Manchester, does it 'deliver' IYO?

Affable

OK, Manchester is somewhere I've always kind of hyped in my mind, yes when I went there it was special, the suburbs strecth out majestically if not grimly and the city is intimate and lively. I guess I was just taken aback by how small the city centre actually is, maybe it wasn't full exploration, but I nearly got into Salford, Ardwick and Ancoats, so I must have been near the border. It has got that special northen feel I guess but it's not really like how it was I guess. I don't know the people much though. I just wanted to get into it more but everyone local tells me it's a dump, it's awful, crime etc.
I did feel atmospheric in a way that London doesn't, it had a slightly melancholic, set in the past feel, still lively though. Yes I am a nerd for all it's folklore and culture. So, do you get the magic? Special place? Let-down? good for a visit? Good to live?

Affable

Dunno if theres better places to put it

fkt

Awful place, awful people, awful football clubs. Seriously, the locals who live there and say it's a dump are right. Highest crime rate in the UK too.

Stay away.

Affable

fkt wrote: »

Awful place, awful people, awful football clubs. Seriously, the locals who live there and say it's a dump are right. Highest crime rate in the UK too.

Stay away.

Where are you from? Why do you say that? Sounds a tad dismissive

center15

Been to Manchester for 2 days and loved it. Don't think it's the sort of place you'd go for a week or anything

fkt

Affable wrote: »

Where are you from? Why do you say that? Sounds a tad dismissive

I'm from Tipperary, why is that relevant?

I say that because it's my opinion from experience. If you want to take a break in England, there's many better places to go.

kindalen

in general i find manchester an empty city without much soul. it has all the generic uk shops/pubs etc... i have been there many times and i might as well be in any other northern city in the uk. very liitle to set it apart. depending on what you like for a uk city break i would say look to chester/liverpool/london.

Affable

fkt wrote: »

I'm from Tipperary, why is that relevant?

I say that because it's my opinion from experience. If you want to take a break in England, there's many better places to go.

Just curious. OK.

silverside

The people are sound enough but its dog rough once you leave the centre and there's not much scenic about the city centre. I wouldnt bother. If you just want a place for a piss up its ok.

Liverpool at least has the city of culture thing, Bristol is quite scenic with the suspension bridge and west country vibe.

TBH I would bypass the whole North of England (unless you know people there) and either see London or Glasgow/Highlands/Edinburgh, some stunning scenery there (and love the Scottish accent !)

MagicMarker

Was in Manchester once, the place is a fúcking dump.

Women are crazah hot though.

Xavi6

I've been to Manchester countless times to watch football (City fan) and shop and I love the city. I'd nearly consider it a 2nd European home I've been there that often and know my way around very well. Admittedly there isn't a whole lot to it but it is a good spot to go for a weekend, much like the rest of the UK's big cities.

Of course it has its dodgy areas (where doesn't), and walking through Moss Side after dark is quite the experience when you're a kid!

As for the question about whether it delivers or not, if you have an idea of what it's about before you go there then it's great. However if you set your expectations high then you probably will be a bit disappointed.

Affable

Xavi6 wrote: »

I've been to Manchester countless times to watch football (City fan) and shop and I love the city. I'd nearly consider it a 2nd European home I've been there that often and know my way around very well. Admittedly there isn't a whole lot to it but it is a good spot to go for a weekend, much like the rest of the UK's big cities.

Of course it has its dodgy areas (where doesn't), and walking through Moss Side after dark is quite the experience when you're a kid!

As for the question about whether it delivers or not, if you have an idea of what it's about before you go there then it's great. However if you set your expectations high then you probably will be a bit disappointed.

Yup. Where doesn't indeed? London has those places, and lesser known places do. I fear it may be exaggerated. I mean, people even get beaten up in Cambridge and it has council estates but I've avoided any trouble here. Theres not much to it in the middel but thats part of the charm IMO, it's got a city/village kind of feel and the outskirts, grtr manc. are massive. For me I'm just curious what it'd be like to live there. Like people say the people are less ignorant, dunno if that true, or what the ambition and schools etc are like there.

silverside

from my limited experience, you'd get bottles thrown at you from first floor windows for no particular reason, then meet loads of bang-on people, in a city that feels a bit like Dublin in the early nineties (rough-and-ready).

fkt

Alot of people probably do just recognise Manchester for stags, apart from the glory hunting united fans of course. But, I know lads who've gone their on stags over there and wouldn't go back, it's pretty average. I know of one group who had a few drunken mancs have a go at them, so they went out. They went to a club next door and weren't let in because they were the "Irish lads".

My view isn't tainted from that though, from my experience it's just not a nice place.

Blackpool, Liverpool are better if you want to stay up North. Nicer people, better for stags.

Again, my experience, my opinion.

Affable

silverside wrote: »

from my limited experience, you'd get bottles thrown at you from first floor windows for no particular reason, then meet loads of bang-on people, in a city that feels a bit like Dublin in the early nineties (rough-and-ready).

Yeah, friendly nice people goes along with rough. Probably a bit more interesting than the boring south-east tbh.

Bottles thrown at you, literally? More than once?

Savman

I've been to Manchester dozens of times, never a single problem. Quite a cool place in fact. If you really want to believe people go around throwing bottles at tourists then you need your head examined.

I've been to footie games and loadsa concerts too, definitely a great city...but it's not a patch on Tipperary :rolleyes:

fkt

Savman wrote: »

I've been to Manchester dozens of times, never a single problem. Quite a cool place in fact. If you really want to believe people go around throwing bottles at tourists then you need your head examined.

I've been to footie games and loadsa concerts too, definitely a great city...but it's not a patch on Tipperary :rolleyes:

haha priceless. Did I say this hellhole I live in is better?

silverside

since you asked, well the bottles were being thrown in the general direction of the group i was with, while walking down the street to a club, from a gurriers party in a first floor flat, i didnt really count how many. I didnt take it personally

another pub I passed felt like it was for slightly mentally disabled people and/or inbreds.

Anyway dont want to be too hard on Mancs , its not a bad place.

Affable

silverside wrote: »

since you asked, well the bottles were being thrown in the general direction of the group i was with, while walking down the street to a club, from a gurriers party in a first floor flat, i didnt really count how many. I didnt take it personally

another pub I passed felt like it was for slightly mentally disabled people and/or inbreds.

Anyway dont want to be too hard on Mancs , its not a bad place.

Thats everywhere though-there are pubs like that in Cambridge

ncmc

TBH I would bypass the whole North of England (unless you know people there)

York is a lovely city, historical and attractive and a nice size for a weekend visit.