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Home , Altrincham, Altrincham (ward), Manchester Academy, Manchester Airport, Manchester Arena, Manchester Arndale

Manchester: The Liveable City With a population of 2.7 million, is widely regarded as Britain’s second city and arguably the most exciting, cultural and forward-thinking. With a rich history and a unique blend of modern developments and historic spaces, Manchester is a fantastic place to live and work, with entertainment, dining, nightlife and leisure options to suit every type of person. Manchester Transport Links Manchester Airport is the global gateway to the North of . • Largest UK regional airport is investing £3 billion in the city's transport network that is • Over 225 direct flights to worldwide destinations aimed at transforming the existing bus network, expanding the tram network by over • 9 direct flights from the US three times its current size, and providing longer trains running through refurbished • Direct rail link into city centre from airport • www.manchesterairport.co.uk stations. With that in mind, it is not surprising that an increasing number of commuters opt to take advantage of the city's highly organised and efficient public transport network. Selected direct flights per week from Manchester Airport Car Bus lies at the heart of an has a comprehensive bus expansive motorway network. The M60 ring network offering fast and frequent services to many road makes access in and around the city centre destinations. Tickets can be purchased per journey, straightforward and connects the city region’s inter- or money-saving daily, weekly or monthly passes suburban links. The city centre is also surrounded can be purchased. System One Travel offers by an inner city ring road which relieves some of travelcards which can be used for bus only, or a the traffic from the centre. Manchester also combination of buses, trains and some even allow operates a high volume of and Ride schemes. city-zone tram travel. Most rail and Metrolink stations en route from and East in the south of the Metroshuttle city, Eccles on the north west outskirts, and The Metroshuttle is a free shuttle bus service which on the northern city limits operate schemes. connects the train stations, business districts and the city centre. With 3 different routes and Train increased services during peak times, it is the Manchester is easy to travel to from other major easiest way to get across the city centre. UK cities. Direct services between Manchester and run conveniently every 20 minutes with Parking Virgin Trains. Local rail services connect The city centre offers a wide variety of parking Manchester Airport with Greater Manchester options from on-street pay-and-display bays around 59 50 30 26 23 14 7 4 districts and the city centre. Single, return, and the city to privately operated car parks, some of Amsterdam Paris Frankfurt New Zurich Dubai Singapore Hong Kong season tickets between a station in the Greater which offer competitive daily rates. Parking spaces, Manchester rail network area and Manchester city including private parking spaces, prices and centre can also be used on Metrolink trams in the opening times can be found at Manchester City Zone area. System One Travel www.en.parkopedia.co.uk. The Parker app gives Journey times to other UK cities offers county travelcards which can be used on you real-time availability and voice guidance to trams, trains and buses for one price. city centre parking bays on your iOS or Android Journey time Flights Journey time Distance in Car journey smartphone and can be downloaded at Destination Trains p/hr Tram www.theparkerapp.com. (train) p/day (flight) miles time Manchester’s Metrolink is a tram/light rail system consisting of seven lines which radiate from London 3 2hrs 7 mins 22 1hr 200 3hrs 50 mins Manchester city centre to termini at Manchester Airport, Altrincham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Bury, East 3 1hr 25 mins - - 87 1hr 49 mins Didsbury, Eccles, MediaCityUK and . Bristol 2 3hrs 3 mins - - 168 3hrs 6 mins Trams run approximately every 12 minutes making it easy to reach most locations in Greater Newcastle 3 2hrs 33 mins - - 145 2hrs 40 mins Manchester with ease. As of 2015 free, superfast WiFi is available on every tram on the Metrolink Edinburgh 2 3hrs 19 mins 7 1hr 15mins 217 4hrs 8 mins network. Daily, weekly or season tickets are 4 54 mins - - 43 58 mins available, offering savings for frequent travelers. 6 47 mins - - 34 47 mins

2 3 Cultural Entertainment

Manchester's thriving music scene and nightlife including the Royal Exchange Theatre, the Palace owe much of their success to The Hacienda. Theatre and and the Spearheading the ‘' phenomena of the Lowry, all of which put on various performances 1980s alongside bands such as New Order, the throughout the year, from musicals and ballets at , James and . the Opera House, to West End and Broadway The Hacienda became the cultural icon that placed productions at the Palace. Manchester on the musical map and although it closed in 1997, its influence on the city is For classical and jazz music fans, inescapable. Today, the mantle of top live music is Manchester’s international concert venue. It puts venues is shared by a number of other places, on over 250 performances each year and plays principally Band on the Wall with its eclectic mix host to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, who play of jazz and reggae, the Deaf Institute with its concerts throughout the year. penchant for gigs by local bands, and Sankeys which is famed for its club nights. During 2015, there are numerous live music, comedy, theatre and classical events happening For music lovers, concert venues include the across Manchester, including a selection listed at , and the venues below: which play host to a wide variety of acts from major bands to comedy. Theatregoers also have a wide choice of theatres,

Manchester Manchester O2 Apollo Lowry Royal Palace The Arena Opera House Manchester Theatre Exchange Theatre Bridgewater Hall

Idina Menzel Wicked Manchester The Hallé 23rd Jun 3rd June- International Orchestra Fleetwood Hairspray the Annie 25th Jul Festival various dates Mac Musical 15th- 3rd Jul- 12th Jun/ 26th- 26th Sep 1st Aug 1st Jul 31st Oct

The Curious The Jersey Boys Bodyguard BBC Taylor Swift Jimmy Carr Incident of 27th Oct- 8th Dec- Philharmonic 24th Jun 27th Jun the Dog in 7th Nov the Nighttime 2nd Jan various dates 17th- 2016 21st Nov

Shrek the Mary Cinderella Gareth Dynamo Musical Poppins 4th Dec- Malone 6th-18th Oct 2nd-20th Feb 20th Jan-5th 3rd Jan 7th Dec One Direction 2016 Mar 2016 3rd-4th Oct

4 5 Entertainment venues around Manchester

A wide selection of dining, drinking and entertainment venues can be found around Manchester with something for everyone:

Black Dog Bowl Printworks HOME 57 Whitworth Street West 27 Withy Grove 2 Tony Wilson Place A bowling alley, serving food An entertainment complex in the A centre of international and drink and is open until the city centre. In addition to bars, contemporary art, theatre and early hours of the morning. restaurants and nightclubs such film. It includes two theatres, as Café Rouge, Rock Café cinema screens and gallery and Nandos, the Printworks space in addition to cafes, Odeon boasts Europe’s second restaurants and retail space. largest IMAX screen.

Gorilla Locks The Great Northern 54-56 Whitworth Street West Home to six bars and the Warehouse A bar and restaurant which also Comedy Store comedy club, 235 Deansgate hosts live bands and club nights. all situated under the converted Includes a cinema, casino, arches at the bottom end of bowling alley and gym, in Deansgate. addition to a selection of bars, restaurants and shops.

6 7 Culture Manchester Art Gallery houses more than 25,000 objects and many of the city’s most important fine and decorative art works covering 6 centuries. The gallery offers events, tours and workshops for the Manchester offers a diverse, rich arts and cultural scene and boasts a calendar of whole family. festivals and events covering everything from literature and poetry, to comedy and jazz.

Adding to the city’s cultural roster is the Manchester International Festival, the world’s first international festival of original new performances across the spectrum of popular culture, performing arts, music and The Bridgewater Hall visual arts. Meanwhile entrance to the majority of Manchester’s museum and galleries is free. Manchester’s international concert venue which hosts more than 250 classical, rock, pop and jazz acts each year. The hall is to three resident orchestras: The Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata.

Piccadilly Gardens Gardens is a green space in the centre of Manchester on the edge of Market Street and the Northern Quarter offering several bars and restaurants.

National Football Museum Found in the , the National Football Museum covers 4 floors and houses the world’s greatest football collection of over 140,000 items. With interactive exhibits and several collections, the museum gives everyone the opportunity to explore the history of football from its very beginnings to the present day.

Royal Exchange The Royal Exchange Theatre is a seven-sided, glass walled capsule suspended in the Victorian Cotton Exchange Building in St. Ann’s Square which hosts plays throughout the year, in addition to workshops and classes.

Christmas Markets Celebrating their 17th birthday in 2015, the Manchester Christmas Markets will be spread out across the city centre and offer over 300 stalls over 8 different sites with food, gifts, crafts, jewellery, toys and clothes from across Europe open from mid-November until Christmas.

8 9 Delectable dining

Food-wise, few places in the UK can Elsewhere, Manchester has its own Chinatown, the match Manchester. With over thirty largest outside of London. The area boasts superb restaurants, bakeries and oriental supermarkets. international cuisines on offer, and Close by is the city's infamous Canal Street – the something for every budget, heart of the city’s thriving Gay complete Manchester’s restaurants will satisfy with a number of excellent café bars, restaurants every appetite. and clubs. For those looking for something less formal yet From gourmet restaurants to traditional home cultural, the city's Northern Quarter is home to a cooked pub food, Manchester has it all. number of cool bars, restaurants and cafes. Restaurants at the top end of the scale remain rooted in the city centre, predominantly centralised around the St Ann's Square, Deansgate and King Street area.

Dining venues in Central Manchester

Peterfields Deansgate

Cornerhouse Alchemist All Star Lanes Akbars Gorilla Australasia Almost Famous Albert’s Shed Lobster and Steak Artisan Bem Brazil Choice Bar and Mr Cooper’s Carluccio’s Café Rouge Restaurant Pitcher and Piano Giraffe Frankie & Benny’s Dukes 92 Revolucion de Cuba Gourmet Burger Kitchen Las Iguanas The OX Revolution Nandos Lucha Libre Sapporo Teppanyak Rice Neighbourhood Piccolino The Wharf Zouk Oast House San Carlo Southern Eleven Wagamama

Gorilla Oast House All Star Lanes Albert’s Shed

10 11 Outstanding shopping

Manchester is a shopaholic’s dream. From the designer boutiques of King Street or the high street chains around the and St Ann’s Square, to the independent boutiques and vintage offering of Affleck’s Palace and the Northern Quarter, Manchester’s shopping options are countless.

Market Street Market Street is one of the main shopping streets in Manchester Arndale is Europe’s third largest city- the City Centre. An entirely pedestrian zone, shops centre shopping centre. The centre has over 200 such as Primark, , H&M and Marks & units including stores such as Topshop, Next and Spencer are all located along the street, which in addition to an 800 seat food court. stretches from to Deansgate.

Northern Quarter Deansgate, King Street and The Northern Quarter includes a large number of St Ann’s Square independent and vintage shops, specialising in St Anns Square is a picturesque area which clothes and music as well as numerous connects to shops on King Street and Deansgate. independent bars, cafés and restaurants. The area The area is a major venue for visiting Continental, also includes , a three-storey indoor market Farmer's and Christmas street markets, it has with dozens of independent stalls and boutiques. several well known shopping outlets including House of Fraser. Exchange Square & New Cathedral Street This area includes a variety of high-end shops, Centre including Harvey Nichols, Ted Baker and Hugo Located just 5 miles from the city centre is the intu Boss stores. Exchange Square will be home to the , a vast indoor shopping complex Corn Exchange, a culinary haven with offering over 230 stores including John Lewis, independent restaurants due to open late 2015. Hollister, Pandora, Guess and Omega Boutique. In addition to the shops there are over 36 The Avenue restaurants and fast food eateries, a 20 screen Manchester's luxury shopping destination, cinema and a range of leisure facilities including The Avenue in Spinningfields, is where retailers the Sealife Centre, Legoland Discovery Centre, showcase the best international fashion collections Adventure Golf, Laserquest and a array of in the North West. Collections from Flannels, sporting facilities in the adjacent Trafford Quays DKNY, Armani, Mulberry, LK Bennett, All Saints Leisure Village. and many more are located here.

12 13 Sensational Sports

Manchester is a great place for sports international cycling events in recent years and is fans; both spectators and competitors. open to members of the public for frequent taster and practice sessions. There are also a number of Since hosting the Commonwealth public leisure centres, sporting clubs and five-a-side Games in 2002, there has been a lot pitches including The Pitz. of investment in sports in the city, offering high class facilities. For those who want to participate in sporting events, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in sports in the city. One of these events For football fans, and the City of is the Great Manchester Run, Europe’s largest Manchester Stadium offer the opportunity to watch 10k run, with around 40,000 people taking part two of the most famous football clubs in the world. in 2014. The run has raised an estimated The beautiful game isn’t the only sport Manchester £22 million for charity since it began in 2003. has to offer. Cricket enthusiasts can head to Similarly, the Great Manchester Swim is held The , Old Trafford home to outdoors in Quays every year and is County Cricket Club, as well as hosting the open to people of all abilities. Ashes and various international test matches. Manchester is also one of the host cities for the Trafford Quays Leisure Village offers skiing and 2015 Rugby World Cup. snowboarding on real snow slopes, go-carting, play golf and zip lining. Fans of cycling should visit the , which includes an indoor velodrome and Manchester also has a number of leading health BMX arena. The velodrome has been cited as one and fitness clubs, such as David Lloyd Leisure, Living of the reasons for Great Britain’s success in Well, Fitness First and Bannatynes Health Clubs.

14 15 Main residential areas

If city living is what you are after then Castlefield, To the north, Whitefield and Prestwich offer a good The Northern Quarter and the Green Quarter are choice of accommodation along with a good the property hotspots, with a wealth of one and restaurant and bar scene. two bedrooms modern penthouse and converted loft apartments. If you fancy mingling with the rich and famous, Alderley Edge and are just 15 miles Elsewhere, there are a number of popular areas south of the city and home to a number of dotted along the arterial routes out of the city. Manchester United and Manchester City footballers, Just a few miles south of the city centre are whilst the Beckhams still own a home there. Chorlton and Didsbury which are traditionally the pick of the bunch thanks to their cosmopolitan, café culture-like environments and mix of modern apartments and traditional housing styles.

Average housing prices for key areas of Manchester

Area Detached Semi-detached Terraced Flats

Castlefield (M3) £171,202 £144,824 £148,675 £173,203

Northern Quarter / £183,077 £125,007 £105,985 £142,898 Green Quarter (M4)

Chorlton (M21) £364,033 £274,834 £239,471 £151,840

Didsbury (M20) £577,682 £337,498 £279,521 £188,888

Whitefield (M45) £362,798 £160,918 £129,826 £163,668

Prestwich (M25) £306,642 £174,389 £142,095 £134,645

Alderley Edge/ Wilmslow £600,362 £319,340 £227,147 £209,912 (SK9)

Altrincham (WA14) £707,024 £333,918 £282,546 £267,414

Sale (M33) £394,732 £252,366 £187,848 £145,305

Source: Zoopla 2015

16 17 Education The Sunday Times Top State and Private Schools in Greater Manchester

Applying for schools To apply for state primary or secondary schools, applications must go through your local council, selected links can be found below. Applications for private schools are done directly through the school. www.manchester.gov.uk/admissions www.trafford.gov.uk/residents/schools/admissions/admissions.aspx www..gov.uk/services/education/educationtrainingandemployment/schooladmissions

OFSTED reports Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people, and services providing education and skills for learners of all ages. Reports for every school and nursery in Greater Manchester can be accessed at: reports.ofsted.gov.uk

School Area Type 1 Altrincham for Boys Altrincham Selective 2 Altrincham Grammar School for Girls Altrincham Selective 3 School Boys' Division Bolton Private 4 Bolton School Girls' Division Bolton Private 5 Bury Grammar School Boys Bury Private 6 Bury Grammar School Girls Bury Private 7 Cheadle School Cheadle Private 8 Chetham's School of Music Manchester Private 9 Crompton House C of E Academy Comprehensive 10 Altrincham Selective 11 Manchester High School for Girls Manchester Private 12 Oldham Hulme Grammar Schools Oldham Private 13 High School Manchester Comprehensive 14 High School Stockport Comprehensive 15 Sale Selective 16 , Altrincham Altrincham Selective 17 St Bede's College, Manchester Manchester Private 18 Stockport Grammar School Stockport Private 19 Grammar School Stretford Selective 20 The Blue Coat School, Oldham Oldham Comprehensive 21 The Fallibroome Academy Comprehensive 22 The King David High School, Manchester Manchester Comprehensive 23 The King's School in Macclesfield Macclesfield Private 24 The Manchester Grammar School Manchester Private 25 Tytherington High School Macclesfield Comprehensive 26 Grammar Academy Trafford Selective 27 William Hulme's Grammar School Manchester Selective 28 Wilmslow High School Wilmslow Comprehensive 29 Girls' School Manchester Private

18 19 The Sunday Times Top State Primary Schools in Greater Manchester School Area 1 Church School Altrincham 2 St Peter's RC Primary School Stockport 3 Park Road Sale Primary School Manchester 4 St Joseph's RC Primary School Sale 5 North Jewish Primary School Cheadle 6 King David Primary School Manchester 7 Thornham St James' C of E Primary School Oldham 8 Stamford Park Junior School Altrincham 9 Gorsey Bank Primary School Wilmslow 10 All Saints C of E Primary School, Stand 11 Hindley Junior and Infant School Wigan 12 Birchley St Mary's RC Primary School Wigan 13 St Joseph's RC Primary School, Shaw Oldham 14 Elmridge Primary School Altrincham 15 Greenmount Primary School Bury 16 Tyntesfield Primary School Sale 17 Ludworth Primary School Stockport 18 St Mary and St John RC Primary School Wigan 19 Platt Bridge Community School Wigan 20 Chorlton C of E Primary School Manchester 21 Primary School Wigan 22 Bollin Primary School Altrincham 23 Gilded Hollins Community Primary School Leigh 24 Crompton Primary School Oldham 25 C of E School of the Resurrection Manchester 26 Victoria Park Junior School Manchester 27 Community School Manchester 28 Prestbury C of E Primary School Macclesfield 29 St Richard's RC Primary School Manchester 30 All Saints' RC Primary School Sale 31 Lowercroft Primary School Bury 32 Altrincham C of E VA Primary School Altrincham 33 St Aidan's C of E Community Primary School, Billinge Wigan 34 Pownall Green Primary School Stockport 35 Woodfield Primary School, Wigan Wigan 36 Beaumont Primary School Bolton 37 Park Road Academy Primary School, Altrincham Altrincham 38 Well Green Primary School, Altrincham Altrincham

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