Sheffield city centre - for the over 55s ✨
Sheffield city centre has something for everyone - no matter their age.
Urban entertainment, shopping and living is not just for people at the 'start of their lives'.
Here we highlight just some of the attractions for the over-55s market in Sheffield city centre.
To help find what appeals to your personality, we have streamlined the options into six categories:
✨ Food and drink
✨ Cinema
✨ Wellbeing
✨ Culture
✨ Shopping
✨ City tours
Food and drink 🍽️
Proximity to restaurants is one of the advantages of city centre living for David Hussey-Yeo.
The 65-year-old has lived in Sheffield city centre for 11 years and enjoys walking to a good pub or eatery.
He said: “I like the new Miller and Carter, that is one of my favourites. “It’s a top-notch restaurant. If you want a good steak, it is the place to be.
“I’m also very close to Shakespeares pub, which has a great outdoor area.
“The Dog and Partridge is a good Irish pub and I like Perch too, that’s well worth a visit.”
David would welcome ‘something like the Sheffield Tate’ in the city centre as its regeneration continues. But he has also found other benefits to living centrally.
The retired IT worker said: “I had a car in the city centre when I first moved but I didn’t replace it because I didn’t need it. I think that is a big benefit, certainly for my age range.
“You can get rid of the car and that’s a big saving.”
If, like David, you like a good pub, head to The Rutland on Brown Street.
It’s situated in an eye-catching 20th-century building. Inside, the ever-changing menu offers outstanding restaurant-style cooking at affordable pub prices. Dishes range from the famed ‘rutty butty’ chip sandwich to seabass, vegetarian curries and delectable 'proper' puddings. The range of drinks is extensive too.
Tea lovers should head to Birdhouse Tea Bar, a hidden gem on Sidney Street.
This homage to all things tea serves homemade blends, including the Full Monty, a traditional proper cuppa, and dozens of aromatic herbal concoctions. There’s a chic courtyard outside, and the food - everything from breakfasts to creative cakes and salad bowls is also excellent.
Talking of cakes, Ego Mediterranean Restaurant on Surrey Street combines sweet treats with savouries in traditional afternoon tea.For £14.95, diners enjoy hot drinks, a selection of sandwiches, scones and mini desserts. The teas can be made gluten-free, vegetarian or upgraded to include a refreshing drink.
Food from around the globe is cooked up at The Moor Market, on The Moor.
In the dining area, Nepalese dumplings and Thali from Hungry Buddha sit next to classic fish and chips from the Market Chippy. Other traders offer hearty grub, great-value lunches and coffees to take away or take a break on the outside seating.
Up at Park Hill, The Pearl is one of the newest openings in the city.
Fans of brutalist architecture will enjoy the stripped-back interior design, including a chaise longue in the ladies’ loo. There are sophisticated bar snacks and cocktails, beers, wine and a stunning view over Sheffield city centre.
Cinema 🎞️
If you love cinema, you are in luck, with the city centre's four fantastic cinemas offering something for all tastes.
The Curzon, tucked away on George Street with a rooftop cafe/bar, runs a Silver Screen club on Sundays once a month.
The events are for customers aged 60+ at discounted prices. They include a film (both classics and new releases are shown) with the opportunity to discuss the movie together and make new like-minded connections afterwards.
Down at The Showroom on Paternoster Row, there is a fantastic big-screen deal for over 55s. Early Doors on Thursday mornings include a film, a coffee and a cake for £7.
Take a friend to the Odeon LUXE on Arundel Gate for its special screenings, called Silvers, during quieter times of the day. Tickets cost from £3.50 and include hot drinks and biscuits. Visit odeon.co.uk to find the next available Silvers screenings.
And, last but by no means least, there's the Light Sheffield cinema on The Moor. One of The Moor's most popular destinations, The Light opened in April 2017. As well as all the big screen entertainment that's an offer, visitors can admire the view from the cafe or bar serving fine Sheffield ales alongside locally sourced food.
Wellbeing 💓
There are many ways to move for both physical and mental wellbeing in Sheffield city centre.
Kick off your week with low-impact exercise at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre on Sheaf Street.
The Silver circuits class on Mondays at 11am is for people aged 50+ who want to stay healthy through steady exercise.
The exercises aim to increase the fitness of participants, as well as work on toning and shaping. Classes cost £5.
Slow down with a session of Qigong, an ancient Chinese practice combining meditation, breathing and movement.
Classes take place through Sheffield Wing Chun at The Showroom on Paternoster Row, with discounted places for people over 60 costing £8. Visit www.sheffieldwingchun.co.uk to book a class.
Swimming has many benefits at all stages of life, from building strength to putting less stress on muscles. At Ponds Forge, several sessions cater for different abilities and needs each week. These include aqua aerobics, social swims, ladies-only sessions, accessible swimming and dementia-friendly swimming.
Yoga beginners and experts alike are welcome at Hotpod Yoga.
Not just a chance to try downward dog pose, these immersive sessions are heated to 37 degrees. There are also calming scents for the ultimate in relaxation. Hotpod Yoga is based at The Tower, Furnival Square.
Tours 🗺️
Discover new things about Sheffield city centre, even if you are a lifelong resident, with many illuminating tours.
Sheffield Walking Tours with Marcus Newton offers a guide to the city’s fascinating history, visitor attractions and hidden gems at a leisurely pace. The tours are also wheelchair accessible.
If life on two wheels appeals, try one of the Sheffield Cycle Tours.
One of the public routes takes in the highlights of the city centre and Kelham Island, and the other looks at Sheffield’s suffragette links.
Bike hire, including e-bike hire, is available as an added extra if you do not own a bike.
For a real adventure, head underground on a Sheffield Urban Caving Tour.
These behind-the-scenes tours of the Megatron and Sheaf culverts reveal the hidden secrets of Sheffield’s rivers and provide a unique perspective of the city centre. To take part, you must be reasonably mobile, able to walk on uneven or slippery surfaces and be prepared to crawl in one tunnelled area.
These are very popular events. Sold out for 2023, the tours will be back in 2024, so keep an eye out for information on the Sheaf & Porter Rivers Trust website.
City centre resident Stuart Barkworth loves walking to discover new parts of Sheffield.
The 71-year-old recommends strolls calling at Victoria Quays, just outside the city centre, to discover sections of the River Sheaf or take a tour around the vibrant street art.
Stuart said: “One of the things that I did when I first retired was taking photographs of all the street art in Sheffield city centre.
“There used to be a lot in the area around Decathlon. There is change happening all the time in the city centre, the (regeneration) is coming together.
“I think when it’s done, Leah’s Yard and everything coming to Cambridge Street, it is going to change the focus of the city centre a lot.”
Culture 🎭
Sheffield Theatres on Norfolk Street is synonymous with culture in Sheffield.
It’s a home for much more than drama. Regular events include behind-the-scenes guided tours of the Crucible and Lyceum complexes and free tea dances that are dementia friendly.
Highlights of the current season include a classical concert by the award-winning string quartet Leonkoro Quartet on 21 October 2023.
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet retells the timeless love story from 3 to 7 October 2023. There are discounted tickets for senior citizens available.
Unleash your creative side at Graves Art Club, part of Graves Art Gallery located on Surrey Street.
The Thursday club is welcoming and supportive and can be paid for on the day for £7. The current group runs until 19 October 2023 and is suitable for all abilities.
The art gallery is free to visit, with many continuing displays and changing exhibitions.
Artist Keith Piper has curated the current show Outside Narration, exploring alternative and outside perspectives on objects and their histories.
Make a full day of art by visiting the Site Gallery, located on Brown Street, and the Millennium Gallery on Arundel Street.
Love to write? Then The Writer’s Workshop in Orchard Square might be for you.
It supports authors at all levels and across all genres.
Events include a free grief writers’ workshop which is a supportive space to write about loss. There are meetings for children’s authors and youth-adult authors and masterclasses to help anyone pen a novel.
Trying out a new skill is a great way to socialise and unwind.
Art House Sheffield, based on Backfields, offers a wide range of courses such as pottery sessions. Their most popular course is a half-day workshop that allows people to try their hand at the potter's wheel and create their own pieces.
They say laughter is the best medicine.
Get your dose at Sheffield City Hall in Barkers Pool through the Last Laugh Comedy Club, which has been running for 16 years. Expect a rotation of the finest comedians in the country on stage, with table seating available, every weekend.
City centre resident Ann Walton, 67, enjoys the culture on her doorstop. She recommends dedicated ‘quiet’ performances at The Crucible. Ann also enjoys their tea dances, which she attends in her capacity as chaplain.
She added: “Sheffield Cathedral is an amazing place, wowing visitors young and older with its architecture and peace.
“Often there are exhibitions and musical events. People go to worship or simply to hear the choir and organist, Evensong at 4pm is sublime and a good stress reliever!
“If you are feeling creative, the Millennium Galleries have art classes, the Art House has pottery and a variety of craft classes.
“I go 12 minutes down The Moor, across to John Street and do pottery at the Blue Elephant studios in Harland Works.
“It is very friendly and easy to book.”
Shopping 🛍️
Independent and proud. Sheffield city centre’s shopping scene boasts many individual traders packed with personality and charm.
Independent department store Atkinsons on The Moor is 150 years old, survived the Blitz and is still family-run today. It sells everything from furniture and appliances to clothing, cookware, books and fragrances.
Moonko on Division Street is recognised as one of the most beautiful shops in Sheffield. The award-winning store is filled with vibrant bouquets of dried flowers, art, and candles and is a joy to discover.
Art and craft supplies shop Fred Alduous is not strictly a Sheffield independent, as it has stores in Leeds and Manchester. But it caters for all hobbyists with a staggering number of supplies, from model kits to haberdashery, at its Fitzalan Square store.
On the high street, there are plenty of timeless retailers in town.
These include Marks and Spencer on Fargate, Waterstones at Orchard Square and Next on The Moor.
For more on retail, watch this space for our next blog on Christmas shopping in Sheffield city centre 🎄
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