As the FIFA World Cup is currently going on in Brazil the football (or soccer as it is called in some parts of the world) fans have of course heard of Manchester as a Mecca of football with two clubs - the Manchester United and the Manchester City – producing some world class footballers. David Silva and Vincent Kompany play for the Manchester City whereas Wyne Rooney and Robin van Persie play for the Manchester United.
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| The Old & the New, Manchester |
But this post is more about the Manchester City as a town and not as a club. The city came into prominence during the industrial revolution mainly due to the textile manufacturing. Therefore one sees lot of old buildings with beautiful architecture.
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| Old Church with new Arndale building |
The buildings specifically notable are the Manchester Town Hall and several old hotels like the Midland Hotel etc. But now when one visits Manchester one sees very old buildings with the ultra modern and new glass buildings side by side.
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| Selfridges and Harvey Nichols buttressing an old structure in the middle |
The city also has several museums and art galleries. It is also a leading educational hub with three universities – including the University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University – providing lot of options to the students.
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| An old building dwarfed by the City Tower building |
Though I am not too fond of shopping but to others Manchester could be a heaven for shopping with lots of malls and big names like Selfridges keeping all the top brands under one roof.
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| Manchester Street Market |
But competing with these are also the Manchester weekly street markets selling all kinds of wares!
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| Another old building surrounded on all sides with modern structures |
Manchester is also known for a bustling night life with several pubs and clubs. Sometimes it does lead to a law and order problem late in the night.
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| Manchester Metrolink |
One can commute to all these places either on foot or by an excellent bus service. The trams are also a good way to see the city quickly. The Manchester metrolink is the largest tram system in UK spanning a route of 77 kms.
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| Wellington Statue with a modern building in the background |
The city is far from London but has the Manchester International Airport that serves most of the cities of North England like Manchester, Lancaster and other Lancashire towns and cities.
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