St Matthew's, Leicester facts for kids

St Matthew's is a neighborhood in the city of Leicester in the United Kingdom. It's located just outside the main city center. The area is known for its history of change and its diverse community.

St Matthew's is found to the northeast of Leicester City Centre. A big road, the A594 ring road, helps separate it from the city center. This road acts like a border on the southwest side. To the west, it's near Belgrave Gate and the Belgrave area. The A47 (Humberstone Road) is to the east, near Highfields.

A Look at St Matthew's History

St Matthew's wasn't always like it is today. A long time ago, it had many small factories. It also had old, crowded homes, often called slum housing. Many of these were "back-to-back houses", where houses shared back walls.

In the 1950s, the area went through a big change. These old buildings were replaced with new homes. Most of these new homes were council housing. This means they were built and owned by the local government. They were provided for people who needed affordable places to live.

Living in St Matthew's

Today, most of the homes in St Matthew's are still owned by the local council. The neighborhood is a bit separated from other living areas. The main ring road, which has two lanes in each direction, cuts it off from the city center.

St Matthew's is famous for its friendly and diverse community. Many people from East Africa live here, especially from countries like Somalia and Tanzania. There's also a large community from the Middle East, including people who are Kurdish or Syrian. Because of this mix of cultures, you can find many mosques in the area. There's even a special supermarket called Yours Supermarket that sells foods from many different countries.