Course it has!
Out of the hundreds and thousands of cities that inhabit the world, Manchester has managed to climb the ranks, kicking down the competition to be named ‘third best’ in the entire world. Yep, you read that right. The whole damn globe. An unsuspecting honour, given we’re often underrated and left behind London as the ‘second city’, the team at TimeOut has applauded Manchester for its fantastic culture, citing its ‘great vibes’ and ability to have a ‘good time’ as reasons for ranking us in third place.
Sitting behind the likes of San Francisco (who nabbed the top spot) and Amsterdam, Manchester beat 33 other cities that also made the ‘top 37’, with cities such as Copenhagen, New York and Montreal trailing closely behind.
So, how did Manchester quietly climb the ranks to grace the top of a list that doesn’t even feature London in its top 10? Good old community spirit, it seems.
Here’s what TimeOut had to say about it: “Manchester sure is a resilient place. All things considered, we’ve thrived over the past year – with communities here really banding together through the toughest of times. Mancunians are a very proud people, and so it’s no wonder 71 per cent described the city as ‘creative’ in this year’s Index.
“This is the home of Factory Records, the Fall and the Smiths, after all, and in 2021 the likes of Manchester International Festival (MIF) and Grayson’s Art Club have continued to show this city really punches when it comes to big, splashy cultural events. On a more local level, small firms like Result CIC offered free mental health support to frontline workers, while the Eagle and Child pub gave away 4,500 meals to vulnerable locals.”
If that wasn’t all, the city also came out on top for its incredible nightlife, creativity (which has seen areas of Manchester such as the Northern Quarter and Ancoats become huge hubs for innovation), community spirit and friendliness (but of course, we’re Northern).
The capital came much further in the list, sitting at number 13 and being praised for its diversity, its many, many, many pubs, and its ability to surprise even the most seasoned of Londoners.