Things to do in Manchester

[Dartzap]

Other than run away! My normal instinct when wanting adventure is to head to the ancestral cesspit of London, but I felt like a challenge....

I will be heading up that way in the coming month or so - currently planning on using it as a base to see other places primarily (York, Scouseland and Blackpool). I'm certainly going to to the Library where Marx was writing, and probably MoSI as well .

So things what I would like to know about

Pubs
Restaurants
Museums
Other attractions
Places nearby
Best means of getting around by public transport (cost and timewise)

Any suggestions much appreciated.

[HMS Sophia]

Come to preston, it's just further north and such an 'exciting' place.
There's an Imperial war museum in salford, but there's a better one in Leeds if you're already doing to the cross pennines trek.
MOSI is a must, and if you're going to Marx's library (the working man's one in Salford?) then visit the Crescent, it's a pub just further down the road that claims he and Engels used to drink there. And it's a pretty good pub.
Like shopping? The arndale is pretty awful at the weekend. But Afflecks palace is awesome for alt stuff, and is next too both a forbidden planet and a travelling man, if either of those take your fancy.
The Manchester art gallery is right next to Piccadilly, as is the Manchester library which has just been rebuilt.
I'm running out of Idea's at that point. I normally go to London for my museum fun

[Dartzap]

Haha, oh dear.

I've been asking around my usual haunts and all of the Northeners are pretty much all saying 'Why the hell are you going there?!' Just like I always wonder why the hell anyone goes to Torquay I guess!

[HMS Sophia]

Manchester is great for centrality (word?) to other things, which is weird when you think about it.
Oh, also, restraunts there are many many, though wasabi is a great sushi place (it's in the printworks near victoria station).
As for night time well... my usual haunt is canal street. Make of that what you will.

And I start work on Tuesday in central Manchester. If you ever want an uncomfortable lunchtime drink while you're in the area, hit me up

[Crazedwraith]

You know, I live reasonable close to Manchester, half an hour on the train. And aside from the shops, a free museum place, and the german festival in December. Most of which Barnest2 already mentioned... I have no idea.

Beats me why people would go to any city for a holiday. Way too over crowded for me.

[HMS Sophia]

Beats me why people would go to any city for a holiday. Way too over crowded for me.

I like cities, but I much prefer somewhere like St. Annes or Longridge. Small rural or coastlines towns, with good transport links.
Of course, I was raised in four major British cities, so maybe I'm just used too it

[OmegaChief]

as is the Manchester library which has just been rebuilt.

Isn't it still shut while they finish up the building work in St. Peters Square? I could swear it was when I was down there the other week.

And damn you for calling in almost everything worth visiting already, though if you do go to the MOSI it's well worth noting that directly across the road is the Air/Space museum too, which is well worth it. Also if you're arriving via Picadilly... which you almost certainly are, it's well worth noting the free Metro buses from just outside that can take you right to most points of interest.

[HMS Sophia]

as is the Manchester library which has just been rebuilt.

Isn't it still shut while they finish up the building work in St. Peters Square? I could swear it was when I was down there the other week.

And damn you for calling in almost everything worth visiting already, though if you do go to the MOSI it's well worth noting that directly across the road is the Air/Space museum too, which is well worth it. Also if you're arriving via Picadilly... which you almost certainly are, it's well worth noting the free Metro buses from just outside that can take you right to most points of interest.

It's been a couple of months since I passed through the centre, they may have shut it again. Have they finished cladding number one yet?
I forgot the aerospace. Completely.

[OmegaChief]

I think there was just a few glass panels left when I was there, so yea I think they're done now, probably still working on moving the Cenotaph though.

[madd0ct0r]

the museum of science and industry is fucking awesome if you like that sort of stuff. Take a sketchbook and get aquantianed with some steam trains.

Nights out -
Step 1) round up a ballerina, a tory politician, a birthday girl and a guy in a lepordskin thong
step 2) hit canal street, get free champagne
step 3)????
step 4) wander into a brothel to ask if you could use their phone. get laughed at
step 5) find your way back to trainstation and rejoin group
step 6) drink gin
step 7) Throw up teabags
step wake up the next morning with aboslutley no memory and wait a fortnight before anyone fills you in on the details.

Manchester's a good night out.

[Dartzap]

I have returned from quest oop north!

It really wasn't all that grim! Not sure why everyone has a downer on Mancland, has to be one of the nicest cities I've been to, the amount of investment going into new infrastructure was amazing to behold. Loved the trams, wish we could have them here, bloody cheap to use. Didn't do museums in the end, preferring urban ambling instead. Had a great time going around the canals, nice and peaceful. Great pubs, which were vastly cheaper to here. I think the main observation I can make about Mancland is that everything is bigger, due to everything being in old warehouses.

Went to Scouseland as well - another great looking city. I was severely disappointed to only see one tracksuit whilst there. Redevelopment of the Docks was very impressive. Also went to York, which is a massive honey trap, for understandable reasons, and I will be booking a proper holiday there for next year. Went through Leeds as well, which looked pretty decent as well.

So yeah, mildly miffed that the North West appears to be doing so well, as it means one of my favorite sayings is no longer true. Sad tiems.

[Ubiquitous]

I'm glad you liked Manchester - where did you go drinking whilst you were here?

[Dartzap]

I think it was the Wellington in the centre? And the Printworks sports bar/ German place combo was decent, had several steins there!

[Iroscato]

C'mon Dartzap, you should know it's almost a british tradition to talk about how terrible most of the cities are, particularly the northern ones. Each one is assigned its own flavour of terrible