Timeout. Photo © Hannah Louise Fashion
I’m a fashion blogger, so my short guide to Manchester begins with my favourite places to buy clothes, shoes and music. (We’ll move on to the bars and free activities later.)
1. Central and Trafford Centre
The city is great for shopping; if you’re looking for high street then Topshop, H&M, River Island and Primark are all within short distances of each other in the Arndale Centre or on Market Street . Note that Manchester’s American Apparel is now tucked away in Piccadilly train station.
Alternatively, head a little way out of town (a 20-minute bus journey) to the Trafford Centre for a similar experience all under one roof. The Centre’s just half a mile from the Travelodge Trafford Park, if you’re staying in the west. And it’s open late into the evening.
Clothes heaven. Photo © zhudifeng
For a little more luxury, Manchester has a large Selfridges and a Harvey Nichols, alongside other high-end boutiques like Burberry and 7 For All Mankind on New Cathedral Street.
2. Northern Quarter vintage
My personal favourite shopping in Manchester comes in the form of the vintage shops and indie boutiques in the Northern Quarter – try Pop Boutique, Cow or Ryan Vintage, and for a really classic bit of Manchester’s alternative culture explore Affleck’s Palace.
For great branded menswear go to Oi Polloi on Thomas Street and the Carhartt store, and for vintage go to Bionic 7 – all in the NQ!
3. Music and books
I also like to stop by art bookshop Magma (good for gifts too) and record shops like Vinyl Exchange on Oldham Street and Piccadilly Records from time to time; with Manchester’s rich musical heritage, they aren’t short of some real gems.
Crate digging. Photo © DutchScenery
4. Meals and coffee
Once you’ve got your new clothes, you’ll probably want to show them off at one of Manchester’s many places to eat.
I’m vegetarian and Manchester has a few great veggie spots – I love Teatime Collective in Hulme for lunch, and Sanskruti serves the most delicious vegetarian and vegan curries.
Dough is good for vegan pizza (they do regular pizzas too!), plus there’s V Revolution down the road from Vinyl Exchange for vegan junk food, and Lotus for vegan-friendly Chinese.
If you’re a carnivore, check out meat joints like Red’s True BBQ and Almost Famous.
North Tea Power, Takk and Grindsmith are great spots for a good coffee. Or if you want to Instagram your tea and cake check out Home Sweet Home and Teacup.
5. Drinks
The Northern Quarter is home to loads of bars for evening activities.
Pool and more. Photo © gpointstudio
Try Dusk Til Pawn or The Fitzgerald for a fancy cocktail and GBA, Soup Kitchen or 2022 for something casual.
GBA’s open till 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, Soup Kitchen’s known for cask ales, while 2022’s got pool tables.
6. Free activities
After shopping, eating and partying, relax with some free activities like the recently reopened Whitworth Gallery or the Manchester Art Gallery in the city centre. Or head to the University Museum on Oxford Road for all things science and history.
A visit to the refurbished Central Library and Town Hall is also a must for the pretty architecture. And from there it’s a short walk to Chinatown and the Gay Village along Canal Street, for some different cultural sides to Manchester (and more great food, bars and clubs).
Travelodge has several Manchester hotels near the centre of town, from which it’s just a short walk or bus ride to most of these places. Public transport in the city includes buses, trains and bikes, so you’ll find it easy to get around.
