A day in the Capital of the North – Manchester, England, UK

First things first: I am not a sports person. There is nothing about me that screams Sports in any which way. Despite all that, I am happy to say that I was totally aware what Manchester United meant in the world of Soccer. I feel like you have to be living under a rock to not heard of this soccer club popularly called as ManU. Unfortunately, contrary to the popular notion, this wasn’t the main reason I wanted to visit Manchester. I think it was the iconic Town Hall and the University of Manchester (I even considered applying for my undergrad there) that made me want to make a day trip to Manchester from London.

To those not aware of it, Manchester is the second biggest city in England right after London. It has played a major part in country’s history of music and industries. It was the world’s first industrial city in 1800s with the cotton industry dominating the city (you can still see the red-brick mills from that time period in the city). It is also home to the world-famous University of Manchester which brings in a large student population to the city. Of course, it houses the two famous Football clubs: Manchester United and Manchester City.

How long to stay

Even though I made a day trip from London and covered decent bit, I feel like there is a lot more to do in the city and you can easily spend a weekend here exploring everything that it has to offer.

Getting here and getting around

Manchester’s airport is the second largest airport in the UK right after London. It is possible to fly non-stop from Europe, Asia, Africa and America to Manchester directly. Since I had a 8-day BritRail pass, I was using that to make a day trip from London. There are plenty of train options for those visiting from London. Keep in mind that Manchester has two train stations: Piccadilly and Victoria. If you are coming in from London, chances are you will be arriving in at Piccadilly. Make sure to check the exact station your train will be stopping at.

Manchester is a huge city with a lot of attractions to offer. If you are planning on visiting a lot of them, you might want to invest in a public transportation ticket. Manchester has an extensive system of trams, buses and trains. If you are restricting to city center attractions then you can easily cover them on foot. During my time there, I remember having to take an Uber once.

Where to stay

I made a day trip here so didn’t find a place to stay here. But based on my research and experience navigating the city, I would recommend staying in the Central or University corridor district.

What to buy

Manchester’s shopping scene is next to London when it comes to housing global brand names as well as local brands. Tourists visiting Manchester, who are fan of the Sport clubs here, can buy Manchester United merchandise at the superstore in the Old Trafford stadium and Manchester City FC memorabilia at Market Street as well as City of Manchester stadium in Sport City.

What to see or do

Just a heads up: You will be disappointed with my coverage of the city. I was only here for a few hours so didn’t get to cover a lot of sightseeing places. I wanted to take it easy and soak in all the architecture so I went without a crazy itinerary.

Also, if you are planning to cover a bunch of tourist attractions, consider getting the Manchester card. You get discounted entry to stadium tours, other attractions, restaurants, bars, theatres and comedy clubs across the city. And it just costs 10 GBP for 4 days.

Here is my take on some of the popular things to see or do in the city:

Manchester United Football Club and Manchester City Football Club

I didn’t visit the stadiums since I am not a sports fan, but if you are, I would highly recommend going for a game (buy your tickets super early in advance since they get sold out very quickly) or go for a guided tour.

John Rylands Library/ University of Manchester Library

John Rylands Library now administered by the University of Manchester houses the “Manchester Fragment” – the earliest known fragment of the New Testament. It is definitely worth visiting from inside even if you don’t read. The perpendicular Gothic style architecture is worth gazing at. It is possible to go on a guided tour every Wednesday and Friday to learn about this fascinating building and some of this history for Free.

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Manchester Town Hall – Albert Square

This beautiful neo-Gothic masterpiece is a symbol of the wealth and power the city had during Industrial Revolution. The Town Hall is currently closed for renovations (from the looks of it, I couldn’t tell it needed any 😉) so you can only admire it from outside. Did you know, it often acts as a replacement for Palace of Westminster in a lot of television shows?

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The Village/ Gay Village

The Village, also known as the Gay Village, is this hipster area built up around Canal street out of the many cotton warehouses in the area. This is home to Manchester’s most famous bars and clubs which are frequented by both heterosexual and gay party animals since they are open till quite late (5 am or later). In general, there is a friendly carefree atmosphere in the neighborhood and has now become the oldest and most established gay communities in Europe.

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Manchester’s Chinatown

Manchester’s Chinatown was historically Cantonese in nature to reflect Britain’s colonial links with Hong Kong but is now more influenced by Mandarin due to the significant Chinese student population and immigration. The neon lights at the night, bilingual street signs and people talking in Cantonese and Mandarin to each other adds to the ambient feel of be area. Today, the area is filled with supermarkets, karaoke bars and restaurants providing late night entertainment for younger people.

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Manchester Museum at the University of Manchester

University of Manchester is known worldwide for being the place where Rutherford first discovered atom and element Vanadium was first isolated. It is also where the first computer was built. The university is worth visiting for its architecture style too. Go for a stroll around the campus or check out the Manchester Museum. Located on Oxford Road, the museum on the University campus contains some really interesting fossil skeletons that you shouldn’t miss.

What to eat

Manchester is very cosmopolitan city with a lot of international food at your disposal. There is something available in every price point here. There is nothing local to Manchester that I would really recommend eating. If you are looking for British food to eat, check out my London post.

 

I know I haven’t done justice to all that the city has to offer. Are you from Manchester? What would you recommend others visiting your beautiful city see or do? For all the out of town travelers: Have you been to Manchester? What were you favorite things to do or see?

2 thoughts on “A day in the Capital of the North – Manchester, England, UK”

  1. Sorry to correct you but Manchester isn’t the UKs second largest City! That honour belongs to Birmingham which, in one sense, could claim to be the largest! For Birmingham City Council is the UK’s (I think possibly Europe’s but I’m not certain of this!) largest local authority, it’s boundary being larger than any of the London Borough’s., or the Cities of London & Westminster, which are actually quite tiny! But of course, London’s influence embraces them all!

    Manchester City Council’s area only stretches out for any real distance in the south east & north east directions, as the River Irwell across the City Centre is actually the boundary with the neighbouring City of Salford. Meanwhile, head barely a mile in a South Westerly direction and you pass into the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, home, of course, of Manchester United!

    In fact, the Cities of Leeds & Glasgow are also larger than Manchester!

    But for all that, you are quite right in stating that Manchester is a vibrant and interesting place to visit, with scores of activities to keep one occupied!

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