Jobs in Luton | Pictures of Luton

Luton began life as a major centre for industry and despite the continued strong presence of the manufacturing industry today, the town is fast-becoming a modern, cosmopolitan town with a thriving economy. Its close proximity to the capital and the countryside is seeing its popularity rise as an alternative to the likes of London as a place to live and work.

Getting around Luton
According to a survey conducted by Luton Borough Council in 2007, 83 per cent of commuters rated Luton's traffic congestion during rush-hour as either ‘very high' of ‘fairly high', with Dunstable Road including Bury Park, New Bedford Road, Telford Way Roundabout and the Telford Way/New Bedford Road/Hucklesby Way gyratory system being the worst affected. So you can make your own mind up as to whether to drive into work or not. A better option may be to take the bus.

Bus services can by-pass much of this traffic by using dedicated bus lanes. Arriva operates most of the services which terminate in the town centre. Whilst Luton is on the mainline train service for each of its three stations: Luton, Luton Airport Parkway and Leagrave, all on the same line that connects the town with nearby Dunstable, Welwyn Garden City and Chiltern Green as well as regional services for London and further afield.

Eating, drinking and shopping in Luton
Why the British has a penchant for all-things concrete is somewhat baffling. Few people would dare suggest that concrete buildings are pleasing to the eye, and Luton 's Arndale Mall is no exception. Built in the 1960s the exterior looks rather dated despite a £27m improvement (which only affected the interior). Once you get past the gritty exterior there lies inside all the leading retailers you come to expect in towns and cities throughout the country, including Marks and Spencer's, Next, River Island, Adams, WHSmiths, Debenhams and Top Shop.

Elsewhere, Bury Park is famed for its shops that specifically cater to Luton 's ethnic minorities. It contains a wide variety of shops a number of smaller retailers and an indoor market.

And with a significant Asian community in Bury Park , it goes without saying that this is the best area of town to go to for a curry on a Friday night. Whilst the Wellington Street area is good for Asian and Oriental restaurants such as the Nakorn Thai Restaurant, Marrakesh and the Man Ho restaurant in Dunstable Road which is well known for being one of the best Cantonese restaurants in the area. But if you are looking for fine dining or something more unusual other than the stereotypical Italian, Chinese or Indian offering, your best bet is to head out of town to one of the nearby villages which have a number of good restaurants serving great British food using locally produced foods.

But if you are simply looking for a good place to enjoy a few drinks after work, make your way to Park Street , Hightown Road , and Hitchin Road for the best choice of traditional pubs, bars and a few clubs.

And if you are looking for something to do during the day, Luton Museum & Art Gallery in Wardown Park on the outskirts of the town centre, and the Mossman Carriage collection are worth a gander. At night, the Library Theatre offers a varied programme of events and productions throughout the year, whilst the biggest event is the year is unquestionably the Luton Carnival - the largest one-day carnival in Europe . Held every May Bank Holiday, the Carnival attracts over 150,000 people every year – weather providing of course!

For the health conscious, Luton has a good selection of leisure facilities, from public leisure centres to private health and fitness clubs such as David Lloyd, Fitness First and Bannatyne.

And there are a number of swimming pools and golf courses, as well as the Galaxy Centre, which has an 11 screen cinema and bowling lane. But if watching is more you preference, Luton Town FC is the main football club that plays in the Coca-Cola League One division at their home ground, Kenilworth Road .

However, one of the key advantages of living in Luton is its close proximity to the countryside. Nestled in the Chilterns, Luton is surrounded by hills and some of the most striking scenery in the south. And this is complemented in the town itself, with the two main parkland areas: Wardown Park , which is Victorian and quaint, and Stockwood Park , a vast open area offering a range of sporting opportunities from rugby to horse riding.

Main residential areas
If you are looking for somewhere to buy in the South East, Luton is perhaps the best place to look. House prices are generally much lower here than many of its surrounding neighbours on account of the fact that Luton grew up as a manufacturing town – an industry that continues to dominate the employment landscape, where else could you buy a five-bedroom house with a 100 ft garden?

A number of properties can be snapped up for under the £125k mark for a two-bedroom modern apartment. And traditional family sized houses can cost less than a studio apartment in London .

Luton is home to Bedford University, which means that there are a number of rental properties available that are equally as popular with young professionals in the area known locally as ‘The Student Village' within town centre close to and around Cardigan Street.

If you're thinking of moving to the area, take a look at some of the current property available to buy or let in Luton.

Take a closer look
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can see some images from in and around Luton below.

Looking for local vacancies? See all current jobs in Luton or find out more information on the local area.