Is Manchester what it's cracked up to be?

Ever since I read the MOJO Manchester issue, I couldn't get the idea of going to Manc out of my head. I told this to other users earlier, but they said it's not worth it and that I should rent some gangster movies to get a good picture of today's northern England? Is it worth it going there? Any advice will be appreciated.

I don't want to diss Manchester as I've never been there myself but someone I know here went there for the cricket a couple of years ago. Wasn't real kind about poor old Manchester but hey, what do cricket fans know? :)

I've been back stateside for two weeks and I miss Manc like mad. Lived there for several years and absolutely loved it. Big city, but not too big, and the people are great. As far as Manchester being gangland I don't know, I didn't really have trouble even if I was on my own at night. Maybe I just didn't go to the right clubs!

There's not a lot in terms of sights there though, so it's probably not a place to spend your whole trip. But it'd be well worth it to take it in and hit some of the local pubs and clubs.

i dont live in manchester but nearby enough to go there for a few drinks sometimes in the centre.a few rough lookers around but people there are always really great and i have never had a problem.good shops,pubs,restaurants.venues,gigs etc.i know some of the out of centre area's are dodgy of course but it has fucking 6 WETHERSPOONS,which is nice but wether it can cope with a cozzie night out is debatable though

It's ok, but I dunno what all the fuss is, it is clearly overated.

Like most places in the world, it’s easy to visit Manchester and not see what all the fuss is about. It’s possible to walk around a city all day and not see the things that make it great.

There’s a bit in the Comic Strip film ‘Mr Jolly Lives Next Door’ where the main characters are duping a Japanese tourist by giving him a guided tour of London. “Look! Dick Turpin”, they shout as a man in a black cape rides past on a bike. They point at a large man with a cigar: “Winston Churchill”.

Manchester has some of the best shops in the world, a couple of excellent museums, great restaurants and fine pubs. The best a visitor could do is to find and enjoy them. To appreciate the real beauty of Manchester, you have to live there for a while, get to know people and find out where they go. There’s an enormous diversity of people and lifestyles within a few miles of the centre, from the hard estates to the posh apartments to the leafy suburbs, and everyone needs a place to go out. The best of in Manchester’s nightlife has always reflected this diversity – people of all cultures and social backgrounds coming together to enjoy the type of night that they enjoy.

The result of this has always been that the types of night out reflect the tastes of the people, rather being imposed by expectations based on the social mix of the people inside. The rave scene was the epitome of this, with posh kids and rough kids and black kids and white kids just getting on with enjoying themselves rather than worrying about where they came from or what they do for a living.

That’s what Manchester means to me, anyway.

And some of the gangs are very well organised.

Its like everywhere else. Its got great pubs,clubs (if you know where to go),its got better shops than Liverpool by a mile-i know this because i live in the north and have been to both hundreds of times,and doubt i`d bother shopping in Liverpool again. The city centre is no cleaner/dirtier than anywhere else. Its a lot like London really,a mix of new and old buildings.

If you live down south,or north of the border i would say its not worth the long drive to visit,its got nothing London hasn`t. If you want somwhere that looks nice and has a bit of history-aswell as good bars,shops and everything else,Chester is probably a better choice.

A good film set in Manchester about crime and suchlike is called Hell is a City, black and white, really fantastic. Like anywhere, you just have to know what to look for. What kind of things are you interested in? There is absolutely loads of history here but of the industrial/victorian kind mostly. If you do decide to come, any Manc nooler will be happy to show you around.

[magenta]shedmonite61[/magenta] wrote: ...I should rent some gangster movies to get a good picture of today's northern England?

North-Western, actually.

The TV series Cracker is set in Manchester, you may be able to find that on DVD. Good car chases around the centre. And Queer as Folk had great footage of some of the gay pubs and clubs. Stuggling to think of a gang film that's set there. There's been quite a few set in Liverpool (that one with Robert Carlyle was set there?) and Holyoaks is set in Cheshire.

There are some excellent books about Manchester's gang culture - I read a brilliant one last year quite surprised at how many people I knew were in it!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053900/

All this Gunchester stuff is totally outdated. Manchester is definitely less crime ridden, per captita, than somewhere like Nottingham,although that doesn't mean you should walk around by yourself at night.

sweetness wrote: I've been back stateside for two weeks and I miss Manc like mad. Lived there for several years and absolutely loved it. Big city, but not too big, and the people are great. As far as Manchester being gangland I don't know, I didn't really have trouble even if I was on my own at night. Maybe I just didn't go to the right clubs!

There's not a lot in terms of sights there though, so it's probably not a place to spend your whole trip. But it'd be well worth it to take it in and hit some of the local pubs and clubs.

Manchester's a fine city, marvellous mix of architecture. Urbis looks amazing bathed in sunlight. And there's the Filmworks with the best IMAX cinema in Britain.

I have a query about Ohio. Have you heard of, or perhaps seen, a 1940s movie (with William Powell/Myrna Loy?) where the guy sings this line about the state: "It's round on the ends and hi in the middle, It's O-HI-O"? Been driving me mad trying to find out.

The gangster film set in Manchester is called Everybody Loves Sunshine. Its got David Bowie and drumnbass star Goldie in it. Its ok,nowhere in the Layer Cake league though.

Where's Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels set?

Al Jarvis wrote: There was a Brit gangster movie set in Newcastle, and featuring Sting,

Was he a baby in Get Carter?

Well I like it.

To be honest, you can have a great day drinking all over manchester, see a quality band more often than not, and usually theres some place to go after.

Although contart to what certain people say, I probably wouldnt show you around.

Comrade Shampanyov, Gentleman wrote: Where's Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels set?

You are fuckin joking?

Al Jarvis wrote:

[magenta]shedmonite61[/magenta] wrote: I should rent some gangster movies to get a good picture of today's northern England?

Are there any gangster movies which feature Manchester?! Can't think of one.

24 Hour Party People

[orange]steve[/orange][black]one[/black] wrote:

Comrade Shampanyov, Gentleman wrote: Where's Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels set?

You are fuckin joking?

Didn't bother to google it til after I asked.

Well it did have some Northern Monkeys...

Have been to Manchester a couple of times, its not the nicest of cities but it has its charm. Was there for the 4-0 humping by England at Old Trafford last year. Was in some rough tavern in Oldham Street after it. Canal Street was excellent though to be honest.

ChrissMari wrote:

Al Jarvis wrote:

[magenta]shedmonite61[/magenta] wrote: I should rent some gangster movies to get a good picture of today's northern England?

Are there any gangster movies which feature Manchester?! Can't think of one.

24 Hour Party People

That's the one that's formed my image of Manchester.

It's a fantastic city.I wouldn't live away from the place. What was it Morrissey said a couple of years back."It's sexy,the people are sexy (Ah thank you Moz)" The old imagery of Corrie's cobbled streets have been replaced by neon and tall modern glass towers. I've still to visit bars I've never tried.There's something for everyone,PRINTWORKS,Arndale Centre,Deansgate,Castlefield,Piccadilly. Wealth of good record shops,boutiques,Afflecks Palace,Urbis,restaurants,canals.Beginning to sound like a tour guide but the place is buzzing. Don't let a couple of knobheads put you off coming.

As my housemate just put it

"its better than fucking liverpool anyway"

Good advice from Monty there, Coz. Reconsidered, you should definitely go and see for yerself.

yes was about to withdraw that statement liam! i do think its one of those places that easy to love when you know it. imagine you might just turn up and think market street and piccadilly 21's was all there was. how depressing. So I'm happy to show visitors the best bits of my city as long as they aren't boring or weird.

Comrade Shampanyov, Gentleman wrote:

[orange]steve[/orange][black]one[/black] wrote:

Comrade Shampanyov, Gentleman wrote: Where's Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels set?

You are fuckin joking?

Didn't bother to google it til after I asked.

Well it did have some Northern Monkeys...

And some Southern fairies!

monty wrote: It's a fantastic city.I wouldn't live away from the place. What was it Morrissey said a couple of years back."It's sexy,the people are sexy (Ah thank you Moz)" The old imagery of Corrie's cobbled streets have been replaced by neon and tall modern glass towers. I've still to visit bars I've never tried.There's something for everyone,PRINTWORKS,Arndale Centre,Deansgate,Castlefield,Piccadilly. Wealth of good record shops,boutiques,Afflecks Palace,Urbis,restaurants,canals.Beginning to sound like a tour guide but the place is buzzing. Don't let a couple of knobheads put you off coming.

PRINTWORKS??? and DEANSGATE??

i.e., where to go if you want to get fucked with by a drunken scallie looking for a fight

Afflecks is full of children trying to be something they aren't and the arndale centre is just filthy.

I love manchester but when I see it's "good points" laid out like above, I wonder if New York isn't more then place for me.

Monty, what are you on? The Printworks is a shithole. Complete Magnet for the scum of the earth.

Although saying that, Puressence in the Hard Rock Cafe there was quite good.

Nope!

But........i'm on a massive LDN tip at the moment!

i think he was saying there is something for eveyone- so the printworks might not be your taste (or mine) but it is for someone. if it takes all the fools out of the nice places then I'm happy.

Always had a great time when visiting Manchester meself. My cousin Angela is involved in the promotion of The City of Manchester as it goes,working with people like Peter Saville..She's due a dinner meeting with Tony Wilson this month she tells me.She said she'll email and tell me what he's doing with himself these days..She's a big Manchester music scene fan,and invites me and our kid down for gigs.. We all went to Move 2002 to see New Order at the Cricket ground....Tho interestingly,she did tell me that what they doing now,is still trying to move the place on from the Hacienda scene,so they are'nt stuck on the past too much!

I said I'd prefer they dwelt on that scene personally!:D

Guess Manchester is more "Cutting It" than "Coro" these days.

I went to Manchester for the first time in a few years recently and I don't like how it has changed. There are lots of new buildings which are big and shiny but that's what new buildings in lots of places are usually like and I don't really want cities to become barely distinguishable from each other. Walking around I felt as if could be walking in any one of a handful of British cities or London in the late 1980's.

In the early 1990's Manchester and (to a lesser extent) Leeds seemed like cities that could be an alternative to London and challenge the established ways of doing things. Nowadays I don't think of them as potential alternatives to London: they have become imitations of London. They are being regenerated but they are also being transformed into something more conformist and in the long run what will be lost is a culture that is distinct from and in opposition to the corporate mainstream which will find it even harder to take root and grow.

Maybe I'm just an old leftie who is still waiting for the glorious day when the old enemy will be overthrown. Then again maybe I'm just someone who doesn't want to be bourgeois or accept that shit happens so you might as well join the massive shit fight. However, whatever I am I don't expect any significant changes to come from Manchester any more.

ChrissMari wrote:

monty wrote: It's a fantastic city.I wouldn't live away from the place. What was it Morrissey said a couple of years back."It's sexy,the people are sexy (Ah thank you Moz)" The old imagery of Corrie's cobbled streets have been replaced by neon and tall modern glass towers. I've still to visit bars I've never tried.There's something for everyone,PRINTWORKS,Arndale Centre,Deansgate,Castlefield,Piccadilly. Wealth of good record shops,boutiques,Afflecks Palace,Urbis,restaurants,canals.Beginning to sound like a tour guide but the place is buzzing. Don't let a couple of knobheads put you off coming.

PRINTWORKS??? and DEANSGATE??

i.e., where to go if you want to get fucked with by a drunken scallie looking for a fight

Afflecks is full of children trying to be something they aren't and the arndale centre is just filthy.

I love manchester but when I see it's "good points" laid out like above, I wonder if New York isn't more then place for me.

Oh I love New York!Though I did find myself taxi-ing around for bars in Manhattan,with the exception of Greenwich Village. Going back to the Arndale,It's changed a lot in the last few years.It used to look like a lavatory for years before the IRA did some renovations to it. Now it's been completely redeveloped,with yet another new section of it opening near NEXT. What's wrong with Deansgate and Printworks? I know Printworks isn't exactly cheap,particularly Hard Rock Cafe,but it's still a good collection of pubs,clubs and restaurants under one roof.

It's full of shit shit and more shit, oh Manchester is full of shit.

Seriously, it's alright. I'm sure are old friend Marty might take a few exceptions to the modern developements but if decent places to shop and eat or drink make a city worth visiting, you could do worse. It retains a vibrant atmosphere, and you don't seem to get much bother in any of the places I've drank in. That said I wouldn't want to broadcast my accent in a chippy full of Mancs. There's been a few very nasty attacks on Liverpudlians in recent times. I'm sure they'd say the same about Liverpool, if they had an accent it was possible to distinguish from any other northern mill town.