From Wikitravel

North Central Manchester covers the area in central Manchester north of Picadilly Gardens and east of Quay St and Peter St. It covers the locals of the Millennium Quarter, Deansgate, Albert square and St Ann's Square as well as the newly developed business district of Spinningfields.

After the devastation of the 1996 IRA bombing, the area around Exchange Square has been completely redesigned and rebuilt as the Millennium Quarter. The square itself is a juxtaposition of Manchester's industrial heritage with the height of modern art and architecture. The ultra-modern Urbis centre stands side-by-side with the medieval Cathedral and the renovated Triangle shopping centre, once Manchester's corn exchange.

Deansgate is like the spine of Manchester, a mile-long perfectly-straight road that joins the site of Roman Mamucium in Castlefield to the site of Medieval Manchester at the Cathedral, connecting all the districts of the city centre together. About half way along Deansgate is the beginnings of Manchester's new business district, Spinningfields, which is mostly building sites at the moment, but by 2007 will be an impressive district of open spaces and glass-fronted buildings.

St Ann's Square is the centre of Manchester's main shopping district. It is usually packed with shoppers and usually the odd one or two street entertainers. The Council holds many events in the square, including specialist markets and musical events.

[edit] Get in

[edit][add listing] See

• Manchester Cathedral, Cathedral Yard (Visitor Centre at 10 Cateaton Street, around the corner), ph: (0161) 835 4030 (email: peter.mellor@manchestercathedral.com; fax: 0161 834 5397), [1]. Cathedral M-F 8AM-7PM, Sa 8AM-5PM, Su 8.30AM-7.30PM, check web site for service times and events; Visitor Centre M-Sa 10AM-4.30PM, Su 11.30AM-4PM. One of the few surviving medieval buildings in Manchester, the cathedral is a beautiful dark Gothic building inside and out. In recent years it has acquired a modern interactive Visitor Centre built around the excavations of the medieval Hanging Bridge with an excellent licensed restaurant and gift shop. Entry to all attractions is free.

• Chetham's School of Music & Library, Long Millgate, ph: (0161) 834 7961 (email:librarian@chethams.org.uk; fax: 0161 839 5797), [2]. Library M-F 9AM-12.30PM, 1.30-4.30PM, closed Bank Holidays, call in advance; School closed to general public. Chetham's is an independent private school of music and public library housed in the medieval priests' college next to the Cathedral. The library is the oldest public English library in the world. It is possible to look round without an appointment, but if you want to take a look at any of the collection, you will need to arrange this with the librarian beforehand. Free.

• Urbis, Cathedral Gardens, ph: (0161) 605 8200 (email:info@urbis.org.uk), [3]. Tu-Su 10AM-6PM, also open Bank Holidays. Manchester's museum of urban life, housed in a dramatic green glass tower in the Cathedral Gardens. Telling the story of the development of the modern city globally, Urbis also gives a history of the growth of Manchester, providing plenty of information on living conditions in the notorious Angel Meadows which were visited by Freidreich Engels when he began to formulate the theory of communism, as well as the story of Manchester's many immigrant communities over the last 200 years. It also gives visitors that chance to consider the problems of city life and leave a note of their solution. The glass diagonal elevator offers great views over the city. Free (charges apply for temporary exhibitions).

• John Rylands Library, Deansgate, [4]. After closing for refurbishment, the John Rylands Library is now open to the public. It now has access to all floors and a new entrance and cafe to the side of the building on Spinningfields. The John Rylands library is a beautifully-dark Gothic archive bang in the middle of the new business district. It is home to a number of special collections, many of which are now on display including the celebrated St. Johns Fragment, Papyrus P52 - possibly the oldest piece of the New Testament in existence. The library's magnificent Reading Room has been opened up so visitors are free to wander around it. There is also a exhibition floor which shows off some of the jewels of the collection. Don't confuse this library with John Rylands University Library, which is the library at the university and is not at all interesting (or open) to tourists.

• The Opera House, Quay Street, ☎ 0161 828 1700. Cut price Palace. edit

• People's History Museum, The Pump House, Bridge Street, 0161 839 6061 (email: info@peopleshistorymuseum.org.uk; fax: 0161 839 6027), [5]. Tu-Su and Bank Holidays 11AM-4.30PM. This little museum down by the river on the border of Manchester and Salford aims to document the way that the lives of ordinary people have developed since the industrial revolution. The museum owns many artefacts and documentation from the history of socialism in Britain, not least the building where the Trades Union Congress held its first meeting, on Princess Street, which it now uses as a public archive. Free.

• Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square, 0161 234 5000, [6]. M-F 9AM-5PM, call in advance to make sure. This imposing and beautiful neo-Gothic masterpiece by Alfred Waterhouse is the official headquarters of Manchester City Council, but its job is largely ceremonial now, most of the offices having moved to the more practical extension next door. The Town Hall shows the power Manchester commanded during the peak of the Industrial Revolution with its grand rooms and lavish decoration, including the famous Madox Murals in the Great Hall. Free entry, a small fee for guided tours.

• Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, 0161 235 8888 (fax: 0161 235 8899), [7]. T-Su 10AM-5PM and bank holidays except Christmas, New Year and Good Friday. The principal wing is the work of Sir Charles Barry, also architect of the House of Parliament. Manchester's central art gallery is home to a huge collection of 19th Century and earlier works, including paintings by Canaletto, Constable, Turner and Burne-Jones, as well as more complete collections by other artists. It has also been home to a number of original exhibitions over the last few years, and the city's own art from all ages is well-represented within. there are important collections of world ceramics and English silver. Free.

• Central Library & Theatre, St Peter's Square, 0161 234 1900, [8]. Department opening hours vary, see web site. You can't miss this striking circular neo-Classical building when passing through St Peter's Square. It's worth a few minutes of your time inside to see how the circular theme is carried on throughout, especially in the beautiful social-sciences library on the first floor. The Henry Watson music library was the place of re-discovery of the manuscripts of Vivaldi's celebrated 'Manchester' concerti. The library has its own theatre company, who perform regularly in the basement theatre. Free.

• St Mary's The Hidden Gem, Mulberry Street (go through an ugly concrete building in Lincoln Square - it really is the hidden gem), [9]. M-W,F 8AM-4PM, Th 8AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 10AM-2PM (services M-F 12.30PM, Sa 12noon and 5.15PM, Su 10.15AM and 12noon). This little traditional Catholic church dates from 1794, making it the oldest purpose-built post-Reformation Catholic church in England. It is an active church, with the largest congregation of any of the city-centre churches in Manchester. Inside is a modern Stations of the Cross by Norman Adams that is considered one of the greatest works of art in Manchester. Please remember that this is a place of Roman Catholic worship: modest dress is expected and photography is forbidden. The church is closed to tourists during services. Free.

• St Ann's Church, St Ann Street, (verger) 0161 834 0239 (parish office email: elindsay@fish.co.uk), [10]. Su-Sa daytime, check web site for service times. St Ann's Church is the main parish church of Manchester and one of only two surviving Medieval churches in the city centre (the other is the cathedral). It is also a venue for many sacred and secular classical music events. A small shop selling books and gifts is open at all times except during services. Free.

• Royal Exchange, St Ann's Square, ☎ 0161 833 9833, [11]. Mo-Sa 9.30 AM - Late (depending on length of evening's performance). The neo-classical Royal Exchange was the commercial heart of Manchester's and therefore the world's cotton trade. The main trading hall, essentially a neo-Roman basilica was at one time the largest commercial room in the world. It fell into disuse in the 1960s, but was rescued in the 1970s by the restoration of the building and the addition of an ultra-modern theatre in-the-round for Sir Robert D.H. Scott's '69 (now Royal Exchange) theatre Company. It stands in the centre of the main trading floor, squatting like an alien invader's spaceship, but is actually supported on the hall's load bearing columns. Ill-disposed members of the audience sitting in the theatre's surrounding on-stage banquette seats are well-placed to trip the actors up physically. Extensive wine merchant cellars have now been converted into a shopping centre and the wings surrounding the theatre hall contain offices, and Barristers' chambers. Pop in during the day for a coffee or something stronger at the tranquil and elegant licensed cafe in the main hall: the entrance is up the stairs in St Ann's Square or on Cross Street. As well as the wonderfully-restored interior and three dramatic coloured-glass domes, you can admire the trading board, which still shows the price of cotton around the world on the last day of trading in 1969. There is also a small, expensive craft shop inside. Free entry to theatre building, theatre tickets vary.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

• The Printworks, entrances on Withy Grove and Thomas Street, ph: 0871 230 5556 (email: info@theprintworks.com; fax: 0871 230 5557), [12]. Attraction opening times vary. Originally the home of Manchester's newspaper offices, the Printworks is now a covered street where it's night time all day long. It is the home of several well-known restaurants and drinking establishments, as well as a large Odeon cinema, home of Manchester's IMAX screen.

[edit][add listing] Buy

From late Novemeber to Christmas a large Christmas market sets up in Albert Square and on the streets leading up to it. The market runs from Nov 16th - Dec 20th 2006 and is open everyday from 10am to 8pm. In Albert Square, the market is open until 9pm. Traders come from across Europe to set up their stalls in wooden chalets. For the best experience, go at night and enjoy a nice glass of Glühwein (mulled wine) and some Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and then huddle around and enjoy the festive atmosphere.

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Wagamamas, Printworks
• Hard Rock Cafe, Printworks

[edit][add listing] Drink

• 42nd Street [13], Bootle Street. Previously owned by the late football legend George Best, it plays a mixture of classic and modern indie, 60's pop and 70's funk & soul. The entrance is free before 10.30pm and the drinks are cheap.

• Tiger Lounge

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Holiday Inn

[edit] Contact

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