MANCHESTER HOTEL DEALS

MANCHESTER BREAKS

A major city in Northwest England, Manchester is considered by some as England’s second city. This metropolitan borough is noted to be a center of the arts and media and is well-known all throughout for its sporting connections, being home to Manchester City and Manchester United football clubs as well as the Lancashire County Cricket Club.

Named from the old Roman name Mamuciam and the Old English ceaster, the city of Manchester is known throughout as The Cotton City because the during the Industrial Revolution the city produced mainly textiles. Manchester is also referred to as The Rainy City due to its high levels of precipitation but more popularly Manchester has developed the title ‘Madchester’ brought about by the city’s notorious music scene.

Manchester has long since shed its image of being an industrial wasteland. Abandoned warehouses were transformed to sleek new loft apartments and museums has turned up from what had been piled up rustic equipment on salvage yards. Even Manchester’s old Victorian architecture got an image boost. Manchester overall, exhibited a gritty kind of appeal.

The city’s attractions include Castlefield, Manchester’s historic core, the place where the city had its origins. Local authorities have designated Castlefield recently as an urban heritage park.

When your ears are craving to hear classical music, Manchester has two symphony orchestras, the Halle Orchestra and the BBC Orchestra. Manchester also has a chamber orchestra named the Manchester Camerata.

Bridgewater Hall is one of England’s most technically advanced venues for classical music and lectures as well as being home to the Halle Orchestra.

Those who wish to study music can find great musical education in Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham’s School of Music.

When it comes to the music scene, Manchester is always interesting and vibrant. The most popular music venue in Manchester is Manchester Evening News Arena, the largest arena of its type in Europe which can seat over 21,000 people.

Manchester is also well known for its excellent theaters like Manchester Opera House, the city’s commercial theater, the Library Theater, a small producing theater located in the city’s central library’s basement. Another large touring venue is the Lowry in Salford and Studio Salford, Manchester Evening News-award winning theater and music venue.

Shopping at Manchester makes for a great experience with Manchester’s two large shopping malls, Manchester Arndale and Trafford Center. The city has a number of smaller shopping centers as well the likes of which are the Triangle and the Royal Exchange Center.

Market Street is Manchester’s main shopping district forming the core of the city’s centre retail area.

If you’re looking to shop at a variety of high-end designer boutiques, you can visit The Shambles which has a branch of Harvey Nichols, Marks and Spencer and a branch of Selfridges and other designer shops.

Deansgate is also a great place for great buys which includes the House of Fraser department store as well as pubs and bars. Another affluent shopping area is King Street where you can buy exclusive fashion brands.

Food and drink is what Manchester also excels in. The city has an exciting range of bars, clubs and restaurants covering from the famous curry mile to traditional grub in Rusholme. There are also modern bars and bistros at Deansgate Locks located in the city center, a Hard Rock Café and Starbucks coffee chain and Wagamama chain restaurants for you to try a different scene and taste each day of your vacation.

Manchester’s club and music scene will surely sweep you up your feet beginning with The Attic which offers the best of both worlds; a relaxing pub downstairs named the Thirsty Scholar and upstairs, a funk/soul club called the Attic where you can dance the night away to reggae, house music and techno.

When it comes to great tasting beer, Manchester rings a bell. If you are looking to spend your night in something out of the ordinary, visit Peveril of the Peak, a 380 year-old triangular building covered in tile from rock to bottom where you can enjoy a pint of Theakston’s Best Bitter, Yorkshire Terrier, or Webster’s Best Bitter.

From day to night, you will surely have your hands full with all that Manchester has to offer. You will never get enough with just one visit in this vibrant and exciting city.

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