Harrogate's past history
Harrogate is a wealthy Spa town centered around two villages (High Harrogate and Low Harrogate) and the discovery by William Slingsby in 1571 of it's naturally iron and sulphur rich waters.
By the late 1930's Harrogate had become popular with the upper classes and had many high status hotels. During World War II these hotels were used for government offices which had been evacuated from London.
After the war ended Harrogate's prosperity rose again as a centre for conferences and exhibitions which it remains to this day.
See the Wikipedia entry for Harrogate

Harrogate Today
Today Harrogate is a thriving town with a population approaching 160,000. It is located in what is termed "The Golden Triangle" between Harrogate, Leeds and York. Here property prices are more expensive than the surrounding areas with Harrogate typically being the most expensive to live.
The town centre is full of high class boutiques and designer shops, at night the town comes alive with it's many bars and clubs.
The famous Stray stretches through the town and totals 200 acres of green land open to the public for picnics, kite-flying outdoor games and local football matches.

Transportation
Harrogate has good transport links with three railway stations and direct routes to Leeds, Ripon, Skipton and York. Many people chose to live here and commute to Leeds, thus the south side of the town is the most popular. The town is served by an impressive bus route network which extends beyond the town and directly to Leeds, York and Skipton.
Harrogate and District bus website

Harrogate Showground
The Harrogate Showground has been home to the famous Great Yorkshire Show for over 150 years and is a celebration of agriculture and country life and is held in July. It also hosts the Spring and Autumn flower shows. These shows are very popular and traffic around Harrogate during these times is considerably busier than normal.
The Great Yorkshire Show website

Other useful links
Harrogate Borough Council website
UpMyStreet information about Harrogate

Interactive map of Harrogate