We all love Manchester, and why wouldn’t we? We’ve got everything here – fantastic bars, restaurants, and plenty of incredible things to do. It’s true that nowhere is perfect but wouldn’t it be boring if it was? Well, plenty of people apparently agree with this sentiment because one of the loveliest Manchester neighbourhoods has been voted amongst Time Out’s list of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world.
The Northern Quarter has been voted the 30th coolest neighbourhood in the world, and bearing in mind there are 195 sovereign nations in the world, that’s pretty good going! After Ancoats being crowned the coolest neighbourhood two years in a row, the Northern Quarter has reclaimed the title.
So why did the voters give the Northern Quarter so much love? Well, thousands of city-dwellers were asked to vote on the most underrated and coolest areas and Northern Quarter came out as one of the coolest primarily because of its al fresco dining set-up. It was recently announced that Stevenson Square would become permanently pedestrianised, making for a fresher stroll around the centre of the city’s café and bar culture.
No matter what the trend, the Northern Quarter always seems to be one step ahead – whether it’s vegan dining, pop-up bars or even the street art adorning its walls and shop shutters. Places without history and culture don’t feature in this list.
Notable names in the Northern Quarter mentioned included Ezra and Gil, Oklahoma, Vinyl Exchange, the Craft and Design Centre, Mackie Mayor, Band on the Wall, Native and Manchester’s brand new green space just a stone’s throw away, Mayfield Park. So here’s to Northern Quarter – a place ahead of the trends, full of vibrance and a place in the coolest neighbourhoods in the world!