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The PFM guide to Manchester.

About 3 months ago i discovered the arndale centre .fascinating place , however i couldnt find the way very well .the signs to the fire escapes and exits were all locked . I recall thinking if there was a fire many would die . I contacted the managers but they were not interested

Contrast this to the touchwood in solihull which is well sign posted
 
Manchester Arndale is notoriously difficult to navigate around. No external references. Not a venue I'd suggest visitors need to prioritise.
 
gavreid said:
Average rainfall is 810 mm campared to Leeds and Birmingham 680 mm. That's a good 20%. Bristol is similar,806 mm, but Glasgow is a lot wetter 1276 mm
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It really isn't a cliche. Manchester is wet, as English cities go. This proud Mancunian still loves the city, but isn't entirely unhappy about living in the deep south!
 
awkwardbydesign said:
That must be why we moved to Plymouth. :D Which is just as wet, but much warmer. I was back in Manchester at the weekend, and couldn't get warm, I kept my coat on indoors!
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Yeah, but it's Plymouth. Agree Manchester is no place for 'It's too cold' jessy types though :D
 
gavreid said:
I lived there for 10 years and my lasting impression is of a general damp, grey chilliness most of the time. It might have been more important to me as a non-driver.

Average rainfall is 810 mm campared to Leeds and Birmingham 680 mm. That's a good 20%. Bristol is similar,806 mm, but Glasgow is a lot wetter 1276 mm

https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-precipitation-Rainfall,Manchester,United-Kingdom
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OT with apologies but do we need to explain rainfall and average rainfall?

If you have place x with 810mm average then, firstly, it is average. Secondly, it doesn’t tell you anything. If Leeds had less rainfall but spread over more days then in terms of the number of days you might be inhibited from doing something I’d venture to suggest Leeds would be the worse place for you. Other than that who actually gives a s***? Don’t go near the equator it’s hotter than some other places you know. Careful around that old Antarctic. You’ll need gloves. I mean, seriously?

I’ve lived here decades. I was a student in Leeds. I was originally from North Wales. At no point have I ever thought I need to get out of here cos that old precipitation is bringing me down.


tiggers said:
Best city in the UK.

Record shops - Sifters, King Bee, Vinyl Exchange, Vinyl Revival, Piccadilly, Vinyl Resting Place, Clampdown - all do CDs.

Architecture is wide and varied - Midland Hotel, Central Ref Library, Town Hall all amazing buildings, Manchester Central is a great use of an old railway station, some gems in and around Northern Quarter.

Before I was a veggie I used to regularly eat a Kobideh kebab from The Rusholme Chippy... if there's a better kebebab anywhere in the world I'm yet to eat it and obviously won't now :D

The Police Museum is worth a visit in addition to those mentioned above. Helmshore Textile Museum also (about 20 miles north of Manchester).

Some brilliant restaurants - Rusholme curry mile worth a visit for the atmosphere although the best curries are in the city centre now.

Great Thai and Chinese (in China town). Mostly reasonable prices too. Some lovely little cafes and eateries only open at lunchtimes in the Nothern Quarter.

Ignore comments about the rain, there is not much more or less than anywhere else in that part of the world.

Loads of pubs still have live music, some obscure clubs as well... sniff them out and enjoy.

There's more to the place than people realise... especially southerners :D
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Back on topic.

Not a fan of King Bee for CD. Upstairs in Vinyl Exchange is much better. The CDs in the other places are really dreg ends stuff. You’ll have seen stuff elsewhere and cheaper.

Central Reference Library is an essential call as is Chethams School Of Music and it’s extraordinary library. Again, brilliant walking tours are available. The town hall was an amazing building but is currently covered up and closed. Manchester Central? Nothing to see there really. Awful venue.

I could not in all conscience recommend anyone eat anywhere on the curry mile at present. It’s awful and increasingly dangerous. Screw “atmosphere” :)

If you want decent food then you’re looking at the city centre or Lenenshulme or Ancoats. There is definitely a better kebab house than The Rusholme Chippy. Try the Levenshulme Bakery. Thai in Chinatown remains excellent. Actual Chinese is dreadful though. The worst choice in decades.

Northern Quarter at lunch time? Yes, I’d echo that.

The Police Museum is indeed excellent but if we’re doing the touristy thing then let’s also include the Transport Museum and the Imperial War Museum of the North down at Salford Quays. Limited opening times at present for a lot of these places though.

If you’re looking for music then head to New Century Hall, the Stoller or the Deaf Institute. Go see any gig at the latter throughout Spring. Fairly magical as the sun goes down. Albert Hall gets talked about a lot. Beautiful venue with the most godawful sound.
 
Sloop John B said:
So I’d like any information at all about Manchester, current or historical, I’d like to delve into the city and try to get a feel for what the city was in the industrial era, what it became as traditional industries died out and what it is currently.
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I think it's a pretty rough place, violent criminal gangs in, for example, Cheetham Hill, Strangeways and Moss Side. It seems to have been like that for years, since the 1980s, and as far as I can see it's still thriving.
 
Mike Hughes said:
Not a fan of King Bee for CD. Upstairs in Vinyl Exchange is much better. The CDs in the other places are really dreg ends stuff. You’ll have seen stuff elsewhere and cheaper.
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You just have to try a little harder than you used to as CDs are starting to move upwards price wise and everywhere (not just Manchesrter) is seeing the thinning of supply and price increases. Still some gems to be had in most of these places IMO.

Mike Hughes said:
I could not in all conscience recommend anyone eat anywhere on the curry mile at present. It’s awful and increasingly dangerous. Screw “atmosphere” :)
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Not sure how it is dangerous, it's very definitely an Asian culture there, but the better for it IMO. MyLahore is very good - still in the top 5 restaurants for Manchester on Trip Advisor, been in the top 5 for over 7 years so can't be that bad.

Mike Hughes said:
If you want decent food then you’re looking at the city centre or Lenenshulme or Ancoats.
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Levenshulme is on the up granted.

Mike Hughes said:
There is definitely a better kebab house than The Rusholme Chippy.
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Nope, they're really isn't. Unless you like reprocessed donner meat of course. A Kobideh is marinated lamb cooked in a Tandoor served in a Naan with Salad and a sauce of your choosing. It's almost enough to have me eating meat again ;)
 
mandryka said:
I think it's a pretty rough place, violent criminal gangs in, for example, Cheetham Hill, Strangeways and Moss Side. It seems to have been like that for years, since the 1980s, and as far as I can see it's still thriving.
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Oh dear, welcome to 1982 - still the Hacienda has just opened so not all bad :D Just about any major city has some crime issues. Obvs not London as it's ****ing perfect :D
 
mandryka said:
I think it's a pretty rough place, violent criminal gangs in, for example, Cheetham Hill, Strangeways and Moss Side. It seems to have been like that for years, since the 1980s, and as far as I can see it's still thriving.
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The Boys Are Back In Town is about the Quality Street Gang, who go back to the 60s. Lynott's Mum owned a hotel in Whalley Range where they hung out...
 
mandryka said:
I think it's a pretty rough place, violent criminal gangs in, for example, Cheetham Hill, Strangeways and Moss Side. It seems to have been like that for years, since the 1980s, and as far as I can see it's still thriving.
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My Daughter lives in Cheetham Hill now. Purpose built flat - walking distance to shopping centre, decent supermarkets and gym. Some of her more local friends went 'NO!' you can't live there. But... it seems much improved, like a lot of areas, and when I visit I get no bad vibes. Even her local friends agree it is not so bad. Unlike my memory of walking through Whalley Range and Moss Side in 1978 (yes, I really did - naive!) and promptly hailed a taxi to get back to my hotel in Victoria Park!

Her flat is very close to the Northern Quarter - some good restaurants there. Back in Cheetham Hill - very interesting the fabric shops that abound in a few tightly packed streets and appear to be open only on Sundays - when those streets are heaving. I assume they are supplying the northern market stall trade.

She commutes to Oldham every day. Having moved there from Liverpool and Worcestershire - she sure knows it is wetter!

Was never a fan of the curry mile, even back than. I spent most of my time living just down the road in Didsbury/ West Didsbury - which was (still is) rather nicer!
 
JensenHealey said:
I lived in Manc in the late 70s / early 80s. Now my daughter lives there and I can hardly recognise the places I knew. Like a lot of big cities it is a network of sprawled neighbourhoods and villages that have all merged together. There simply is not one 'Manchester'. Today it is fast growing, fast developing and very dynamic - a lot of the grot I remember has been swept away (in my day NO ONE went anywhere near Salford, for instance). Still a fair bit of grot to go - but seeing old mills being developed into 2-bed flats at north of £500k each is gulp making material.

Yes - Umbrella is needed, especially in the more Northern Districts - after all water, and lots of it, was one the main reasons Manchester developed the textile industry that is really at the root of the city / wider area. There is a reason that the posher areas are mostly to the South and South West of the city - it is drier down there!
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Manchester is not Salford, nor Salford, Manchester.
 
Only London has more theatres than Manchester and the upcoming Manchester International Festival from 29/06 to 16/07 in the new Factory International arts venue looks like it’s going to be a cracker.
It’s great fun to to do the tram network. Me and a few mates did one side in a day and the next the following day.
 
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