Real reviews from real travelers.
Manchester Pages by janiebaxter
| Page Views: 1,238 Last Visit to Manchester: - I Live Here | My Manchester by janiebaxter - last update: Aug 16, 2008 |
A Summer Free Zone for 2008! OVERDUE FOR AN UPDATE - COMING SOON! Been too busy on Benin pages and neglected my poor home city. But with weather like this - who would want to stay around here when you can travel?!
Although, I have been out trying the many new restaurants that have opened in the last few weeks and have plenty of fab restaurant tips to add. But the weather has been so bad I have not had much opportunity to take new photos or do much outside. Manchester is renowned for its poor weather and we really should be used to it but it has excelled itself in terms of puddles recently! We have to wade to the pub.
If you were being pedantic you could argue that I'm not a true Manc (short for Mancunian) as I was born and raised in the village of Bramhall which is South of Stockport, and at the time of my birth Stockport was in Cheshire. In fact, to complicate things even further, half of Stockport used to be in Lancashire - the half North of the River Mersey, and the other half was in Cheshire - the half South of the Mersey. When the county boundaries were moved in the 1970's and Greater Manchester was created most of Stockport was swallowed by Manchester, apart from a few country villages on the Southern edges.
The city that adopted me and my fellow Stockportians has gone through massive change in the time I have lived here. The catalyst was really the IRA bomb in 1996 which luckily caused no deaths but ripped a major part of the city centre apart. Since then Manchester has picked itself up and recreated itself as a vibrant, thriving place with a very strong identity.
If I could, I would spend my life travelling, but since I can't I have to admit other interests to occupy time between trips. I don't like the cold so if the weather is not fine and warm you will find me indoors with the heating on. I really should live somewhere warmer. Indoor hobies I like to indulge in are shopping, eating and drinking in the wonderful selection of restaurants and bars we have here and reading and cinema. I also go to the gym but that's because I have to burn off all the calories I consume! |
| I usually find somebody to feed me! |
|  | My Favourite Manchester Places Bars and Nightclubs
South
When I feel like a good bop I go to South on Friday night. Saturday is good too and perhaps Saturday's Clint Boon's Disco Rescue is more well known, but I prefer Friday's music - Stone Roses, Doves, Gossip, Primal Scream, Killers, Kooks, etc plus some real old Stones, Love and Doors classics as well as a few great old soul classics.
Mojo Bar - Great music and atmosphere
Mr Thomas's - Splendid Victorian pub
The Drawing Room - Unique, very cool but friendly small bar in West Didsbury with great artworks, and live music on Sunday evenings. Best bar in the area - and open late!
M20 - Great small bar in West Didsbury
The Metropolitan - Big busy bar in West Didsbury
The Railway - Friendly little pub in West Didsbury
Harvey Nichols Cocktail Bar - A nice reward for a hard day's shopping
My Favourite Restaurants - Life for the Domestically Challenged
It has been noted by somebody who read my Manchester page that I like my food. And a lot of my tips are about eating and drinking, which may give the impression that I am a food loving wino. The truth is that yes, I love to go out but the reason I go out to eat a lot is that there is nobody in my house who can or likes to cook! So the only way to get a decent meal and avoid malnutrition is to go out to eat, and of course food is no good unless accompanied by a nice bottle of red wine or 2. And now I am a VTer I like to share my experiences of my local restaurants and others I visit. Luckily Manchester and my local area of West Didsbury has lots of good restaurants. These are my favourite Manchester places to eat.
Restaurant Bar and Grill in City Centre - Great food and wonderful Kir Royals in the bar.
Ithaca Most talked about venue in the city centre serving sublime Japanese food.
Lime Tree in Disbury Village - Modern European. The first proper restaurant to open here and still the leader.
Cafe Jem&I in Didsbury Village - Modern European
Palmiro in Chorlton - Unique Sicilian
That Cafe in Levenshulme - A mix of traditional English country food with a quirky touch.
The Ghurka Grill in West Didsbury - Nepalese
Croma - best pizza place in the City Centre
Piccolinos - Perfect Italian, with cocktail bar, in West Didsbury
A bit of Culture
The Royal Exchange Truly a great theatre, celebrated it's 30 year anniversary last year. Never seen a play here that was less than brilliant.
The Bridgewater Hall Home of the Halle Orchestra and venue for many international musicians
The Cornerhouse Cinema specialising in the more artistic films. Shows many international films with feature events and has a bar, cafe and art gallery
The City Art Gallery Home to a one of the best Pre-Raphaelite collections in the country and with great art and culture exhibitions and a lovely cafe
Shopping
I love shopping! Manchester is really good for shopping from the designer shops on King Street - DKNY, Vivienne Westwood, Armani, Agent Provocateur, and Harvey Nichols to the quirky independant shops in The Northern Quarter and Afflecks Palace. There is also the Trafford Centre which has a Selfridges and many other chains, the advantage here being you can park free and don't get rained on. Kendals on Deansgate is a good department store and St Ann's Square and King Street have a good selection of clothes and shoe shops. I avoid Market Street wherever possible, but Urban Outfitters is good and there is a Primark there too for bargain hunters.
Green Spaces
You don't need to go far outside the city centre to find some nice green spaces for walking and fresh air. North Manchester has Heaton Park and in Didsbury there is the River Mersey which has walks from Stockport to Chorlton and beyond. Further away but within travelling distance for a day trip are the Peak District and The Pennine Way - both hilly. |
A Few Famous Mancunians
Here is my list of a few Famous Mancunians. Of course not everybody is included here, as it would just get too boring, and I haven't included people from Lancashire
LS lowry
Mike Leigh
Emmeline Pankhurst
Anthony Burgess
Matthew Williamson
John Thompson
Les Dawson
Steve Coogan
Albert Finney
Robert Powell
Victoria Wood
Joanne Whalley Kilmer
Sir Norman Foster
Howard Jacobson
Karl Pilkington
Ricky Hatton
And as Manchester is famous for it's music (I'm not saying they are all good.....)
Charles Halle
The Buzzcocks
The Smiths
Badly Drawn Boy
John Mayall
The Fall
10cc
Simply Red
Oasis
Happy Mondays
Russell Watson
James
Elbow
The Doves
Joy Division
New Order
Charlatans
The Stone Roses
The Hollies
ABC
Diesel Butterfly
I am Kloot
Alfie
The Courteeners
A few more things Manchester is famous for
The Hacienda
Manchester Tart
Pie and Chips
Binge drinking (according to a few VT members - Cheers!)
Manchester United
"Manchester Caviar" (mushy peas)
Coronation Street
Harold Shipman
Myra Hindley
The Curry Mile
The Gay Village
Cold Feet
"Madchester"
And finally - Anthony (Tony) Wilson, "Mr Manchester" who sadly passed away on Friday 10th August 2007. | | |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Pros: | "Lots to do - history, popular culture, nightlife, food and drink." | | Cons: | "The Weather!" | | In A Nutshell: | "England's Second City" |
janiebaxter's Manchester Travel Tips
 Comments for janiebaxter about Manchester | | | | |
marimar_72 Sat Mar 15, 2008 04:49 UTC
Night life & shopping..that is so typical of me to check ;-) thanx for the guide (my husband is operating a flight to manchester next week) i will surely pass on ur recommandations of places to go. | davesut Mon Feb 11, 2008 23:42 UTC
Hi Jane-great tips on Manchester. Not so sure about your authenticity of the greats of Manchester, Mark E Smith has made many statements that The Fall are a Salford band, that I can forgive but you missed Herman's Hermits-unforgivable. Hit the North!! | Briony Mon Jan 21, 2008 23:28 UTC
I enjoyed your Manchester Page - and am sorry not to have seen more of the City on my recent stay nearby. Hope to return one day. | Bavavia Sat Jan 12, 2008 21:25 UTC
Hi Jane,Really great Manchester tips! I think the restaruant was Capas Tapas.. that sounds right. It was great there..cute, small restaurant. The big santa was there when i was in manchester. is he still there? |
|
Best Manchester Travel Deals
Manchester + Hotels
Up to %70 off Manchester Hotels Book the Top Manchester Hotels Now!
Manchester UK Hotels
Save up to 75% on UK hotels. Pay at check-in. No booking fees.
Manchester IA Hotels
The Official Iowa Hotel Site. Best Rates on Manchester Hotels.
Sponsored Links |
email me
add as friend
