THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN MANCHESTER
Since the
IRA bombing of Manchester in 1996, a large portion of the
City Centre has been rebuilt. This includes:
The world's largest
Marks & Spencer store
Printworks - includes
IMAX cinema and
Hard Rock Cafe
Water Features
Sculpture
Relocated
Olde-Worlde pubs
Other features in the
City Centre include beautiful
architecture,
statues, a completely overhauled
waterway cafe-bar district along the
rivers used in the
Industrial Revolution, Chinatown, and a huge
commercial district. Much of the area is being redeveloped for the Manchester 2002
Commonwealth Games.
Outside the City Centre, places of note include
Rusholme (as mentioned above),
Didsbury (known for it's
parks and nightlife),
Fallowfield (
students and cheap pubs),
Moss Side (
crime and
Manchester City FC),
Trafford (
Salford Quays waterway development and
Manchester United FC), and many, many others of highly varied atmospheres and states of repair.
For the
casual tourist, I would recommend sticking to the centre as there is so much to experience there, but if you're staying for a while, be sure to visit some of the
suburbs to get a real feel for the place.