manchester tourist guide
Monday, 21st July 2003
Introduction to the City"I still... have yet to gaze upon (Manchester) Cathedral... or, for that matter, upon Marx and Engel's old rendezvous in Chetham's. But I have sailed in a narrow boat, heard one of the world's great orchestras playing Stravinsky and drunk the cheapest ale in Britain, although not quite at the same time. Can a man ask for more?
The Scotsman, 3rd October 1998. 2002 was Manchester's year in a way no other has ever been. Central to it all was the big, beautiful Commonwealth Games which grew from a triumphant opening ceremony into one of the biggest parties Britain had ever thrown. But 2002 was also about bricks and mortar. In a spate of about six months, this little lot arrived: Manchester Art Gallery, Urbis, Imperial War Museum North, City of Manchester Stadium, National Squash Centre, the Indoor Tennis Centre, Piccadilly Gardens, Cathedral Gardens, Cathedral Visitors Centre, Selfridges and Piccadilly Station. That's around two decades of new build and refurbishment in a twentieth of the time.So in 2003 what will Manchester be doing - taking a breather? Not a bit of it. As well as the usual festivities, the city hosted, in May, the European Cup Final - the biggest club football game on the globe, and in August the huge Gay and Lesbian event, Europride, will be held here. There will also be the 150th year of Manchester's formal recognition as a city to celebrate plus the centenary of the Suffragette Movement set up in Manchester in 1903. The result of events such as these and the new buildings is that Manchester has become easy for the visitor. It has come of age again, after years of stagnation in the '70's and '80s. No longer need we defer to the past. We've always had good stuff, it's just now we provide huge variety as well. The ability of a city to fulfil most recreational expectations for residents and locals alike and to do this to modern standards makes a huge difference - particularly to the people who live here. The only responsibility citizens have is to keep the momentum going.Manchester
You couldn't be anywhere else in the world. This guide will help you get your bearings and understand the place.
Whether you wish to taste the food and the drink, sample the sights and museums, dip into the art and the architecture, enjoy the music and the theatre or get involved with the sport, you will find something to entertain you. On any given day of the year across this conurbation of two and a half million people there is activity to delight the visitor.
You've reached a place on the move. This is the city that combines the cultured with the brash, the cheap with the expensive. It can be contrary and wayward or benign and gentle. The whole place zings with fascinating tensions and contradictions. It always has.
Aerial view of the City
All cities run on accelerated time, places constantly open and close, so it is advisable to contact your destination ahead of any visit to avoid disappointment.
All the opening times, addresses, etc., have been checked and double checked but some will no doubt change over time.
Any visitor to Manchester should also purchase a copy of City Life, the sister magazine to this guide, which provides the only fully comprehensive listings for the city, including pop, classical, clubs, theatre, sport, comedy, cinema and much more. There's also features on all aspects of contemporary Manchester, from current affairs to lifestyle.
Food and drink lovers should also grab a copy of the annual City Life Food & Drink Guide, a comprehensive guide to 250 of the best restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes and delicatessens in and around Manchester.
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