Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Manchester’s most characterful, independent district is a jumbled network of streets to one side of Piccadilly Gardens – once home to busy textiles warehouses and even the occasional umbrella factory. Now, the red brick buildings with their New York-style fire escapes are regularly used in film sets, and the streets are bursting with independent cafés, shops, bars, and cultural hotspots.
The Northern Quarter has become a destination in its own right, with the laid-back, bohemian vibe during the day transforming at night into teeming pavements of people in search of good food, craft beer, pop-up events and live music.
When walking around, keep your eyes peeled for public art, including the sculptures of birds high on a wall on John Street (reflecting the area’s reputation in Victorian times as a ‘pets paradise’), the illuminated, 12 metre-tall Big Boys Toy on the top of the NCP car park, and the artistic graffiti on the outhouse in the middle of Stevenson Square.
Katab: Quilting Stories from India at Manchester Craft & Design Centre
An exhibition that looks likely to challenge perceptions of ‘traditional craft’ in the world of today, while deepening our understanding of an old form of Indian quilting and the women behind it.
John Robb as part of Gothic Manchester Festival at Three Minute Theatre
Join music and Gothic culture aficionados John Robb and Dr Claire Nally for a full and frank discussion on the Gothic past and Goth in the 21st century, including the deep influence of Gothic literature on the mainstream.
From Ocean to Horizon at CFCCA
CFCCA’s new show explores life in the global metropolis of Hong Kong through the city’s unique relationship to the sea.
Craft Unravelled: Hipsters & Heritage
Manchester Craft & Design Centre’s free 20 minute informal ‘Craft Unravelled’ series of talks and tours take place on the last Tuesday of every month.
Kiran Leonard at Band on the Wall
Celebrating the release of his new LP Derevaun Seraun, 21-year-old Oldham-raised musician Kiran Leonard is joined at Band on the Wall by a string trio, for what promises to be a thoughtful and intricate performance.
Manchester District Guides
Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester
Burton Road is the heart of West Didsbury, a beautifully maintained leafy hubbub of shops,…
Beech Road Chorlton, Manchester
It may not quite have the reputation of Benefits Street, but Beech Road in Chorlton…
Didsbury, Manchester
Follow Oxford Road South through the Curry Mile, along Wilmslow Road, past Platt Fields Park…
Chorlton, Manchester
This left-leaning suburb a few miles south of Manchester’s city centre (and only ten minutes…
Cheetham Hill, Manchester
As an area, Cheetham Hill gets a pretty bad rep. The foreboding architecture of Strangeways…
Manchester Visitor Guides
Bars in Manchester
A wine jukebox near Albert Square, a loveably scuzzy pub on Oxford Road… our guide to the best bars in Manchester has it all.
Vintage Shopping in Manchester
A roundup of vintage shops in Manchester that are pleasingly organised and have strong stock. Get stuck in.
Afternoon Tea in Manchester
The finest places in Manchester to sip Darjeeling, eat dainty finger sandwiches and slap extra clotted cream on a freshly baked scone.
Hidden Bars in Manchester
Manchester’s best secret, hidden and hard to find bars – here’s our guide.
Independent Shops in Manchester
Make time for the independent shops for which Manchester is known so well – here’s our guide.
Cafes and Coffee Shops in Manchester
Here are some of the best cafés and best coffee shops we’ve come across in Manchester – independents (almost) all.
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