To think that Manchester is awful?

[Sausagenbacon]

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?

Bit of a cop out saying ‘the best bits of Manchester are hidden away and only locals know about them’….

I always thought I didn't like Manchester (and to be fair, I still prefer Liverpool) but I spent 3 weeks there for work earlier this year and on the few occasions I got out and about, really enjoyed it.

Things I did that I liked:

John Rylands library (there was also a lovely street market around it)
The area round the cathedral
Science & Industry museum (great computer games through the ages room which my kids loved)
Shopping in the Arndale centre
The area around St John Street
Porta tapas bar (OK, that's in Salford, but it was amazing)

And that despite the fact that it rained pretty much the whole time I was there.

Is there somewhere I've missed?

Um yes, the actual city centre 😂

@Dunkler
So according to you, Mancunians have an awful accent and York and Durham University are stuck up.

Tell us where you're from if you think it's so superior.

They're not hidden away at all. But I know loads of people who've visited Manchester, said they didn't like it and then when I asked where they went, named the worst, most commercial and busiest parts of the city.

I even had one friend - about 10 years ago now - say the food scene wasn't very good and when I asked where she'd eaten she said Pizza Express and Yates Wine Lodge 😂

In the same way that people go to Rome and complain that the areas around Trevi Fountain or Spanish Steps are busy areas with rip-off restaurants, or that Times Square in NY is too tourist-y and loud or there are too many touts on Las Ramblas in Barcelona... Nobody going to these areas ever gets a proper indication of the city as it's not where the locals are or where the "real" life is!

OP, saying Manchester us awful is a bit like saying London is awful when you've only been to a small part of it. It's vast.

I recently went and visited the art gallery, Mackie Mayor and Affleck's. Sure there are some dodgy, dingy parts but there's plenty in the way of culture too.

Castlefield pub on a sunny afternoon is lovely.

Mackie Mayor is one of my favourites for taking friends too 😊

I love Manchester, spent a year there in the 90s and been back sporadically since then.

We took the kids to Manchester a few years ago for the opening match of the Women's Euros at Old Trafford. We also had a wander round Media City and saw the Blue Peter garden, the Imperial War Museum, the Lowry, and the People's History Museum. We had a great time and there were loads of other places we could have gone. So I'm not sure I agree it's not a good tourist destination for families, there's lots to do.

I work in Manchester and made a few visits to get to know the area before taking my job. As others have said its spread out, so unless you have specific locations/purpose to be somewhere, it's not easy to just to have a mooch around unlike Bath, Cardiff, Liverpool etc which are more centralised and compact.

I've enjoyed getting to know a neighbouring city but I can't wait for an opportunity to return back. The traffic congestion is terrible (worst than any other city I've known) and for some reason the weather is bad 90% of the time.

I love the comment that Chester isn't a tourist city 🤣 it's full of tourists!

Yeah I'm not sure why people are saying there isn't much to do?! It's got a tonne of museums, art galleries, libraries, history.... There's probably no better city in the UK (or Europe!) if you love music and / or football...

The Manchester Museum, Peoples History Museum and MOSI are all fantastic. Whitworth Art Gallery. And Manchester Art Gallery are great too.

Salford Quays and Media City is brilliant for a morning out. Love being down by the Quays on a sunny weekend morning - it's so lively and has such a nice vibe to it. Same with Castlefield.

The NQ is great for browsing vinyl stores, cool little coffee shops and obviously, Afflecks Palace!

Chinatown is a bit gritty but you can get some really decent food in the basement restaurants (if you're prepared to endure bad service, formica tables and plastic cutlery for amazing food)...

Right, I'm stepping away for a coffee and to calm down - I feel like I'm defending my child 😂

You aren’t in the city centre as many have said!

Agree with some of the comments about not being the best for tourists, stuff is a bit spread out so you can’t really just wander from place to place. But there is absolutely loads going on and the restaurant/bar/cafe scene is great. If you know people there it’s a bit better to be shown around.

Grew up near there, got many a fond memory of being in the city. Personally prefer it to Liverpool.

The tram system is great - wish we had one in my town

I bloody loved Manchester when I went recently. Such a great vibe

i think the post was implying that it's not really a city, rather than not touristy.

@Sausagenbacon

I agree, I went for a gig but struggled to find things to do otherwise, museum was shut too

I lived there for a couple of months in the 90s. I HATED it. Like really hated it. The sense of violence was constant. I also had to put up with numerous northern men proclaiming to be a "northern bastard, me". And my boyfriend was irish who had to put up with much abuse while there.

I am ready accept it very well may have changed in the last 30 years. But there many other cities in the uk that I would rather spend my time. (Shame because I love the accent.)

Give over 🤣
Ready to bottle the league again are we?

Manchester is great!

Elisabeth Gaskell’s house on Plymouth Grove? Yes it’s a rubbish time to be down that side of town because the students are off. You could’ve walked easily to Whitworth Art Gallery or Manchester Museum. Or got the bus back to the actual city centre and gone to many nice places there. Don’t judge Manchester by Plymouth Grove - I imagine it’s been going downhill since Elizabeth lived there herself 😁

Funny that because I don't.

It was me and that's exactly what I meant - thank you @BishyBarnyBee 😊

You can't really compare Chester with the likes of London and Manchester!