BEST UK CITY TO LIVE investinmanchester.com 1 Contents Manchester is officially the Best UK City to Live, where quality of life is second to none. This guide provides an overview of life in Manchester, from where to live and how to get around to the best schools, bars, restaurants and experiences in the city region. Living in Manchester 2 Centrally connected 3 World class entertainment 7 Cultural renaissance 9 Dining 11 One-stop shopping 12 A leading sport city 15 Where to live 16 Education 18 Greater Manchester: Educational institutes per borough 22 Appendix 24 2 1 Living in Manchester Centrally connected Manchester is a truly diverse city, whether you are interested in music and Centrally located in the North of England, Manchester is one of the best the performing arts, sport and leisure, or tourism and heritage. The city connected and most accessible cities in the UK. The city region has a world region is, and always has been, a great place for living life to the full. With class, multi-modal, integrated transport infrastructure that provides a population of 2.7 million, Manchester is Britain’s second largest urban connectivity across the region, the UK and the world. area and one of the most exciting, cultural and forward-thinking cities in Europe. Manchester’s excellent transport facilities – including a comprehensive rail network, 30-mile outer ring road, and an international airport that serves more than 200 destinations – provide With a decorated heritage and a unique blend Manchester is still a cost-effective location, in companies with significant opportunities to exploit both UK and global markets, as well as of modern developments and historic spaces, spite of its qualities and popularity, something personal ease of travel for either business or pleasure. Manchester is an exciting place to live and that is reflected across the board from work, with entertainment, dining, nightlife housing costs to leisure and entertainment. and leisure options to delight everyone. You get much more for your money in From the natural beauty of the Lake District, Manchester, an important factor in recruiting Pennines and the Peak District to the buzzing and attracting people to work here. urban cool of the city centre, there really is something to suit every lifestyle. ROAD Car Bus Manchester city centre lies at the heart of Greater Manchester has a comprehensive bus an expansive motorway network. The M60 network offering fast and frequent services to ring road makes access in and around the many destinations. Tickets can be purchased city centre straightforward and connects the per journey, but money-saving daily, weekly city region’s inter-suburban links. The city or monthly passes are also available. System centre is also surrounded by an inner-city One Travel offers travelcards which can be ring road, and it offers substantial parking used for bus only, or a combination of buses, options from on-street pay-and-display bays trains and in some cases city zone tram travel. to privately operated car parks, some of which offer competitive daily rates. Most rail and Free bus Metrolink stations on the outskirts of Greater The free bus operates two circular routes in Manchester also operate Park and Ride Manchester and connects business districts schemes, making travel from the suburbs into to train, tram and bus stations. The free bus the city centre even easier. runs every ten minutes Monday to Saturday and 15 minutes after 6.30pm. 2 3 Journey times to other UK cities Trains Journey Flights Journey time Distance Car journey Destination p/hr time (train) p/day (flight) in miles time London 3 2hr 8m 22 1hr 200 3hr 30m Birmingham 3 1hr 30m - - 87 1hr 30m Bristol 2 2h 50m - - 168 2hr 50m Newcastle 4 2hr 20m - - 145 2hr 20m Edinburgh 2 3hr 40m 7 1hr 10m 217 3hr 40m Leeds 7 49m - - 43 55m Liverpool 6 32m - - 34 45m RAIL Train Metrolink Manchester offers great access to other Manchester’s Metrolink is a tram/light rail major UK cities. Direct services between system that radiates from Manchester city Manchester and London run every 20 centre to termini at Manchester Airport, minutes with Virgin Trains, and the journey Altrincham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Bury, East takes just over 2 hours. Local rail services also Didsbury, Eccles, MediaCityUK and Rochdale. connect Manchester Airport with Greater Daily, weekly or season tickets are available, Manchester districts and the city centre. offering savings for frequent travellers, and free Wi-Fi is available on every tram on the Single, return, and season tickets between Metrolink network. a station in the Greater Manchester rail network and the city centre can also be used within the city zone of the Metrolink network. Additionally, System One Travel offers county travelcards that can be used on trams, trains and buses for one price. 4 5 Direct flights from Manchester Airport (per week) World class entertainment New York Amsterdam Mumbai Beijing As one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in the UK, Manchester’s 21 81 5 4 always got something on. With a rolling calendar of art exhibitions, Zürich Hong Kong San Francisco concerts, markets and theatre performances, you’ll never be without world 14 7 3 class entertainment. Venues big and small – from the Manchester global names and audiences, while two of Arena, Victoria Warehouse and the the most popular football teams in the world, Bridgewater Hall to The Deaf Institute, Band Manchester United and Manchester City, on the Wall and Albert Hall – fill the city with keep the city cheering and chanting. music and performance every night. There is also a wide selection of dining, Festivals and events such as Manchester drinking and entertainment options across International Festival and Manchester Pride, Manchester’s districts and hotspots, providing as well as venues including Manchester something for everyone. Arena and Bridgewater Hall, regularly attract 56 21 Paris Dubai 5 39 5 Houston Frankfurt Singapore AIR Manchester Airport With three terminals handling more than 27 million passengers each year, Manchester Airport is the global gateway to the North of England. It is the largest UK regional airport with 65 airlines connecting passengers to more than 200 destinations including Dubai, Mumbai, Beijing and Hong Kong, and no more than one stop away from anywhere in the world. 6 7 The Lowry A magnificent building by Salford Quays that Cultural renaissance houses three stunning theatres alongside galleries showcasing artists of local, national Recast for the 21st century as the original modern city, Manchester has and international renown. experienced a rapid cultural renaissance over the past decade. Now, young people are flocking to the city Portland Basin Museum to get a piece of the action. It’s difficult to In the attractive, waterside setting of Portland keep track of bar and restaurant openings; Basin, the newly refurbished Heritage centre MediaCityUK new hotels abound to keep up with increased celebrates the people, events and industries As well as hosting a range of TV productions tourist numbers; and original festivals and that shaped the history of Tameside. including The Voice UK, MediaCityUK events are emerging all the time to cater for is home to an abundance of cultural and a culture-hungry demographic. Manchester Art Gallery sporting attractions, a cinema and a selection Manchester Art Gallery houses more than of restaurants, bars and shops. Imperial War Museum 25,000 objects and many of the city’s Exhibitions at IWM North explore the most important fine and decorative art conflicts that Britain and the Commonwealth works covering six centuries. The gallery have been involved in since the First World Altrincham Market offers events, tours and workshops for the War to the current day. A ‘market for modern times’ – home to an whole family. eclectic range of kitchens, a coffee shop, a chocolatier, a wine shop and craft beer bar. With indoor and outdoor seating as well as a range of independent shops, Altrincham Market has something for everyone. The Northern Quarter Manchester’s hipster district is packed full of the city’s coolest bars, pubs, restaurants, cafés, and brunch spots. If you’re looking for fun, fashion, arts, or anything weird and wonderful, this is the place. Spinningfields Home to some of Manchester’s most popular bars, restaurants and shops including The Ivy and 20 Stories – Spinningfields is the ideal city centre neighbourhood to visit come day or night. Stockport Plaza This ‘super cinema and variety theatre’ opened in 1932 and the art deco gem still hosts stage presentations including family pantomimes, musicals, comedians and concerts – as well as showing classic films. 8 9 Royal Exchange Theatre The Royal Exchange Theatre is a seven- Dining sided, glass-walled capsule suspended in the Victorian cotton Exchange Building Manchester’s food and drink scene is thriving. With new restaurants, bars, in St. Ann’s Square, which hosts plays gastropubs, and cafés opening weekly, the city has established itself as one throughout the year, in addition to of the UK’s most exciting foodie destinations. workshops and classes. National Football Museum Found in Cathedral Gardens, the National Football Museum covers four floors and houses the world’s greatest football collection of over 140,000 items. With interactive exhibits and several collections, the museum gives visitors the opportunity to explore the history of football from its very beginnings to the present day. The Whitworth Following a £15m renovation to open up the historic gallery into the park it calls home, the Whitworth hosts famous exhibitions and contemporary commissions, via events both outdoors and in, for families, art lovers and friends. From fine dining and afternoon tea to pop-up markets and humble street food, Greater Manchester is packed with options to suit any mood or budget; and thanks to the region’s rich multicultural heritage, visitors will find cuisine from all over the world – from African and Asian to Middle Eastern and South American.