wish to live there.I can say the same for Oxford,Bath,Stratford and Towcester.

 

---------- Post added 08-04-2013 at 08:45 ----------

 

That's a good point that I've never considered. I've just looked at it from the point that there's a lot of money to be made from city breaks.

 

There are obviously some towns which should never be considered break destinations - Northampton, Leicester, Bradford to name just three at random.

 

But perhaps our top ten cities - or at least top five, should be doing all they can to promote themselves on the UK and world stage?

 

My biggest gripe is that Sheffield doesn't do enough to promote itself outside the region. The basics are there, it just needs to improve them, and that's to start by getting The Moor sorted and opening Kelham Island on a Saturday.

 

Leicester is the most diverse city in UK and is a must visit.Loads visit Bradford on Delius pilgrimages.Northampton once shod 200 million members of the empire and is home to the world's deepest municipal swimming pool.

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