City Guides
Manchester
Introduction
Manchester is a large city in the North West, with a population of just under half a million people.
Notable for being the world’s first industrial city, Manchester is also historically important for its network of canals and train links, and has been recognised as such by UNESCO. A number of important, enlightenment period novels were set in the city, including Elizabeth Gaskel’s ‘North and South’; and Friedrich Engels wrote his treaty on the working-class whilst living and working there.
The city’s industrial importance is only matched by its cultural relevance, and the numerous theatres, art galleries and museums in the city are evidence of this. The city is known, more recently, for its front line position in the showcasing of punk acts in the late 70s and house music in the 80s in many of its internationally renowned nightclubs and bars.
Manchester is home to some of the most popular and successful nightclubs and music venues outside of London, and with its range of up-market cocktail bars, traditional real ale pubs and rock’n’roll themed bars, the city is the weekend destination of many young people.
Manchester is also home to the largest city centre shopping centre, as well as the largest shopping mall in Europe, the Trafford Centre, which has been dubbed ‘The Temple of Consumerism’. The city centre itself boasts an incredible array of shopping streets and arcades, comprising designer boutiques, high street stores, specialist shops and all the major department stores.
Since the 1996 IRA bomb blast in the city, much of the city centre has been redeveloped and, also owing to the 2002 Commonwealth Games, a dedication to regeneration remains. This is evidenced by the new Beetham Tower, officially the tallest residential building in the UK, and ‘B of the Bang’, a commemorative sculpture to the 2002 Commonwealth Games that is the tallest sculpture in Britain.
With four train stations, an airport and other extensive transport links, Manchester is very easy to get to from all major cities in the UK – and there are plenty of reasons to do so!
Notable for being the world’s first industrial city, Manchester is also historically important for its network of canals and train links, and has been recognised as such by UNESCO. A number of important, enlightenment period novels were set in the city, including Elizabeth Gaskel’s ‘North and South’; and Friedrich Engels wrote his treaty on the working-class whilst living and working there.
The city’s industrial importance is only matched by its cultural relevance, and the numerous theatres, art galleries and museums in the city are evidence of this. The city is known, more recently, for its front line position in the showcasing of punk acts in the late 70s and house music in the 80s in many of its internationally renowned nightclubs and bars.
Manchester is home to some of the most popular and successful nightclubs and music venues outside of London, and with its range of up-market cocktail bars, traditional real ale pubs and rock’n’roll themed bars, the city is the weekend destination of many young people.
Manchester is also home to the largest city centre shopping centre, as well as the largest shopping mall in Europe, the Trafford Centre, which has been dubbed ‘The Temple of Consumerism’. The city centre itself boasts an incredible array of shopping streets and arcades, comprising designer boutiques, high street stores, specialist shops and all the major department stores.
Since the 1996 IRA bomb blast in the city, much of the city centre has been redeveloped and, also owing to the 2002 Commonwealth Games, a dedication to regeneration remains. This is evidenced by the new Beetham Tower, officially the tallest residential building in the UK, and ‘B of the Bang’, a commemorative sculpture to the 2002 Commonwealth Games that is the tallest sculpture in Britain.
With four train stations, an airport and other extensive transport links, Manchester is very easy to get to from all major cities in the UK – and there are plenty of reasons to do so!
Entertainment