Manchester, England

Manchester, England, Europe
By Simon Parry

Not just home to the greatest football team in the world, Manchester is also often revered as the UK’s
unofficial second city—but shh! Don’t tell Liverpool. It’s got everything: history, music, rain, an eclectic nightlife, rain, rich architecture, food, high street shopping—oh, did I mention rain?
Manchester certainly lives up to the nickname, ‘The Rainy City’, but if you can brave the drizzle and live to tell the tale, you’re sure to have a story worth telling. This is especially so if you decide to take a tour of the city’s landmark buildings.  Step back in time to the Victorian period with neogothic cathedrals, town halls, railways and pubs, or jump further back to the industrial revolution with old cotton mills, canals, and museums.

Once you've had your cultural fix of history, museums, and art galleries— of which there are many—it’s time for a spot of retail therapy.  From the high street shopping of the Arndale and Market Street, to the back street shopping of Afflecks and the Northern Quarter, Manchester really does cater for all. There are just as many vintage record shops, clothing boutiques, tattoo parlours, and independent comic book museums  as there are H&M’s and Topshop’s. And if you’ve a flare for the alternative side to fashion, look no further than Afflecks Palace, home to eclecticism.
Shopping can, of course, work up an appetite, which is why Manchester pays homage to all the culinary styles of the world with over three hundred restaurants. Yes, you heard right— three hundred! That includes some of the most reputable restaurants in the UK, and the amazing Red Hot World Buffet.

There are also a collection of hidden gems scattered about, just waiting to be discovered in the backstreets of the Northern Quarter, including several superbly British tea houses.
They say on the sixth day God created MANchester.  Once the night comes alive, that could be true. When it’s time to party, no city in the UK does it better than Manchester. Dance music, pop music, R&B, metal—you name it, Manchester’s music scene has it. This great city has also been known to produce some of the world’s most influential music in recent times, from the likes of The Stone Roses, The Smiths, and Oasis, and who knows, you just might catch the next big thing in one of The Rainy City’s many clubs and bars.
So get the umbrella at the ready and take a trip into Manchester City Centre, where both the people and the places are larger than life and everybody is up for having a good time.

Europe