Why does Liverpool have such an iconic status?

[TigerOnTour]

Why do people rave about Liverpool? I feel like it's seen as more 'individual' than other cities, but why is this? It shares lots of characteristics with other big cities like Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol but they don't have the same status. Is it just the Beatles?

@ghostyslovesheets

My grandad used to take us on the ferry to New Brighton most Sundays whilst the 'women folk' did the roast dinner. Happy memories of that beach and going crabbing.
I still miss the river. When we come home now on the train my son and I have a game of guessing whether the tide is in or out when we cross the Runcorn bridge. It always feels like I've really come home when we cross that bridge.

Having been to 32 different countries and lots of different Citys, Liverpool is still one of the best, People, culture, History, Architecture, it has it all even has a few nice beaches. It has something for everyone on any budget.
https://www.donthibernate.co.uk/liverpool/

https://www.donthibernate.co.uk/liverpool-the-beatles/

Liverpool is an amazing city with a heart. You can feel it beating through the city. It is relatively compact and a lot is pedestrianised in a way that Manchester isn't which gives it a nice feeling as you walk through. There is such rich history. And the people... You can talk to anyone you want, wherever you are.
I do think the Irish heritage is very important. It has built families and intergenerational respect - no one crosses a scouse nan.
The river, the docks, the museums, the cathedrals. I mean, which other city has Anglican Cathedral and a Catholic Cathedral at either end of a road called Hope Street?
The shopping, the nightlife.

Oh and the oldest Chinese community in Europe.

The football team
Tragically the Hillsborough disaster
The Beatles
Cilla
The cavern club
The port /titanic link

Loved bread

"She is a tart"!!

The bands you describe were influenced by The Beatles

I'm not sure Liverpool is "iconic" is it?! When I think of iconic cities, I think London, Paris and New York. I only visited once, about 5 years ago to see the Terracotta Warriors which were hosted there. Seemed pretty much like any other Northern City in terms of shopping, waterfront, museums. Definitely seemed to have a party scene - lots of stags and hen parties and heavy police presence. Wasn't overly keen but having a brick thrown through the window of our hotel lobby on the Saturday night dampened the experience!

I'm not even a UK native (from the rust belt of the US) and can see that Liverpool is a remarkable city that is on the up. I have been to every UK city in my decade plus time of living here, and apart from London, Liverpool is the only other place I could see myself moving to (from my little Norfolk bubble)

Yes, it has its pockets of deprivation, but doesn't every city.

I have been to every UK city in my decade plus time of living here
Not the point of the thread I know, but that's impressive! I just did a quick count up and in my nearly 60 years of living here I've only managed just over half. I've been to 32/55 English cities and 6/8 in Scotland but only a dismal one each for Wales and Northern Ireland, giving me 40/76 in total and I thought I was fairly well travelled in the UK. Seems not!

Sorry, I should have specified meaning every MAJOR city in the UK, and not all those "cities" deemed by a monarch's fancy, or having a population of a small town 😁

Very much agree with all of this. Sounds exactly like my situation.

Liverpool is second only to London in the amount of listed buildings it has.
The music industry.
The river/sea connections.
Football.
For a city its size it has a lot of cultural institutions and links to famous actors etc.
The people are fiercely loyal to it.
It’s become very common for TV and film productions to be put on there.
It’s the fastest growing UK city economically.
The food scene is very strong.
I could go on.

You could also say this about Glasgow. It has the worlds third oldest underground system

The people make the City. They are so down to earth, funny and go out their way to help.

The Titanic was built at Harland and Wolff in Belfast and sailed from Southampton. It never went anywhere near Liverpool. White Star lines had an office in Liverpool, which is why the ship was registered there on paper.

Liverpudlians are warm and friendly IF you are are from Liverpool, or at a push, northern. If you're from anywhere remotely down South ( including the Midlands in this), you may not find them to be quite so kind and open. Scousers definitely have an innate humour but I have found You'll be the butt of the joke if you speak with anything but a northern accent... I wanted to love the place, but honestly found the above to be true and it's the only city I've found an open hostility towards outsiders and blow ins.

White star line had its HEAD OFFICE in Liverpool. That's why it was registered there.

A lot of the crew and some passengers were from Liverpool.

A lot of materials used in the construction of the Titanic were sourced from Merseyside.

The Carpathia was from Liverpool and rescued the survivors.

@SaltedCaramelChocolateBun Have you ever seen the rivalry between Manchester and Liverpool?

@pipkinsatlunchtime

The were very strong links between Harland and Wolff. H&W had shipyards in several cities, including Liverpool where it had a foundary
It would have employed many people from Liverpool, there was once a memorial to the 80 Liverpool employees who died in the First World War.
H&W also had a head office in Liverpool.

Building a ship is a huge operation, involving many industries. I went to see the recent Titanic exhibition and it was fascinating to see where things were sourced from, so the landlocked Birmingham, West Midlands and Potteries also have strong links to the Titanic because that's where a lot of the fixtures and fittings were manufactured.

Because it’s a fabulous city with lovely people!

My best friend moved there 11 years ago, and I’ve gained so much from him being there. I’d move myself in a heartbeat, but I work with such a great team, I don’t want to risk it.

I grew up in Birmingham but love, love Liverpool. So much to do, loads of history, people are friendly. I'd live there in a heartbeat but am currently in the South where friends and family are nearby.

This is really sad. So, ALL the people you met in Liverpool treated you this way?

ha ha - this battle could rage all day

Andy Burnham is a dyed in the wool Scouser !! one of life’s ironies

this is what I miss most, the “ an I turned round to ‘er and said…” sntches of converstion along Church Street and the faintly anarchic humour, “Maggie May -
she’s so ugly not even the tide’ll take ‘er out !

This is an element you lock onto or don’t - if you are given ‘Lern yerslf Scouse’
and are howling withlaughter you passed, if you read “Hey, you wid de ‘ead”
completely po faced, you are never going to enjoy the undercurrent of economical
thought, savvy, family minded, confident, gobby, self assured rapier witted natives.

This is before you take the ferry to Birkenhead, look aross the Mersey Bar to
the Three Graces adorning the Liverpool Skyline, returningto mooch about a city
of civic pride and Walker Art Gallery, St George’s Hall, a city built on the Slave Trade, still in mourning for Hillsborough, you either get it or you won’t.