Manchester is a fantastic city. It is a vibrant place, constantly bustling with activity, from great nightlife to restaurants to art exhibitions, theatre performances and live music events.  

Manchester is known for its iconic music scene, with legendary artists like Joy Division and New Order, Oasis, The Stone Roses, Take That and The 1975, among others, originating here. Manchester is built for live music. There are many great bars and gig spaces around the city, particularly in Northern Quarter, where you can catch music from fantastic up-and-coming local bands. Night-n-Day Café is a great place to see a smaller, intimate gig. Manchester also attracts bigger bands from across the globe, with Albert Hall, Manchester Academy and New Century being just some of the many venues under Manchester’s belt. 

Manchester’s artistic culture is pronounced. Home theatre in Deansgate shows a variety of interesting films and theatrical productions. Salford’s Lowry Theatre and Deansgate’s Royal Exchange Theatre are great places to watch innovative productions, and the Palace Theatre on Oxford Road shows some of the biggest productions on today, including Hamilton. You can also view fascinating art exhibitions at Manchester Art Gallery and Whitworth Art Gallery, or glimpse local history at Manchester’s Science and Technology Museum and its People’s History Museum. 

Personally, I live in Withington, and have for three-years. I love South Manchester, which has great communities such as Didsbury and Chorlton. These places offer unique vibes, with great charity shops, pubs, restaurants and more. There are also some fantastic green spaces in this part of the city. Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens in Didsbury is a real standout and leads to a fantastic walking and running route along the River Mersey, which connects to Chorlton and Sale Water Parks, both of which provide fantastic sunbathing spots in warmer weather. It’s also only about a 30-minute train ride from Manchester Piccadilly the Peak District, with places like Edale offering some stunning walks. 

Manchester is a great place to study, with the ornate John Rylands Library and the vast study rooms of Manchester Central Library coupling nicely with reliable spaces on campus like Main Library and the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons. There are also many lovely cafés to study in dotted around the city, including Chapter One books in Northern Quarter, Takk and Café Nero (above Blackwell’s Book Shop) on campus, and Fuel in Withington (a personal favourite, which doubles up as a great bar and veggie restaurant). 

Manchester is a very inclusive city, with a fantastic sense of community and flourishing diversity. Manchester is a great space for LGBTQ+ people, with a vibrant history that is celebrated throughout the year through Pride events, from the massive Manchester Pride on Canal Street to smaller community Pride events in places like Didsbury, Chorlton and Withington. Canal street consistently offers phenomenal drag shows and fantastic nights out all through the year. 

I would thoroughly recommend studying in Manchester. It has a rich history and is always moving forward, ready and waiting to welcome new residents. I feel very lucky to call Manchester my home. 

Written by Elliot Cousins, a Modern and Contemporary Literature MA student

Related