Levenshulme and Ancoats have been named two of the best places to live in the entire UK - and this is what the judges had to say about them.
The two districts are the only places in Manchester to make the Sunday Times Best Places to Live list for 2019, while Ramsbottom and Altrincham were the only entries from the other nine Greater Manchester boroughs.
Judges looked at factors including employment, schools, culture, community spirit and shops to compile the list.
Levenshulme is the only south Manchester suburb to make the cut this year. Chorlton - which was included last year - and Didsbury are both absent.
The judges had this take on Levenshulme: "In a few short years, “Levy” has gone from fake Adidas tracksuits and knock-off trainers to hand-knitted jumpers and home-baked vegan buns sold in the independent market."
The area's burgeoning food and drink scene caught their eye, as did the South Station project, which will see the once empty building transformed into a cycle cafe and 'community hangout'.
Earlier this year, Levenshulme residents and businesses owners spoke to the M.E.N to praise the area's increasing number of community initiatives, and its character.
At the time Dean Brocklehurst, 35, who runs the Tallyrand with pal Tom Hughes, 32, said: "Levenshulme has become gentrified a bit - but in a positive way. It’s a real melting pot of cultures - you can wake up in the morning and have an English breakfast, an authentic Turkish shawarma for lunch and a focaccia for tea.”
Mary Cox, the sales manager at Edward Mellor, who also co-runs the Klondyke Club said: “We are Lev - we don’t want to become anything else, we are doing our own thing here, and so far it’s working out perfectly.”
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Ancoats, which last year was named the 13th 'coolest' neighbourhood in the world by Time Out, was also singled out for praise.
Judges chose it above other residential areas of the city centre, including Castlefield and the Green Quarter, which was somewhat brutally described as a 'multistorey crash pad with a few microbreweries'.
Ancoats was deemed to have: "A happy combination of accessible location, stylish accommodation and a formidable reputation for food and drink," that gave it the edge.
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The area has become renowned for its independent food and drink over the past few years, a place where diners can find everything from award winning pizza at Rudy's, to authentic Vietnamese cuisine at Vnam to fine dining at Mana.
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Ramsbottom meanwhile, was praised for not having 'a chain store in sight' on the high street, as well as its bars, cafes and restaurants, including Levaner, Baratxuri, Hungry Duck, Tea Atelier, Grind and Tamp.
Judges said: "The friendly, ungentrified bar at the Irwell Works Brewery could well be our favourite: here is proof that the town’s growing appeal hasn’t dented its down-to-earth Lancastrian warmth."
The World Black Pudding Throwing Championships even gets a mention in The Sunday Times' glowing review of the town.
Altrincham has also made the list, a year after it was deemed to be the best place in the region to live, in "honour of the high street’s transformation from zombie to Mancunian zeitgeist", as the judges put it.
They praised the town's fashionable market and restaurants and acknowledged its reputation for excellent schools.
It says: "Roomy family houses and a handy spot at the end of the tram line, half an hour from Manchester Deansgate — help make WA14 a destination in its own right."
This year Kirkby Lonsdale has wrestled away the top spot, with judges deeming it to be the best place overall to live in the north west in 2019.
In total ten areas in the north west have made the list, which will be revealed in full on Sunday at thesundaytimes.co.uk/bestplacestolive
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