The PFM guide to Manchester.

[sean99]

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

There's also a huge difference between 1000mm of heavy drizzle, occurring on 250+ days of the year, vs 40 storms that each dump 25+mm.
Boston, MA has annual rainfall of > 1000mm, but it has never felt particularly wet to me I think largely because relatively few storms account for a good part of the total.

 

[Bob McC]

OP your son may be as surprised as you will to learn that Manchester United are not in the city of Manchester. They are in the borough of Trafford, in the area of Stretford In what is known as Greater Manchester.

 

[tiggers]

Re the Hacienda, organised crime was its downfall.

Not quite as simple as that, but never mind... water under the bridge now sadly. Some of the best nights of my life were in that place. I made more friends there than anywhere else I've ever been. One of the funniest nights ever in my life was when the Hitman and Her visited expecting the usual girls dancing round their handbags to Kylie while a load of drunken lads tried to cop off with them and instead got 2000 Haciendaristas dancing all night to hardcore House whilst off their tits on E. What a place

 

[Weekender]

Worth a trip out to Salford: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/bridgewater
We still haven't done this: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cheshire-greater-manchester/castlefield-viaduct

Chorlton was my stomping ground when I was a young thing: Beech Road has trad pubs such as...The Beech and The Trevor and lots of Bars/Cafes the last time I looked, of which this Tapas was my favourite: https://www.barsanjuan.com/and the main drag (Wilbraham Rd) also has lots of bars e.g. https://www.electrikbar.co.uk/
There's nice walks down on Chorlton Ees by the Mersey. https://www.visitmanchester.com/things-to-see-and-do/chorlton-ees-nature-reserve-p368181

Sadly The Electric Chair is no more but Homoelectric continues and is straight-friendly if you misbehave yourself nicely: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Manchester/Hidden/Homoelectric-/36251926/

Burton Road in West Didsbury has gentrified a lot since I lived there in the late-80s/early 90s and has a lot of bars and restaurants.
Greens Veggie restaurant: https://greensrestaurants.co.uk/didsbury/

Having been a poncy student we did not venture into North or East Manchester...

 

[Bob McC]

Love that last line…!

 

[Weekender]

Love that last line…!

We lived in Longsight for a year!

 

[Big Tabs]

I used to go to skateboard in Manchester in the mid-1980’s. I think there were some skateable banks at the university. Had a mate doing English there.

Also there was a decent half-pipe in the Ardwick Centre which was solid to skate. 8’ transition, foot of vert? from memory. It was indoors and dry, so the rain was less of a spoiler.

 

[Bob McC]

We lived in Longsight for a year!

I taught there for 20 years…
Before then I taught in Moss Side. I was there during the Moss Side riots.

 

[Sloop John B]

Sloop Junior is living in new apartment near Pomona dock (M15) , which you tell me is not in Manchester, but in Stretford, but I think I am meaning Greater Manchester when I use the phrase Manchester. The walk on the canal in to Manchester city centre from his appartement certainly looks as if it would’ve been a very dodgy walk in the not too distant past.

We’re staying on Upper Chorlton Road near Brooks Bar in a ground floor appartement in a renovated Victorian House.

.sjb

 

[Bob McC]

I wouldn’t do that walk now.

junior might want to watch this documentary about the Manchester canal pusher
Man or myth?
Who knows?

 

[gavreid]

We’re staying on Upper Chorlton Road near Brooks Bar in a ground floor appartement in a renovated Victorian House.

It used to be 'tasty' around there on the edge of Hulme and Moss Side.

 

[Mike Hughes]

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.

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.

Levenshulme is on the up granted.

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

Thing with King Bee et al is that they’re fine for visitors and anyone with a car, indeed likely wouldn’t survive without them, but if you live in GM and are reliant on public transport then they’re not great. There is a bit of a South Manchester attitude that because public transport is okay there it must be the same all over GM. Very far from true. Still, if you’re in the city centre it’s a relatively straightforward trip there.

I mostly stream nowadays but there are still plenty of things only available on CD. In all these years in GM I’ve never found 1 thing at King Bee I couldn’t get elsewhere. Still, it’s a much nicer vibe there than the gloom of Piccadilly Records.

Curry mile is a place close to my heart but it’s increasingly dangerous in several senses. Firstly the general quality is dismal. Go back a decade and you could chose from 30+ places and have fantastic food. Now it’s down to less than 5, arguably less than 3, and there has been a huge increase in vehicle thefts for visitors; food poisoning; a massive jump in hygiene “incidents” and a noticeable jump in people being hijacked at cash points etc. Massive amount of card skimming going on too.

I’ve tried both Rusholme chippy and Levy Bakery. Nothing reprocessed going on at the latter. The Stockport branch is class too.

Major omission on my part. John Rylands is wonderful. A must not miss really.

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.

Yes there are issues as there are all over any major city. However, a visitor looking for the things @Sloop John B is looking for has no reason to be in any of those locations at the point anything might go down. I lived in M3 and regularly walked into and out of Manchester for gigs, theatre, food and more. People who read the papers but don’t live here thought we were taking our lives in our hands. In reality, 1 murder in 8 years and we had the time of our lives.

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!

Glad you’ve said all this. An area is what you make of it.

 

[Mike Hughes]

Worth a trip out to Salford: https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/bridgewater

Having been a poncy student we did not venture into North or East Manchester...

I actually wouldn’t recommend the RHS just yet. Severely undercooked at present. In 3 to 5 years it could be spectacular but right now there are yawning great gaps filled with nothing.

 

[Woodface]

Despite being the only place in the UK where I’ve encountered a shit in a lift, I do really like the place.

It’s not the best city in UK as that is obviously Sheffield, it’s in the top 3 - 4 though.

For those not acquainted I recommend Motel One at St Peter’s Square as the place to stay, excellent value & a cut above.

 

[Weekender]

I actually wouldn’t recommend the RHS just yet. Severely undercooked at present. In 3 to 5 years it could be spectacular but right now there are yawning great gaps filled with nothing.

I take your point but still think it's well worth a visit.
The walled garden did not give the impression of having gaps. The Great Northern Garden Build is still on iPlayer and shows how far they've come in a relatively short space of time. Of course May to October is best time to visit for seeing it at its best.
Highlight for me last year were the swallows and swifts over the new pond and the meadow...so not really horticultural at all.

 

[Tantris]

I actually wouldn’t recommend the RHS just yet. Severely undercooked at present. In 3 to 5 years it could be spectacular but right now there are yawning great gaps filled with nothing.

I couldn't disagree more. We went 5 times during last year, from early spring through to late summer, mainly because it was a great place to visit if you are interested in gardening and horticulture. The meconopsis in the Chinese garden were a truly welcome surprise, and the walled garden is already very mature with spectacular perennials and shrubs/trees. Walking through the wildflower meadow in late summer was a joy.

 

[Tony L]

Some really good recommendations here to the extent I’ve nothing to add really. Despite what others say it does rain most of the time, it is full of Mancs, but it really isn’t bad at all. Loads to see, shop, listen to, eat etc, as with any other great city. A lot depends on personal interest/preference. I like the art galleries, museums and record shops, most of which have been covered. Manchester is big too, the interesting/useful bits much bigger and wider apart than say Liverpool, so don’t think a walk across the city centre covers it, e.g. if you like art galleries there is a huge distance between the Manchester Art Gallery and The Whitworth Gallery, and you definitely need to see both. Likewise the main Manchester Museum and Museum Of Science And Industry (where I volunteer on vintage computer geekery).

PS The Whitworth has an excellent cafe.

 

[vince rocker]

Home is the place for cinema and theatre. I seem to be there every week for something. The food and drink are good too but if we go on the tram and get off at St Peter's it's difficult to walk past The Briton's Protection for a pint first. The Royal Exchange is wonderful theatre space though they have been badly affected by the pandemic and reduced income and the productions aren't as reliably good as a few years ago. Hope Mill in Ancoats is another superb theatre space. Halle St Peter's is another good place for music. There's so many places to go!

 

[Sean K]

I used to love Sifters records on fog Lane in burnage/didsbury, just off kingsway. Haven't been there for 5 years tho (it's a long way from NZ).

Central library in St Peter's Square is my favourite building in the world, spent many happy hours there, its central reading room is a marvel with spectacular acoustics. The Royal Exchange is well worth a visit, too.

Surprised but pleased to hear Levenshulme is on the up, it's about time!

You obviously need to visit Old Trafford on match day.

 

[Mike Hughes]

e.g. if you like art galleries there is a huge distance between the Manchester Art Gallery and The Whitworth Gallery, and you definitely need to see both. Likewise the main Manchester Museum and Museum Of Science And Industry (where I volunteer on vintage computer geekery).

PS The Whitworth has an excellent cafe.

That huge distance is all of a 30 minute walk and there’s much to see on the way.

That’s you is it Tony at the MSI. I must say hello next time we’re there.

Sadly the last visit was for a memorial for the partner of a friend. Unexpectedly fantastic venue for that sort of thing.

Home is the place for cinema and theatre. I seem to be there every week for something. The food and drink are good too but if we go on the tram and get off at St Peter's it's difficult to walk past The Briton's Protection for a pint first. The Royal Exchange is wonderful theatre space though they have been badly affected by the pandemic and reduced income and the productions aren't as reliably good as a few years ago. Hope Mill in Ancoats is another superb theatre space. Halle St Peter's is another good place for music. There's so many places to go!

All the muttering about the Cornerhouse closing soon piped down once Home actually opened. Great place to meet friends and their boxed food downstairs at the bar is damn good too.

I omitted to mention the Royal Exchange. My son does a lot with them as do I so I tend to not push them forward. Wonderful building, even more fascinating if you can get behind the scenes, but productions are indeed patchy. Just wish they’d be as open minded as they were pre bomb and open up to late night comedy, acoustic gigs and more. 1 of my top 3 gigs took place there and there is something magical about a theatre in the round when it all works.