Manchester, England, called the “Capital of the North”, is said to be the birthplace of the industrial revolution, and is now a vibrant and cosmopolitan city in the UK. Explore the city and find out what fascinates the “Mancunian” people that call Manchester home.
Being an arts and culture fanatic, start by exploring the Manchester Art Gallery. Enter the costume gallery, which is particularly impressive, holding top-end couture pieces like Chanel, McQueen and Westwood. Stop by several halls to take in the fine art from 19th century British artists, as well as craft and design dating from 1,100BC.
Hop in a taxi and take a 15-minute ride from the city center to Salford Quays, a neighboring borough within the Greater Manchester metropolitan area. The thriving waterfront destination is home to MediaCityUK; an exciting creative, digital and media hub with uber-modern museums and office buildings that grace the skyline. Inside this hub, take advantage of free admission to the IWM North, which is part of the Imperial War Museum Collection. The avant-garde structure was built by international architect Daniel Libeskind and reflects the museum’s mission to portray stories of lives shaped by war and conflict.
Across the pier sits The Lowry arts centre, home to the UK’s largest collection of paintings by Mancunian artist, LS Lowry. Visit some of the artist’s stunning works, including his poignant mills scenes and industrial landscapes, and marvel at how he only ever used five colors in his palette– flake white, ivory black, vermilion, Prussian blue and yellow ochre. The Lowry also boats two theatres, where you can catch drama, ballet, opera, comedy, music and family shows.
After exploring the attractions along the pier, have lunch at the waterfront’s Damson MediaCityUK, the first independent restaurant to arrive at The Quays. The Damon has a stunning elevator that transports you to the elevated dining area for floor to ceiling views of the pier. The grilled cod supreme, charred sprouting broccoli, and mussel & cockle chowder puts forth expertly crafted British fare.
End your day at Gorilla, a former theater turned restaurant and live music venue and savor an all-meat burger minced and formed in house. You can stay for the live music, which takes place from 7-11pm. Upcoming acts include artists like Dirty Laces, Nirvana UK, and Spear of Destiny.
