Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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United Kingdom : Manchester - June 2010

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Summertime and the livin’ is easy in one of the funkiest and friendliest cities in the UK. This June plays host to the Parklife Festival, with local acts celebrating the 100th anniversary of the renowned Platt Fields Park (12 June, parklife. uk.com). Hazel Davies hits the hot spots

Getting around

Manchester Airport is 15km from the city centre.

Train: During the day there are seven direct trains an hour to Manchester Piccadilly, which take 20 minutes. The service operates less frequently at night. Many trains also stop at Deansgate and Oxford Road. Tickets cost about €4/£3.
Taxi: A taxi from to the city centre costs about €25/£20. The journey generally takes between 20 and 30 minutes.
Tourist information: The main office is in the Town Hall Extension Building, Lloyd Street (tel. , visit manchester.com).

NORTHERN QUARTER

The Northern Quarter’s where it’s at as far as Manchester’s unique spirit is concerned. It’s the originator of the Manchester vibe, with indie fashion, music and culture.

Culture vultures – Manchester Craft & Design Centre (17 Oak Street) offers the chance to explore the city’s extraordinary design heritage.

Must eat – The Thomas Restaurant and Bar (49-51 Thomas Street, tel. ) opened in March to great excitement and offers quality food at reasonable prices.

Must drink – The Black Dog Ballroom (Church Street) is another new addition to the Northern Quarter scene, and has already made its mark. Underneath the legendary Affleck’s Palace, it’s a super-cool speakeasy, coffee joint and pool hall in one.

Shop til you drop – Head to Beatin’ Rhythm (42 Tib Street) if music’s your bag. With the largest rare 45s section in the UK, it’s the ideal place to get drowned in sound.

CANAL STREET

Manchester’s gay village is the place to head for lively nightlife, energetic dancing and sunshine drinking.

Sleep soundly – Canal Street’s legendary bar and restaurant Velvet opened its upper floors as a boutique hotel last year (2 Canal Street, , velvetmanchester.com, rooms from €95/£85). Watch the world go by from its canalside balcony rooms.

Culture vultures – Tucked around the corner from the bustle of Canal Street, you might stumble across dinosaurs, mummies and even live animals at the Manchester Museum (250 Oxford Road). If you’re feeling the Manchester love, you can also enjoy a fascinating journey through its civic history.

Must eat – Spread over two floors, slick and stylish Villaggio (44 Canal Street, , villaggiomanchester. com) sits in the heart of the village and offers a fresh, traditional Italian menu in contemporary surroundings.

RUSHOLME

Rusholme’s ‘curry mile’ has the largest concentration of Asian restaurants in the UK, and an iconic neon nighttime vista to boot. There’s even a website – rusholmecurry.co.uk – devoted to its culinary offerings.

Sleep soundly – Escape the neon of Rusholme at the Victoria Park Hotel (4 Park Crescent, victoriaparkhotel.com, tel. , rooms from €40/ £35), a listed building in a quiet crescent a little removed from the main drag.

Culture vultures – If dressing up is your thing, shimmy to The Gallery Of Costume (Platt Hall). Recently reopened after a €1.2m/£1m renovation, it’s home to one of the most important costume collections in Britain, second only to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Must eat – Lal Haweli (68-72 Wilmslow Road, ) is regularly voted the best Indian restaurant on the curry mile. A family business, the food is Indian and Nepalese and the place is open into the wee small hours.

Must drink – Fancy passing the time over a pint with a parrot? Head to Hardy’s Well (257 Wilmslow Road), a laid-back pub with an extensive beer garden, huge Lemn Sissay (Manchester poet) verse painted on the side of the building and the aforementioned house parrot. What else do you need?

DIDSBURY

Manchester’s trendiest suburb is a haven for foodies and latte-lovers, with a European-style café culture and a couple of lush parks.

Sleep soundly – Set in the conservation area of Didsbury St James, take matters into your own hands and choose from the range of stylish serviced apartments at Didsbury Park Properties (13 Didsbury Park, tel. didsburypark.com, rooms from €45/£40).

Must eat – Formerly a bank, Jem&I (1C School Lane, ) owned by award-winning chef Jem O’Sullivan, offers a modern European menu with a great ‘world tapas’ selection that’s rotated daily.

Must drink – MTwenty (158 Burton Road) is a bijou, retro-style cocktail bar with a wide range of drinks and a party-hard clientele at weekends.

Compiled by Hazel Davies