I have been traveling the 200 miles from Hampshire to Wakefield for my Birthday for the last 5 or so years. Having originally discovered the Snooty Fox (imo the best rock and roll venue/bar in UK) by attending a concert there me and friends have returned ever since.

To be honest Wakefield is probably the dirtiest most threatening place i have been. It is a mass of hovel pubs, drunks, druggies and roaming Albanians. The weatherspoons is always heaving and the queue to get in the place at 9am on a Sunday morning is beyond belief!

A walk around the town centre leaves you feeling completely threatened and often terrified. Loads of chavs will block your way with no regard for human life or decency. If you are unlucky enough to walk past the Wakey tavern with a rock tshirt on you can be sure of having abuse shouted at you and threatened by the lowlifes smoking outside. Drugs are available everywhere and the streets are lined with pavement pizzas (vomit) and litter from all the takeaways.
If you want to eat out your only options are curry houses, kebab/chicken/pizza/curry shops or pubs. The only safe place to eat is Weatherspoons.

The Travelodge is OK with a fairly secure car park. Walls in the Travelodge rooms all have blood, spit and brown stains all over them but the doors are secure meaning you can lock yourself away for the night.

Unless you want to go to the snooty fox (and are prepared to walk back to your hotel through a war zone) I have no idea why you would choose to come/live here.