The Imperial Chinese Archway in Manchester's Chinatown
Manchester's Chinatown around George Street and Faulkner Street has been a feature of Manchester since the late 1970s. Of late there is much talk of its decline, as many middle aged people are taking their business to the suburbs rather than the centre, which many see as a place for younger people at night. You will find people on the streets of Chinatown speaking Chinese to each other and most of the signs are bilingual. It is home to the bulk of Manchester's east-asian restaurants as well as many traders in Chinese food and goods. As night falls upon Chinatown, the neon lights come on, adding to the ambient feel of the area. There many eateries to try too. All of them have an astounding quality, ranging from Chinese to Japanese; reaching out to a wide spectrum of tastes. There are also Chinese shops for the locals to buy items imported directly from China, such as newspapers, magazines, DVDs and medications. It also serves as a magnet for the Chinese population, from around the city region and beyond.
The Village, also known as the Gay Village, has built up around Canal Street out of the many cotton warehouses in the area. It is home to one of the oldest and most-established gay communities in Europe and is known for its tolerance toward all kinds of people. Many of Manchester's most famous bars and clubs are to be found here, most of which are as popular with heterosexual party-animals as they are with the gay crowd. The Village hosts a major Pride festival every year (August Bank Holiday; the last weekend of the month), when this part of town is closed to the public for a somewhat expensive and exclusive charity fundraising weekend for gay and gay-friendly people. Many thousands of pounds are raised, each year, for various AIDS charities. There is a moving memorial service on the Monday evening to round the weekend off. Entrance is by wrist band. These are valid for the whole weekend or part of it, if required.
Check out the restaurants in The Village too. The best and longest established has to be Velvet, on Canal Street. Friendly staff, good food, and a cosmopolitan environment make it a hip and popular restaurant, bar, and hotel. Art works are also on display.
Check out the Curry Mile, a half-mile long stretch of curry restaurants, sari shops, and jewelry stores in Rusholme.
If you have time and want to mix with trendy, monied residents try an evening out in the very upmarket southern suburb of Didsbury. This is a popular nighttime destination for many from across the conurbation. "The village" as it is known is too far from East Didsbury station for comfort, but a taxi is possible from the city centre or there is a good bus service. On the all too rare, warm and fine Saturday evenings in summer, Didsbury can put on a good show with upmarket restaurants, where you can eat outside at the many great pubs and bars. Think London's Hampstead and Islington with similar media types and many others from elsewhere in town, who just want a piece of the action. This was THE place to live in Manchester, for many years, before the rebirth of the centre, and still is, for many, with very high property prices and a certain cachet!
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Manchester
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Manchester - updated May 2024
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Manchester Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
