To think that Manchester is awful?

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I came for the day to visit Elizabeth Gaskell's house museum (very nice) and have subsequently walked around, trying to find somewhere attractive, or with interesting shops (or any shop that isn't selling fast food).
Is there somewhere I've missed?

Mocked! 😡 How dare you!
She has autism and some fuckers like you decided to destroy her for being northern. Ironically, my dd is a northerner, studying in a northern city but some twatty kids from the south decided that she was less than.
Teach your children to be better than you!
You haven't answered my question. WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Don’t be a dick.

I've lived in Greater Manchester for 20yrs. Previously lived other parts of the UK (including London) and overseas.

Manchester is not a particularly good looking city, nor does it have much 'touristy' stuff. It's not somewhere most people would go for a trip to have a mooch around in the way that one might in Edinburgh, London, York, Bath or even Liverpool. It's similar to Leeds or Birmingham in that sense.

What it does have is a fascinating and proud social and industrial history, brilliant universities, fabulous cocktail bars and eateries, some excellent museums, a deep culture of popular music, sports, creative outlets and projects, some of the finest Victorian architecture in the UK and some of the most exciting urban regeneration in the world. It's a city that brings together people from all over the world and welcomes them as Manc. It's a city for those who live here - or want to live here - rather than for visitors. The Peak District, Bowland, the Lakes, Snowdonia and the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales are all within a couple of hours' drive (parts of Greater Manchester are basically in the Peak District albeit not in the National Park).

It's a brilliant place to live for the reasons above and more and it objectively isn't awful. Certainly not to everyone's taste - but not awful.

Unfortunately you're in an area of the city that's frankly a bit shit. Your experience is a bit like getting off the train at King's Cross in 1995, walking over to Dalston and as a result thinking all of London is awful (I say 1995 as London has changed beyond all recognition in the last 25yrs or so with many of the historically shoddy bits being gentrified so there's not too many contemporaneous examples).

I'm glad you enjoyed Elizabeth Gaskell's house. If you have time, head over to Ancoats or the Northern Quarter or even over to places like Beech Road in Chorlton where you'll see a bit more of the vibrancy of the city

I used to live in a naice part of South Manchester and agree that - bar the JR library and a handful of restaurants - the city centre is not worth visiting, and not the most attractive city either. It was also rougher than a badger’s arse last time I went out for supper there - really menacing.

If we go into town it's usually to something specific, like the People's History Museum, or the Lowry, or the theatre/concert, or a night out/restaurant. It's not a city I'd personally choose for a mini-break type wandering around weekend. I'd do that in Liverpool though.

@MasterBeth Judi Dench😂 I find many of the cities in the UK to be disappointing and depressing but maybe that’s just me.

It doesn't have a centre as such but has lots of excellent parts so its fabulous to live here but quite hard to suss out on a short visit

Depending on how many years,ago the Manchester of today is very different from 90,s Manchester
After the 1996 bomb the city center was rebuilt, it confuses me these days,when on the rare occasion I go into Manchester I struggle to get my bearings .

Whats her diagnosis got to do with her accent. Still, she shouldnt stand for being mocked for being northern in a northern university. Is it somewhere stuck up like York or Durham?

Whereabouts are you from, you from, you from. Do they put the keckle on?

Manchester is great to live in, but not that great to visit. And I say that as someone who moved here by visiting and then just never leaving 😂

I think Northern people are wonderful- as does DS {He has friends from Sheffield and Rotherham}

Absolutely not to be mocked, and I'm from SW London {Born and bred}

I'm from down south and I've stayed in a few different areas of Manchester, DH worked during the day so on my own and each time I've managed to fill the days out and about with plenty to do and the evenings we've both enjoyed our time there.

Trams were really reasonably priced so didn't feel we had to stick to one area if we didn't want to drive.

I also found the people really friendly, would definitely plan a non working long weekend up there.

Oops sorry I misread it and thought you said many years ago.

I'm a Londoner and it is my fav city in the world but I also thought Manchester was great. It has its own vibe and some amazing bars and restaurants. I found it great to wander around.

Brilliant 😂😂

This is why whenever I go on a city break, I try to never go for less than 3 days. Because the first day or two are spent wandering round the commercial, touristy areas thinking it's a bit shit before you start to stumble on the cool back streets, quirky bars and shops and then by day 3 you feel like a local 😃

I grew up in Manchester but my family moved away when I was about 12. I had fond memories and always felt we shouldn't have moved. I'm in my 60s now and went for a weekend in 2019 with DH. It was great to see my old home and wander the park we played in as kids but the city centre, which holds so many memories for me, seemed really run down, dirty and unsafe. Lots of rough sleepers and beggars, and many shops and hotels had security on the door. I found it quite depressing.

York is a destination for stag and hen parties so choose carefully when you go

I love Manchester

Well not all mancunians do I,. have lived in Greater Manchester my whole life I don't pronounce school that way.

Yes, the friendliness is really noticeable.
I had to meet someone in Sheffield, {Not been before} and stepped off the train and locals were really helpful at telling me the right way to go.

It was bitingly cold, but the people were helpful and lovely.

Try asking for directions in London! - no one will want to help.

{My home City}

My partner and I were also saying this yesterday, how odd 😂
We're scousers who didn't enjoy living in Liverpool particularly but love visiting it, but when we visit friends in Manchester who know all the fab places to go (and there are many!) I often think I'd really enjoy living there.
But if we go for a day we don't really know wtf we're doing and just end up lost 😂
Glad it's not just us 😁

I think it's one of those small ugly men who live under bridges

I do and she's very funny ,but I don't think she's representative of all Mancunians

YABU and very insensitive too.

Would you like visitors commenting like this on your town?

Thought not!