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Mr & Mrs Smith

on Manchester


Cityscape: Red-brick Victoriana
City Life: Music, football, fashion

Mancunians may be too down-to-earth to say it themselves, but the capital of the northwest has come over all Manhattanchester.

You're now as likely to come across loft-dwellers quaffing mojitos as you are flat-capped tradesmen nursing pints of Newton & Ridley ale in the Rover's. For the cosmopolitan weekender - wanting to cheer on the Reds at Old Trafford, shop for denim on Tib Street, dine in a converted cotton warehouse and bar-hop in the Northern Quarter - Manchester is as vibrant and immediate as any European capital. The Industrial Revolution has been succeeded by a Residential Revolution, with grand old mills and factories now housing apartments, restaurants and bars, and elegant new glass and steel inventions transforming the landscape by the week. From the waterfront bars of Castlefield to the energy of the Gay Village and the boho chic of the Northern Quarter, the city centre is as neat and tight as a pass from Ryan Giggs. And the superb shopping goes some way to explaining why northwestern lads and lasses look as fine as they do.

  • + Getting There

    Automobiles

    The M56 leads to the joys of the M6, and London in about four hours, if you're lucky with the traffic around Birmingham. Be warned when parking in town: wardens hover like vultures.

    Planes

    Manchester Airport (+44 (0)161 489 3000) is a 15-20-minute train trip from Piccadilly station; a cab from the city centre should cost £20.

    Trains

    Trains to and from London Euston run as frequently as every half hour, with the journey on the Virgin Pendolinos taking just two hours and 20 minutes.

  • + Local Knowledge

    Dialing

    The code for the UK: 44. Manchester: 0161.

    Reads

    Dave Haslam's fantastic overview of Manchester pop culture Manchester, England (Fourth Estate).

    Do go / Don't Go

    Summer means long, laidback evenings on bar terraces. There's fun to be had all year round, though.

    Cuisine

    From trad (try a Lancashire hotpot washed down with Boddingtons) to world-class.

    Taxis

    Black hackney cabs can be hailed from the street; for a dependable private firm, try Radio Cars (+44 (0)161 236 8033).

    Tipping

    A discretionary 12.5 per cent is usual in UK restaurants.

    Currency

    Pound sterling.

    Packing

    A red scarf to wave from your seat in the Stretford End at Old Trafford; an umbrella, perhaps. The soundtrack to 24-Hour Party People.

  • + Worth Doing

    Arts

    Take a tram (Metrolink: +44 (0)161 205 2000) from Piccadilly Gardens to Harbour City, where you'll find the Lowry gallery (full of matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs…) and the Daniel Libeskind-designed Imperial War Museum North. In town is the Manchester City Art Gallery on Mosely Street (+44 (0)161 234 1456) and the elegant Urbis building, Museum of the Modern City. For a lighter dose of Manc culture, head for the Comedy Store at Deansgate Locks (+44 (0)8705 932932), where stand-ups (good and bad) grace the stage from Wednesday to Sunday.

    And...

    Creative energy crackles through the studios and galleries of the Northern Quarter. Based around Oldham Street and Tib Street, it's full of fiercely independent boutiques and bars. Well-loved drinkeries include Cord on Dorsey Street, and Bluu, on Smithfield Market, off Thomas Street.

    Shopping

    A shopper's Shangri-la. Everything lies within easy walking distance - from Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and the boutiques of the Triangle (all based around Exchange Square); to stores such as Collezioni Armani and DKNY on King Street.

    Viewpoint

    The Beetham skyscraper on Deansgate is the tallest residential building in the UK , with a 24th-floor Sky Bar in which to sup bubbly and lord it over Lancashire.

    Something

    The Museum of Science & Industry (msim.org.uk) lies by the site of the original Roman settlement of Mancunium, detailing Manchester's industrial heritage. It also houses something that looks like the world's first-ever train station and is, in fact, the world's first-ever train station (does beg the question: where were the trains going to?).

  • + Diary

    Early March There'll be music, comedy and Guinness at the Irish Festival (www.manchesteririshfestival.com). 22-30 July The Manchester Jazz Festival (www.manchesterjazz.com), with the Tord Gustafson Trio a star turn in 2006. 18-28 August The utterly fabulous Gay Pride. September Manchester Food and Drink Festival (www.foodanddrinkfestival.com), hailed as one of the best urban events of its kind. Mega music-industry schmooze-fest In The City (www.inthecity.co.uk) at the Midland Hotel. December Christmas markets in Albert Square and St Ann Square are perfect for giving you that festive-shopping tingle.

A printable version of this destination guide is available from Mr & Mrs Smith.
©2008 Mr & Mrs Smith