Manchester travel guide - Wikitravel

For other places with the same name, see . The city proper has a population of around 450,000, while the larger conurbation, called Greater Manchester, has over 2,500,000 inhabitants. It is seen by many as the "capital" of the north of England, the second city of the United Kingdom and is home to the UK's largest airport outside London, which is owned by the ten local authorities of Greater Manchester. [ [ Towns within the The following towns are all within but not , , , , , , , and . [ [ Manchester is in the northwest region of England, about equidistant between and . Due to its proximity to the Pennines ( the range which forms England's spine, from just south of the Scottish border down into the region known as The East Midlands ), which force the prevailing Atlantic westerly clouds to rise, it receives more than its fair share of wet weather. Investment in the city's regeneration following the 1996 IRA bomb and 2002 Commonwealth Games has paid off and Manchester is well worth a visit, even if just for a couple of days, or for longer, if you plan to use it as a base to explore northern England and North Wales. If you compare Greater Manchester's population to Birmingham's and its neighbouring towns and districts, Birmingham pips Manchester to the post by a 100,000 or so. However if you look at the actual population of the city of Birmingham, which is more than 1 million, it is more than twice as big, in terms of population, as the actual city of Manchester which has a population of around 450,000 people. The "Manchester brand" is seen to extend well beyond the city's boundaries and even beyond those of Greater Manchester. Manchester is a friendly city as well. The adjective associated with Manchester is Mancunian or simply Manc . Manchester Visitor Information Centre , Town Hall Extension, St. Peter's Square, +44 (0) 871 222 8223 ( fax: +44 (0) 161 236 9900 ) Mon-Fri 10AM-5:15PM ( recorded information available by phone outside these times ). [ Manchester was the site of the Roman Fort Mamucium ( breast-shaped ) in AD 79 but a town was not built until the 13th Century. A priests' college and church ( now Chetham's School and Library and the Cathedral ) were established in Manchester in 1421. The presence of an existing cloth trade, coupled with the mechanization of spinning in nearby , created a thriving cotton industry in Manchester. By the end of the 19th Century, Manchester was one of the 10 biggest urban centres on earth (even before counting the wider population, within 50 miles of the Northern England region, such as Liverpool, Sheffield, Bradford, Leeds, and Central Lancashire ). After their initial meeting at the Midland Hotel, still one of the city's most luxurious, Rolls and Royce began manufacture of their luxury motor cars in . There is even a statue of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Square ( Brazennose Street, straight across Albert Square from the Town Hall main entrance ) commemorating his personal thanks for Manchester's support during a cotton famine created by Britain's refusal to run the Federal blockade of the slave-owning Confederacy during the American Civil War. The Madchester movement of the early 1980s, started by Factory Records and Joy Division, led to the creation of the Haçienda nightclub ( now unfortunately demolished after standing empty for many years ) and the birth of modern club culture. Manchester has given life to many hugely successful musicians, among them The Stone Roses , The Smiths , Joy Division/New Order , The Happy Mondays , Oasis , James , and Badly Drawn Boy . At 11.20AM on Saturday 15th June 1996, Manchester's city centre was rocked by a huge IRA bomb blast. A huge amount of money and effort was put into regenerating this bomb damaged part of the centre, redubbed the . [ Central Manchester is home to two of the largest universities in the UK. The University of Manchester ( formerly Owens College and subsequently the Victoria University and its Institute of Science and Technology UMIST ) and Manchester Metropolitan University (aka 'Man Met', formerly the Polytechnic, itself a conglomeration of municipal colleges), as well as the Royal Northern College of Music . There is also a university in , within one mile of the city centre, which is renowned as a European Centre of excellence in Media. [ Manchester is famous all over the world thanks to its football clubs, including Manchester United ( ) and Manchester City ( City of Manchester Stadium, ). is also home to the Lancashire County Cricket Club . In 2002, Manchester was the host to the Commonwealth Games and a large area of East Manchester was converted into a new , the centre-piece of which is the new athletics and football stadium. The Manchester Velodrome started off the whole regeneration of East Manchester and formed part of the bid for the 2002 Commonwealth Games (and for Manchester's failed bid for the 2000 Olympics). [ Manchester is a very mixed city. Many races and religions have communities in the city and it has a long history of being more tolerant than most cities to people of any background. attracting all kinds of people - not just from Manchester but from the entire country and abroad ;further reflecting Manchester's unique approach to tolerance and acceptance. Most Mancunians have grown up with a tolerant attitude towards sexuality and it is extremely rare to come across homophobia making Manchester a very welcoming city for LGBT people. [ Manchester has a temperate maritime climate and rarely gets too warm or too cold. [ [ Manchester International Airport ( : MAN ) ( : EGCC ). - KLM, bmibaby - easyjet, Olympic Airlines - Brussels Airlines, flybe - Jet2.com / - Germanwings, TUIfly - easyjet, Scandinavian Airlines System - Aer Lingus, Ryanair - Lufthansa, flybe / - Lufthansa, flybe - Pakistan International Airlines, Airblue , - easyjet, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines (from March 28) - Delta (JFK), Continental (Newark Intl) - Air France, flybe - Jet2.com - Jet2.com, Monarch Airlines, Luxor Airlines, AMC Airlines - Jet2.com - Air Canada, Air Transat, FlyGlobespa - Air Canada, Air Transat, FlyGlobespan [ Direct trains run from the airport station (reached by Skyway , between terminals 1 and 2) to Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations about every 20 minutes and cost no more than £3. John Lennon Airport , in is a budget airline airport with Easyjet and Ryanair serving it and is also relatively conveniently located for access to Manchester. A coach service runs connecting the airport to Manchester's central coach station and takes about 45 minutes. There is now a direct train link between Liverpool Parkway (ie the station near John Lennon Airport) and Manchester Oxford Road Train Station (in the city centre). [ Manchester city centre is served by two major railway stations, Victoria in the north (the area around the station has recently undergone extensive redevelopment with much more to come) and Piccadilly (transformed in recent years and voted the UK's most popular station in 2007!) in the south. These stations are well-connected with the rest of the UK, although it is more likely that you will arrive at Piccadilly as it deals with the most services in and out of Manchester. Other stations in the city centre are Deansgate/G-Mex , Oxford Road , and Salford Central , but generally only local services bound for through services passing and or Manchester and will stop at these stations. Connections from Euston to Piccadilly are run by Virgin Trains . [ The outer ring road of the Manchester conurbation is the M60. It is signed Manchester and Manchester Airport. This can, however, seem a longer way round, but it does also give you access, via the M60 orbital road, to places around the conurbation and is a much better option if you wish to access the northern part of Greater Manchester. Parking in the city centre of Manchester can be expensive. Similarly, parking at the Trafford Centre ( M60, junctions 9 and 10 ) is free and there are buses to the city centre and Stretford tram station. A tip worth noting is that on Saturday from 12.30PM to Monday morning, just over from the city centre into Salford, you can park on a single yellow line (remember in The UK you can never park on a double yellow line!) or in a designated space without paying, unlike in the city centre where restrictions apply even during weekends. Also check out Parkopedia.com , a website that allows users to search and compare parking rates and locations for commercial and private parking facilities in Manchester. [ Chorlton Street Coach Station is the central coach station in Manchester, located close to the centre, between Chinatown and The Village on Chorlton Street. London to Manchester on the coach can take about four hours, but it depends on the time of day and number of stops. [ Transport in Greater Manchester is overseen and co-ordinated by the GMPTE ( Information: 0871 200 22 33 ) . GMPTE sells a number of tickets which are valid for multiple operators, such as the any bus day ticket or the Wayfarer . [ Dotted around the city centre in all the places you wouldn't look for them are the pedestrian-level street maps. These street maps, in book form, are available from newsagents or book shops and, depending on size, cover everything from the city centre to the whole Greater Manchester conurbation. [ Manchester city centre's many attractions are easily reached on foot, and walking provides the perfect opportunity to take in the architecture of the city. [ Metroshuttle is a FREE bus service run jointly by the local council, National Car Parks Manchester and First. These bus routes can be caught straight from all city centre railway stations (Piccadilly, Oxford Road, Deansgate/G-Mex, Salford Central and Victoria) as well as many of the larger car parks. Areas on the fringes of the city centre (such as Spinningfields, Petersfield, Oxford Road Corridor, Millennium Quarter) are now easier to access from other parts of the city. It is well worth noting that the number 43 bus not only runs all day to the airport , but also throughout the night at regular intervals. Busses to the Trafford Centre include the Stagecoach-operated Route 250 , from Piccadilly Gardens to the Trafford Centre and the First-operated Routes 100 and 110 , from Shudehill, via Blackfriars (the stop is just off Deansgate) and Eccles, to The Trafford Centre. There are other bus services from Central Manchester to The Trafford Centre and additional services from other towns and suburbs in the conurbation. In the evening, or on Sundays and public holidays, your better bet for the Trafford Centre, from the city centre, is the tram and buslink to and from Stretford, as buses are much less frequent at these times. These '"System One"' tickets can be used on any bus and details of current prices are available at [ Metrolink , also known as the tram, is the name for Manchester's local mass-transit system. Currently, Metrolink runs two lines, - ( every 6 minutes at peak times, every 12 minutes off-peak , and Piccadilly- ( every 12 minutes at peak times, every 15 minutes off-peak ). Metrolink stops serve major areas of the city centre and Central Zone tickets are quite cheap. Work is now underway to extend the system to five lines with new destinations: at , , and , and Manchester Airport, which is already well served by trains and buses, as well as a link to the new BBC development at Salford Quays, . Victoria — for Urbis, Chethams Library, Manchester Cathedral Visitor Centre, The Triangle and the Northern half of Deansgate, Shudehill — for Bus Interchange, The Printworks, Manchester Arndale and parts of the Northern Quarter. G-Mex — for Rail Interchange from Deansgate Station, Manchester Central (exhibition centre/concert venue), The Manchester International Conference Centre, MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry), the southern half of Deansgate and the beautiful canalside area of Castlefield. [ Taxis are considerably cheaper than in London. You may only flag down the black cabs (London-style Hackney carriages) — other taxis must be booked in advance over the phone and are marked with the yellow Manchester City Council sign on the bonnet, and the firm's phone number (again on a yellow strip) on the sides. Even if the car has a Manchester City Council plate, or one from one of the other metropolitan boroughs, you are not insured if the cab was not booked in advance. [ Local rail services run regularly and to most places in the surrounding area and beyond. [ ][ The Manchester Wheel , in Exchange Square in the . [ Manchester's around George Street and Faulkner Street has been a feature of Manchester since the late 1970s. It is home to the bulk of Manchester's east-asian restaurants as well as many traders in Chinese food and goods. , also known as the Gay Village , has built up around Canal Street out of the many cotton warehouses in the area. Many of Manchester's most famous bars and clubs are to be found here, most of which are as popular with heterosexual party-animals as they are with the gay crowd. Check out the Curry Mile , a half-mile long stretch of curry restaurants, sari shops, and jewelry stores in . If you have time and want to mix with trendy, monied residents try an evening out in the very upmarket southern suburb of . "The village" as it is known is too far from East Didsbury station for comfort, but a taxi is possible from the city centre or there is a good bus service. This was THE place to live in Manchester, for many years, before the rebirth of the centre, and still is, for many, with very high property prices and a certain cachet! [ is the site of the original Roman settlement Mamucium and has been known as Castlefield since Medieval times. It is the centre of Manchester's canal network and a transport nexus of unique historical importance. It is also the only place to see wildlife in Manchester's centre. The University of Manchester , on , where amongst other things, the atom was first probed by Rutherford, the first computer was built, and where radio astronomy was pioneered. The architectural style of the new curved visitor's centre contrasts with the old buildings on the opposite side of Oxford Road, within which Manchester Museum is to be found. Manchester Cathedral , in . Manchester Town Hall , on . John Rylands Library , on . The bequest to the people of Manchester by who was once the world's richest widow, Henriquetta Rylands, in memory of her husband John, but now administered by the University of Manchester. It Contains the 'Manchester Fragment' the earliest known fragment of the New Testament, part of St. John's gospel found near Alexandria and dating from the first part of the second century, shortly after the gospel itself was first written. [ There are many theatres and concert venues in Manchester, (The Opera House, Palace Theatre, Royal Exchange, Green Room, Dancehouse Theatre, Library Theatre, and The Contact, not forgetting The Lowry at The Quays, which has three theatre spaces). Theatre , near . The Cornerhouse on . Imperial War Museum North , at . Great museum with fantastic architecture, located in Trafford Borough, across the water from The Lowry, near Manchester United's Stadium, and designed by Daniel Libeskind, who also designed The Jewish Museum in Berlin. The Lowry , at Pier 8 on the Home to the City of Salford's collection of the paintings of L.S. Manchester Art Gallery , near Chinatown. Manchester Museum , on . Gallery of English Costume , in Platt Hall is now open once more and well worth a visit. The Museum of Science and Industry , in . People's History Museum , on Bridge Street between Deansgate and the now much improved Salford Central Station. On Bridge Street, to the left, fans of modern architecture should look out for the new Manchester Civil Justice Centre. This was first erected in 1986 to celebrate Manchester's decision to promote itself as a nuclear free city. Urbis , in . The Whitworth Art Gallery on . Bridgewater Hall , near St. Peter's Square and Manchester Central Exhibition Centre, was completed 1996 and is the home of the Halle Orchestra, the world's first municipal symphony orchestra, and also houses traveling famous musical acts. Manchester Jewish Museum , 190 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester. The community has long since moved up the road to Cheetham Hill and Higher Broughton and, in later years, many less orthodox people have moved to Prestwich, Whitefield and parts of Radcliffe and Sunnybank as well as to some desirable parts of south Manchester. [ Lancashire County Cricket Club , located in . Manchester City Football Club , located in . Compared to their more-illustrious neighbours, Manchester City have enjoyed less success and are hence regarded as the second team of Manchester. Manchester United Football Club , the self-proclaimed world's most popular Football Club, located in . a rivalry which stems from the traditional city rivalry between Manchester and since the Industrial Revolution, and further fuelled by the fact that both clubs are the most successful English clubs in European competition. It is located to the east of the city centre, about 30 minutes walk from Piccadilly Station. It was built to host most of the events for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and is home to the National Cycling Centre, Manchester City FC, and other important sporting venues, as well as the tallest sculpture in the UK, which is to be dismantled in spring 2009, for reasons of safety. Manchester Phoenix Ice Hockey Club , located in Altrincham, are the newly formed (2003) team to replace the once most supported team in European Hockey, Manchester Storm. [ Chetham's Library is Manchester's best kept secret - even most residents of the city are largely oblivious to its existence. The 15th century structure is part of Chetham's Music School - despite the lack of signs, simply ask at the security hut and they will happily let you in for free. St. Mary's, The Hidden Gem , near . The futuristic Trinity Bridge , designed by the Spaniard Santiago Calatrava, who was heavily involved in the designs for the Olympic village in Barcelona, is in the Chapel Wharf Area. This links the twin cities of Manchester and Salford, leading to the five star Lowry Hotel on the Salford bank. Portico Library and Gallery , near . [ ][ Manchester's shopping district is one of the most diverse shopping districts in the UK and the majority of city centre shops are within walking distance of each other. The recently redeveloped Arndale Centre is a large 1970's city-centre shopping mall, with 280 stores across just under 2 million sqft of retail space making it the largest city centre shopping mall in the UK, including the largest Next store in the world. There are a number of large shops aimed at bargain hunters ,including the largest Primark in the country, which is great for a bargain and much loved by US cabin crew when in town, and an Aldi food hall on Market Street (just off ). There's The Triangle , an upmarket shopping centre based in the beautiful old Corn Exchange, worth a visit for the building alone and Selfridges , spread across 5 floors with its large Louis Vuitton concession and fantastic food hall in the basement. Harvey Nichols , opposite the Triangle, offers luxury fashions and produce to Manchester's rich and famous. The centre of Manchester's shopping area has traditionally been , and there are many shops nearby. King Street and Spring Gardens offer a Vivienne Westwood store (a local girl, from the nearby Peak District), Joseph and DKNY , as well as Emporio Armani and Collezione ; these catering for, amongst others, the city's Premiership footballers, soap stars ("Coronation Street" has been produced in the city since the early sixties!), and the many media types who can also be found in the area. It has been designated the Temple to Consumerism , and is one the largest, and possibly the grandest of such centres in Europe. You can catch the same bus back to the station from a couple of stops around the centre or from the centre's own bus station. [ Merchandise from the football club Manchester United is popular with some tourists. There is a dedicated superstore in the stadium at . Manchester City FC also has its own dedicated retail outlet at the City of Manchester Stadium in , as well as in the Arndale Centre. Every Christmas time, continental style Christmas markets take place in , in St. Ann's Square, and along both New Cathedral Street and Brazennose Street. If catering for yourself, there are several Sainsbury's Local stores located around the city centre (at Oxford Road, Mosley Street, Quay Street, Bridge Street, Piccadilly Station). For more upmarket food products, Harvey Nichols has a deli and foodhall as does Selfridges . Just out of the centre are a large Sainsbury's , in Regent Retail Park, Salford, an Asda store in Hulme, a Tesco Extra Hypermarket in Cheetham Hill. [ ][ Free Go to Cloud 23 bar on the 23rd floor of The Hilton, Deansgate. there is an Imax inside the Odeon in the . Shows in Manchester , Manchester has many theatres and live music venues so see what's on when and where. Hire a supercar in Manchester ; [ There is no doubt that Greater Manchester's universities continue to be a big draw. [ There are numerous temporary agencies in the city and there is work in the hospitality industry to be had. Manchester has the highest job ratio of the eight English Core Cities and is therefore a very good place to find work. Manchester is an important financial centre and the media are also well represented, as can be seen in the BBC's forthcoming partial move to The Media City at Salford Quays and the ITV-Granada (makers of Coronation Street) presence on Quay Street. [ ][ As you would expect from such a cosmopolitan city, Manchester has a huge selection of restaurants and eateries that serve a vast array of cuisines. If you can get there, the quaintly named and somewhat trendy village of Ramsbottom, just north of Bury, directly north of Manchester, is said to be "the new Chorlton", as regards restaurants, and THE place to eat .In Ramsbottom Ransoms has won many awards both regionally and nationally. The usual, well established UK chains like Cafe Rouge, Pizza Express, Bella Italia etc are all to be found in Manchester city centre and out of town too. [ Revolution on has a policy where your food is either ready within a 15 minutes wait or it's free. [ There are hundreds of kebab and pizza shops on and in and . Some of the cheapest, long-established curry cafes, though, are still to be found in the back streets of the . Here's the menu: . On John Dalton Street, on the left, just up from Deansgate, going to Albert Square, is a gem of a cafe, Essy's , (imagine a cross between an American diner and an old style British "cafe"). On the opposite of Manchester Metropolitan University at 121 Oxford Road, there is a small fast food restaurant called " Pizza Co ". [ There are plenty of all-you-can-eat buffets in [Manchester/East Central|Chinatown]] for less than £10.00 (€ 13.00). [ [ Amongst the enormous range of Cantonese restaurants in , the Great Wall at 52 Faulkner Street offers authentic, reasonably priced food, including many one bowl/plate dishes (Roast Pork and Roast Duck in soup noodle is particularly popular). [ is, as the name suggests, home to a lot of Indian restaurants! Also popular in town are the two EastZEast ; the original is under the Ibis Hotel, behind The BBC building, and the new, very luxurious one is on Bridge Street, opposite The Manchester Central Travelodge, off Deansgate. Grill . [ Yechan Foods , 95 Mauldeth Road, Manchester M14 6SR, ph: (0161) 225 4447. [ Wagamama's , ( ), is one of the chain of Japanese restaurants popping up all over the country. New Samsi , 36 Whitworth Street, city centre. With a well-stocked, but small Japanese supermarket below (accessed from inside the restaurant) . , 63 Faulkner St, Manchester, M1 4FF , , . . [ , 248 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M14 6LD ), , . [ During the period leading up to Christmas from November, there is a Christmas Market stretching from the Town Hall towards St Ann's Square and New Cathedral Street. [ Search out the upmarket restaurants in the city's top hotels (The Lowry Hotel, The Midland, SAS Radisson, and the Hilton, Deansgate to name just four). The restaurant at the top of the Urbis building, The Modern , reopened at the end of 2007 to much acclaim. The Market Restaurant , in The Northern Quarter, is long established and has an excellent reputation. Heathcote is well represented with a place off Deansgate and a new, modern, Spanish-style venture behind Piccadilly Gardens on New York Street called Grados . Their afternoon tea is worth a try, but you may prefer the older style version at The Midland Hotel or a new take on the theme at The Lowry Hotel . [ The Armenian restaurant, very long established, hidden in a basement on Albert Square (by the Town Hall) is good, and full of atmosphere. [ Yang Sing at 17 George Street by Princess Street at the south-western edge of has long been considered the best Cantonese restaurant in the country (and perhaps in Europe). [ There are the usual chains to be had on Deansgate, but try to search out El Rincon de Rafa , hidden away behind Deansgate, near St. John's Gardens. [ ][ Manchester has a diverse nightlife and can offer a wide range of night-time activities. Very high-profile, of late, is the Cloud 23 bar on the 23rd floor of The Hilton, Deansgate . By the way the personnel is very friendly and won't kick you out if you just want to have a look - you can go up for free . For other upmarket venues (there are some very discrete ones catering for the most privileged in town ), your hotel concierge should be of help in pointing you in the right direction. Smaller bands can also be seen at a range of excellent venues in the city including the Roadhouse, Night and Day, both in the , and Jabez Clegg, a pub/club off . More eclectic dance music styles are played at the Music Box and The Phoenix, both on . Also check out Rock Kitchen on a Saturday night for cheap drinks at the Manchester Metropolitan University Student's Union, again on . If you are interested in Rock and Metal paired with cage dancers and a lapdancing lounge, try the monthly Caged Asylum night at the Ruby Lounge, the self proclaimed craziest place to be in Manchester at 28-34 High Street. The Retro Bar on , hosts live acts upstairs and a club downstairs with play lists that include Blondie, The Ramones, and Le Tigre. Saturdays also play host to Tiger Lounge near the . If you want to hear music by Manchester bands like The Stone Roses, visit Fifth Avenue on , often brimming with students — unsurprising when you see the cheap drinks prices! The other, rival centre club for indie music is 42nd Street, just off . Just off Canal Street, the most popular gay clubs are Essential, a multi-floor super-club open until the early hours (sometimes as late as 8AM), Cruz 101 (Manchester's longest running gay club) and Poptastic, a two-room pop and indie club held at Alter Ego every Tuesday and Saturday night. Trof, a funky student bar in , has recently opened a second venture, Trof North, on Thomas Street in the . The better traditional pubs include: Lass O'Gowrie at 36 . Peveril of the Peak . Britons Protection . Sinclairs . The Old Wellington Inn , the oldest pub in Manchester. The Marble Arch Inn , 76 Rochdale Road. [ ][ [ , 15 Hilton Street Manchester, M1 1JJ http://www.hattersgroup.com/Hilton/location.php ), , . £15-25 for dorms, £45-70 for private rooms . , Potato Wharf Castlefield Manchester, M3 4NB http://www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/north-west-cities/hostels/manchester/travel_info.aspx ), , . . , , . This Manchester Hotel provides all types of accommodation in Manchester aswell as Manchester City Centre Accommodation. . , 23 Talbot Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0PE http://www.venturehotels.co.uk/Trafford-Hall-Hotel/budget-hotels-manchester.aspx ), , . . , . Britannia Sachas is a popular hotel located near Manchester city centre. . , , . . , , . . [ , 18-24 Princess Street Manchester, M1 4LY http://www.arorainternational.com/manchester/location.html ), ), . It is very centrally located in the Manchester city centre, being just across the road from the Manchester Art Gallery, close to China Town and a wide variety of entertainment venues and restaurants. . , 5 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, M1 3BP , ), . checkin: . The apartments are very conveniently located, with Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Art Gallery, Chinatown and The Palace Theatre only a stones throw away. . [ , 36 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 4JY , ( ), . Easily reached from Manchester Piccadilly railway station, and with Piccadilly Gardens just a few blocks away, the Northern Quarter beyond, G-Mex and Deansgate's shopping to the north-west, you're never far from the heartbeat of Manchester's vibrant city centre. , Water Street Manchester, M3 4JQ http://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/maps/travel/manva-manchester-marriott-victoria-and-albert-hotel/ ), ), . . , Chicago Avenue, Ringway, Greater Manchester, M90 3RA , ), . . [ Self catering apartments in Manchester are now becoming popular alternatives to 'traditional' hotel stays. There are thousands of self catering apartments available throughout the city centre and outskirts - providing accommodation for up to 8 people at a time, for stays of anything from one night to 1 year. [ Although you will find a whole bunch of available wi-fi hot spots in central Manchester, they can be very expensive. Until the free municipal wi-fi network comes live in a few years, make best use of the free wi-fi Cornerhouse , 70 Oxford Street - art gallery, cinema, bar. Oklahoma Cafe , 74 - 76 High Street - organic, vegetarian and fair trade coffee shop. The Castle Pub , 66 Oldham Street - traditional pub *Note: currently being refurbished so may have limited service or be closed. [ Beware of the scam at the airport: the Raphaels Bank operates an ATM and claims that withdrawals are free of charge. are best avoided on days where the Manchester derby football match is taking place. Longsight . Moss Side . It is an area that has been associated with gang related violence, though in reality is no worse than other inner city areas in Manchester, with such crime having been greatly reduced by police and community efforts in recent years. Parts of Hulme . Cheetham Hill . Wythenshawe . Ordsall . Parts of East Manchester , particularly Beswick. Salford . The straight route from Manchester centre, via Salford Cathedral along Chapel Street, to Salford University is safe. [ Many countries have consulates and commissions in Manchester. For others, you may have to travel to . Australian Consulate , Chatsworth House, Lever Street, Manchester M1 2QL. Consulate of Belgium , 76 Moss Lane Bramhall, Stockport SK7 1EJ. Consulate General of The People's Republic of China , Denison House, Denison Road, Rusholme, Manchester M14 5RY. The Royal Danish Consulate , Century Buildings, St. Mary's Parsonage, Manchester M3 2DD. Trade Commission of France , 24th Floor, Sunley Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester M1. Consulate of France , Davis Blank Furniss, 90 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2QJ. Trade Board of Ireland , 56 Oxford Street, Manchester M1. Consulate of Italy , Rodwell Tower, 111 Piccadilly, Manchester M1. Consulate of Monaco , Dene Manor, Dene Park, Manchester M20. The Royal Consulate of the Netherlands , 123 Deansgate, Manchester M3. Vice-consulate of Pakistan , 4th Floor Hilton House, 26/28 Hilton Street, Manchester M1. Consulate General of Spain , La Brook House, 70 Spring Gardens, Manchester M2 2BQ. Consulate General of Switzerland , 24th Floor, Sunley Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester M1. Swedish Consulate , Lincoln House, 1 Brazennoze Street, Manchester M2 5FJ. Norwegian Consulate , International Trade centre, Churchgate House,6 Oxford Street,Manchester M60 7HF. Consulate of Iceland , 28 Macclesfield Road, Wilmslow SK9 2AF. Consulate of Finland , 5 Bramway,High Lane, Stockport SK6 8EN.Tel. Consulate of Czech Republic , 20 Stamford New Road,Altrincham WA14 1EJ. High Commission of Cyprus , 304-306 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9NS. [ Manchester is well placed at the heart of Northern England. [ — Around 1 hour by train. If you want a quiet day by the seaside try , north of Liverpool, and the Northwest's best kept secret! The North Wales seaside resorts of , and are around an hour and a half to two hours away from Manchester. [ — Less than an hour from Manchester, in , this is the largest city in and now a major financial centre, as well as home to The Royal Armories Collection, good museums and galleries and the much praised West Yorkshire Playhouse Theatre. Get there by coach/bus from Manchester Central Coach Station, Chorlton Street (cheaper by far, as many locals will confirm, and often more reliable than the train). . "Liverpool One", the new city centre shopping centre, might not yet boast a Harvey Nichols or Selfridges, but all other big names are there including an excellent John Lewis and great eating places too, overlooking Liverpool's own wheel and a fantastic urban park leading through to Albert Dock. — Take a Direct train from Manchester Piccadilly or Oxford Road stations to this compact Roman city in on the edge of North . , in , is less well known to Manchester people, due to poor road links, but it is less than 40 miles away and the train service from Piccadilly is good and the journey a scenic one. It is the administrative centre of the County of Lancashire and home to County Hall, The National Football Museum (this is now due to move, in part or wholly, to Manchester's Urbis Building) and one of the region's newer universities. [ for grass and hills. Heaton Park is served by Metrolink trams around 10 minutes away from Manchester Victoria on the Bury Line, so it is great if you want a break from the city but are short on time! The 135 bus from Manchester centre will take you to the same entrance, as will the 137 and 138. Finish off with the excellent views of the City and surrounding countryside from the highest point in Manchester "Heaton Park Temple". [ — A solid Victorian gem! This fine town is in . Wigan is around a 30-40 minutes by train ride from central Manchester depending on the service and line or 1 hour by services 32 & — Also within Greater Manchester and home town of Gracie Fields, boasting a Victorian Gothic town hall to rival Manchester's. - The most northern district of Greater Manchester, famous for Bolton Wanderers FC, Bolton Market and the home of comic Peter Kay. 37 , , , and are all satellite towns, within Greater Manchester, each with their distinct feeling and market-town atmosphere. They are all under 25 minutes way from the city centre by train or Metrolink tram or a little more by bus.