Manchester is one of the largest and most important cities in the UK. The Greater Manchester metropolitan area is made up of as many as 10 boroughs, of which the most important is definitely the City of Manchester. On one hand the city centre, on the other a ceremonial borough, it consists of several pretty notable areas. The following guide describes several of the most interesting among them.
Important places in the City of Manchester
The character of Manchester is defined by the following pretty notable areas:
- Ardwick – located just a mile to the south east of the city centre, Ardwick is a district with predominantly residential functions and a population estimated to be 19 250 by the last census. In relation to the 2002 Commonwealth Games that were held in the neighbouring Eastlands, there were many redevelopments and updates that were carried out in the area sooner than other places in the City of Manchester. The Art Deco Manchester Apollo is one of the most popular pop and rock venues in the city.
- Blackley is a district that is to be found right on the meander of the River Irk. The district has several pretty notable landmarks. One is the Boggart Hole Clough, a county park with many walks in nature. Blackley Forest is a Site of Biological Importance. Heaton Park covers some 650 acres and contains the Grade II listed Heaton Hall. Blackley is indeed the greenest district in central Manchester.
- Moss Side is another place in the City of Manchester where you are going to find some of the best open green spaces in the metropolitan area. Those are Alexandra Park and Whitworth Park. Moss Side contains probably the most eco-friendly area in Manchester today too – this is the development around Bowes Street, which contains 150 houses with solar panels, water butts, thermal “skin” insulation and sun pipes, which were put on the market in 2011.
- New Islington – based in the M4 district of Central Manchester, New Islington used to be part of Lancashire. The original development of the area took place in the 1840s, when the name was recorded for the first time too. It is one of the seven Millennium Communities Programme areas, which means that there is a lot of funding being directed to the purpose of regenerating the whole area, making it one of the finest places to live in the City of Manchester at the current moment. The district is also home to the New Islington Free School.
- Newtown Heath – is an area that has very strong connections with one of the most famous football clubs in the world. We are of course talking about Manchester United F.C. It was the birthplace of Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club. Later in their history the two clubs merged and became the football club that we know today. Additionally, Newton Heath is home to landmarks such as Philips Park and cemetery and Brookdale Park, the All Saints Church, which dates back to 1556 – the oldest structure in the district, and of course Culcheth Hall, once owned by the Byron family (the same one Lord Byron was a member of).
Northenden is the best example of a suburban development on the territory of the City of Manchester. It benefits greatly from its great location near the city centre, and is currently home to as many as 14 771 people according to the last census. Church of St Wilfrid, a grade II* listed structure, the pretty large Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall and the nature reserve around the River Mersey that goes through Northernden, a great place for fishing, are among the best landmarks in the area.- If you want to live in the City of Manchester, but you still would prefer to be away from the stress and strain of the city centre, then you should definitely check out Parrs Wood, a small residential community that boasts a relatively tiny shopping area and has a number of good transport links.
- Belle Vue– is another pretty fine residential area in the City. Among other things, the area is notable for being home to one of the biggest zoos and amusement parks in Manchester. After it was opened in 1832, the park grew quickly and managed to start attracting nearly 2 000 000 people annually. Unfortunately it closed down in 1972.