Kingston upon Hull is a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire area of England. The city’s name is often shortened to simply “Hull” and aside from being a city, it is also a unitary authority area. This simply means that Hull is a large enough city to manage its own local government affairs independent of any county or regional governing bodies.

Hull has had a long and rich 700-year history, being at various times a market town, a port for military supply ships, a bustling hub for trading, a major fishing and whaling town, and finally an industrial metropolis.

Residential Places in Hull

Prices for residential housing in Hull are remarkably cheap–some of the cheapest in the country in fact. While the average price of houses in the city has doubled in the past five years, they are still a little less than half of the national average.

Hull has suffered from a bit of an unsavory reputation the past, mostly because of the dismal state of certain areas in the city. All that is set to change however, with the countrywide regeneration efforts gathering steam in Hull. Even the waterfront area and its associated neighborhoods, which have traditionally been some of the less attractive areas of the city, are gaining a new lease on life with quite a few housing developments taking shape. The £165 million Humber Quays development alone is expected to add more than 50 new apartments to the area. On the East Bank of the River Hull a £100 million residential development is currently underway, which when completed will connect to the old town area. This project will include more than 600 luxury riverside apartments.

Hospitals and Universities of Hull

Kingston upon Hull has two main hospitals: the Hull Royal Infirmary and the Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham. The Hull Royal Infirmary can be found near the city center on Anlaby Road, and is a part of the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. They offer a wide variety accident and emergency care services in addition to high dependency treatment, radiology, surgery and a number of outpatient medical services.

Built on the on the grounds of what was formerly known as Cottingham Castle, Castle Hill Hospital is also run by the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. The hospital is currently developing two new facilities: a cancer center and a cardiology center, which cost £65 million and £30 million respectively. These two facilities are expected to be in operation by 2008.

The main tertiary level educational institution in Kingston upon Hull is the University of Hull. The university was founded in 1927 and currently has a student population of more than 16,000. Formerly associated with the Hull York Medical School or HYMS, the University of Hull received its Royal Charter in 1954.
The University of Lincoln may not be entirely based in Hull, but it was originally a part of the University of Humberside, which had its beginnings as a polytechnic university in the city. The university gradually shifted more and more of its operations to nearby Lincoln throughout the 1990s, culminating in the relocation of the administrative headquarters and management department there in 2001. However, the University of Lincoln still maintains a small campus in the city center.

Commercial Places in Hull

Kingston upon Hull has quite a vibrant and exciting nightlife, which is a little surprising given the city’s trouble past. Much like in any large city in England, there are a large number of pubs and bars, many of which are extremely popular with the students of Hull University. The Newland Avenue and Princes Avenue areas in particular are the favorite haunts of the college crowds, and many of the newer establishments are deigned in a very hip and modern continental style.

n the daytime, Hull is just a little bit more subdued, although no less interesting. The many new restaurants that have sprouted up in recent years are perfect places to begin your journey into the culinary treasures of Hull. Among the restaurants in the city that you should definitely not miss are Artisan, Bistro Restaurant at Campanile–Hull, Minerva, and GT's Omelette Restaurant.

Service Establishments of Hull

Hull has the distinction of being the only city in the United Kingdom with its independent telephone network company. Called Kingston Communications, the company has installed many of its unique cream-colored telephone booths all across the city. The company was originally was formed as a municipal department by the City Council in 1902 and is now a subsidiary of KCOM Group, which is one of the major communications and IT services provider in the country. As of 2007, the company was providing various services to almost 180,000 customers.

Kingston Communications has since expanded its range of services to include television and Internet access services. The company is in fact one of the first telecommunications companies in Europe to offer ADSL Internet to business users, and they are the first provider of interactive television services in the world through its ADSL network. You can reach Kingston Communications through the parent company Web site at www.kcom.com, or you can visit the company at 37 Carr Lane, Hull, HU1 3RE. You can also call them at 01482 602711, fax them at 01482 219289, or email them at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Embassies in Hull

There are 7 countries that currently have consular offices in Kingston upon Hull: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, and Poland. The Belgian Consulate can be found at Livingstone Road, Hessle; the Consulate of Denmark can be found at the Crowle House in High Street; the Consulate of Finland can be found at the Maritime House on Kingston Street; the Consulate of Germany is at the Premier House in Ferensway; the Icelandic Consulate is at the Waterside Park on Livingston Road; the Italian Consular Agency can be found at the Waterside Business Park also on Livingstone Road; and the Polish Consulate can be found at North Bar Without in Beverley.