Travel to Manchester

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Manchester, England

Once the greatest industrial centre of the world, Manchester is today an exciting urban hotspot, which is always one step ahead of the game. It pays off to be a ?yes' person in Manchester, where the city's best finds are not always obvious. A mass gentrification and re-branding project that begun in the early nineties has pulled Manchester out of an industrial slump, and made it into one of the country's big players. Crumbling warehouses and canals stand beside state-of-the-art modern architecture, as memories of the city's past make up an essential part of modern Manchester's identity.

The Hacienda days were hugely influential at putting Manchester on the map for it's innovative music scene and nightlife. Think 24 hour party people: smokey bars, enormous warehouses, barely-legal raves and dodgey backstreets. Manchester's Hacienda days are over (the legendary club is now an apartment block), but today legends of the past including Joy Division and New Order have fused together with modern indie idols and a cutting-edge dance scene to earn the city a reputation as an exciting centre of talent, producing the country's freshest and most exciting new music. The Warehouse Project, a seasonal club which occupies the parking lot beneath Picadilly Station, has become one of Manchester's most popular events, boasting line-ups of world-renowned DJs in the realms of dance, dubstep and drum & bass, and often selling out months in advance.

With four universities and the largest student population in the UK, Manchester is above all the ultimate student dig. Bars and restaurants thrive in the early hours, and the city centre feels curiously empty in the mornings before the student population has risen. Reputed as a rainy and grey city, there are many cosy pubs and interesting indoors spaces to see. Home to a host of museums and attractions, Manchester is an ambitious, forwards looking city that has a lot to offer for families as well as undergrads.

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Visit Manchester

To see

Memories of Manchester's industrial heyday have been gently gentrified over the years and are today proud and bustling hubs of energy in the city. Back in the day, Manchester was at the heart of an extensive canal network, linking it with the rest of the country. Ramble along the canals towards Castlefield to admire the vast web, stopping off at one of the waterside pubs to soak up the sun or hide from the rain. Explore the city's renovated warehouses, many of which can be found in and around the Northern Quarter ? an area now dotted with trendy, up-market bars and hippy cafés.

Use Manchester as your base, and take a day trip to the rolling hills of the Peak district for a day of hiking.

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To do

Manchester has a lot to offer for the shopping addict, but on top of the high-street norms, this city of stylish, (supposedly) money-strapped students does costly vintage particularly well. The Northern Quarter is home to many of the city's best boutiques, including Affleck's Palace, an immense labyrinth of independent stalls, which you'll be lucky to find your way out of. Another Northern vintage favourite is successful northern chain COW, where you can bag yourself a beaver coat in winter, or get caught up in the annual summer floral festival fever. For those who prefer their clothes new, there is no shortage of designer and high-street shops to be found in the city centre. The Arndale is the UK's largest inner-city shopping centre, although the newly renovated Triangle Shopping Centre (where public hangings took place back in the day?) is easier on the eye.
Manchester is not just about binge-drinking and bargain-hunting; the city offers an enormous range of cultural and historical, or ?grownup?, things to do too. The People's History Museum is one of Manchester's most intriguing. Reflecting the voting trends of the city (this year Labour won all 33 seats in Greater Manchester in the general elections), the museum tells the story of ordinary people and their roles in Manchester's history. Find out about the rise of trade unions, socialism, and women's right to vote. Manchester has gradually pulled itself out of the stereotype of Thatcher's cultureless North, and today the city compensates with a growing number of exhibition spaces and cultural events. Manchester Art Gallery and Whitworth Art Gallery house extensive art collections, whilst The Cornerhouse specialises in contemporary visual arts and independent film (and has a pleasant bar ? a Manchester essential). The cornerhouse also hots a number of festivals throughout the year.

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To think about

Think Manc and spend your nights out and your days BBQing at Plattfields park or cycling along the canals?Club culture, raw hangovers, kebabs and curries are only a small part of what Manchester has to offer .

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To avoid

Certain suburbs of Manchester are a little shady, and probably worth avoiding. Proceed with caution in Longsite, Moss Side and Soleford - given the carelessness of students in overpopulated communities, muggings and thefts can be a little more common.

Manchester is all about its peculiar eccentricities, so beware of tourist traps. Little remains of the city's Roman heritage, and what remains there are, are fairly underwhelming. Similarly, Manchester's cathedral was damaged during the Second World War, losing many of its original features. While the cathedral plays host to some interesting events, the building itself is modest and unnoteworthy. Avoid the Arndale Centre, which is a poor and generic example of Manchester's thriving shopping scene. Avoid taking the city at face value, Manchester is like a vintage shop ? don't be scared of rummaging through the junk to get to the good stuff.

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To try

Having sampled Manchester's ?mint? nightlife, try out some local specialties. Manchester specializes in post-club cuisine, and has plenty to offer the beer-bellied, wide-eyed raver (the city is home to no fewer than ten Nandos? ). There is also no shortage of greasy spooners, where you'll be able to soak up a bit of Manc culture, as well as last night's alcohol. Chips and gravy are up there in the city essentials. Manchester has a thriving Curry Mile, which can be found on Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, which is a continuation of Oxford Road. The short stretch of road houses over seventy restaurants, boasting a host of Southern Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Manchester's gay scene, which pivots around Canal Street, is huge. The pedestrianised street runs alongside the canal, boasting many friendly bars to sample (whatever your gender or persuasion), as well as a buzzing atmosphere.

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To bring back

Manchester has its fair share of naff tourist mementos, such as memories of the Industrial Revolution and relics of the railway heydays. For football fans (or fathers of), this is the place to pick up your Manchester United and Man City souvenirs. Otherwise bring back a one off vintage piece from the Northern Quarter. If we have succeeded in selling Manchester to you, bring back the intention to return and uncover more of the city's jewels!

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