Calling Manchester Mumsnetters…

[MimiGC]

AIBU to worry about my daughter visiting Manchester City Centre alone, at night? She’s arriving early evening, but it will be dark. She will have to walk from Manchester Piccadilly to a nearby hotel, which should only take 5 mins or so, but she doesn’t know the way, so will have her phone out , following Google maps.
I know I sound ridiculously over protective, but the last time I visited Manchester myself (2019), I had a short walk at night from the train station and was approached/accosted by about 5-6 different male beggars, asking for money, a few quite persistent. I was with another woman at the time and we were both quite startled by the experience. I grew up in London and still visit regularly, but had not experienced anything like that before.
My DD has only ever lived in a very safe, small town and is not really streetwise…the next morning she has to make her way to a Manchester Met Uni building on Oxford Road. I’ve suggested a taxi, but any tips for alternatives would be appreciated.
Is it comfortable/safe for a young woman alone in Manchester at night? I know the city is full of girls and women who live there, so I’m aware I’m sounding a bit ridiculous, but I guess I am asking what is the reality and how can I prepare her?

I e never known a problem in the city centre with phone snatching like what happens in London. Saying that I do have my phone on a wrist lanyard as knowing my luck it would happen to me. I have my phone out a lot in the city centre and never feel unsafe, even in the evening. Even down the side streets in the northern quarter. It’s busy. Yes, some homeless people might ask for money directly but I just say no sorry and have never had an issue.

Google Maps will tell you that if you put in the starting location and destination.

But I’ve spent a good amount of time in Manchester over about twenty years and never been ‘approached’ by any beggar. Ever.

She should avoid Piccadilly Gardens (which is not the same as Piccadilly Station). But she should also avoid hanging around either the train station or the coach station late at night. Other than that I can’t think of anywhere that would worry me in the city centre.

If she has to return (for interviews?) there are cheap hotels in nicer areas than around the station.

It’s a 19 min walk according to google maps.

It is rather grim round the station at night - lairy and lots of beggars, homelessness and substance misuse. However, I don't know anyone that's been a victim of crime there. I mean, obviously crime happens everywhere, but I don't believe that area is worse for it. The epidemic of phones being snatched out of people's hands hasn't spread this far north either. Again, I'm not saying there aren't thefts and muggings, but that particular thing of having your phone snatched from your hand by a cyclist is rare. My 15 and 18 yo DDs go out in town and have never had any bother.

On the other hand I agree with your experience about beggars approaching you here more than elsewhere, and it is unnerving if you're not used to it. But a cheery "sorry mate" and keep walking is all you need to do - I don't know of anyone who's been pursued after the initial brush off.

There's a black cab rank to the rear of the station if she prefers. Off the top of my head the 42 and 43 go down to Man Met, but there are others as well. If it's not raining I'd walk. 15mins at my pace, 20 at my DH's.

I hope she has a fab time. It's a great city really - I came to Manchester for Uni 30 years ago and never left!

The buses are the 42, 142, to uni, depends what campus she’s going too. Defo get her to google maps it. get her to double check, she can just get of the tram at picaddly gardens, and the bus station is there, same as the tram can be caught from the train station x

It’s more just petty thefts like pic pockets etc tons of homeless and drug users etc

I lived in Manchester until I was 19, lived in London for 15 years, then moved back to Manchester and I have never been accosted outside Manchester Piccadilly by any beggars, let alone 5-6 different ones.

She will be fine. She could get the tram or a taxi to her destination if she isn’t sure where it is. Tell her to download the CityMapper app works in Manchester and it will get her anywhere she wants to be.

My Dd went to Manchester Met, loved it and lives there still, to be fair we both love Manchester. Tell Dd to walk down to Picadilly gardens bus terminus and she can get a bus direct to Oxford Road. It's no more or less safe than any other major city, she will be ok walking for 5 mins, ( is she at Holiday Inn) and as soon as possible she needs to make student friends so they all go out together at night. I know exactly how you feel and it's no help to say we can't protect them forever, but try not to let your Dd see your anxiety.

Hi is it the Premier Inn Piccadilly by any chance?
If so she will be fine. You can see it from the station exit.
Ditto the walk to the Uni in the morning.
My DD went to MMU as a student, she was very introverted but she coped well with living there and travelling round. Manchester does tend to look a bit sketchy but that’s kind of a vibe. I always felt she was safe as there’s lots of people around and it’s a very student friendly city.
As others have said just avoid Piccadilly gardens in the dark if possible!

Getting to the University down Oxford Rd during the day is no problem. Tons of buses from Piccadilly Bus Station. Lots of people about Be careful about the metro lines and trans. Look left then look right

However, l would advise that she could get a taxi from Piccadilly Station to the hotel.

Unfortunately, Manchester has become a magnet for homeless people, beggars, drug addicts and generaal low life over the years.

If she is worried maybe should carry some kind of personal alarm.

OP, you don’t have to fear beggars. All they’ll do is ask “Got any spare change, love?” They must get a ‘no’ answer a thousand times a day, they’re used to it!

The google maps street view is a great feature, where you pull the little yellow walking man on to the map and then follow the route to the destination. I use it often before I visit a new place and it’s like a rehearsal of your walk with the actual buildings, streets etc. I’m not suggesting she does this while walking but rather tries it out the day before.

I walked from the Etihad to Market Street in the dark 3 weeks ago. It was absolutely fine walking across the edge of Piccadilly Gardens.

There were very few beggars and nobody said anything to me. I got on the tram at Market Street, got off at Altrincham & walked back to my dad’s place on my own. No problems at all.

She would be fine even walking through Piccadilly until about 9pm I would say. Darkness means nothing in the city in early evening, it will be well-lit and very busy.

Yes there are all sorts of characters in the city but that is a city. You and she don't need to be worried, as long as she is aware of her surroundings.

Why doesn't she use Google Streetmaps to look at the route to her hotel? She can view the streets and landmarks so she knows exactly where she is going. I always do that when I don't know a place.

Getting to Man Met is easy the next day-- go back to piccadilly gardens, the side which has a tesco and spa, a Bullgogi restaurant on the corner and the big ugly Mercure hotel. She can get any bus 142, 42, 143, 43, 250, 84, 85 and it will go right past there. Or the free bus but that goes everywhere else in the world too and potentially the stops are less clear. It is even walkable easily from Piccadilly Gardens if she uses her phone and very safe, busy main streets etc.

If you want to message me the approximate place she is staying I can advise on how best to safely walk there, I have lived in and worked in Manchester for years at the uni so have seen many open days! Manchester is great.

It will be busy, there are streetlights and cctv, she has a mobile phone you probably track.

Just tell her to be aware of jer surroundings, not have earpods in etc.

Google maps works great for walking directions and public transport. Tells you exactly which stop, what bus number, when it’s due. Also Bee Network app for Manchester specific public transport guidance

Thanks, I did look on google maps today. She’s staying at the Motel One Piccadilly and on google maps the entrance is shown as Whitworth St, but the actual address is London Road, so that’s confusing for a start! I tried a virtual walk, but couldn’t follow it easily. I’m assuming there is more than one exit from the train station, as it’s a really big one, so maybe that’s where I went wrong.

OP I hear your concerns which I feel are valid as based on your experience. It’s normal. It’s an unfamiliar city. The city centre is busy all the time these days as so many people live in town. Just apply normal common sense for any city. Good advice on here and ignore people saying you over anxious

The entrance is on whitworth st for sure. Very close to the corner of London rd/whitworth St.

Buses which would take her to the Man Met area of Oxford Road include the 42 (heading to Stockport), 43 (Manchester Airport), 142 (East Didsbury), 111 (Southern Cemetery), 15 (Flixton), 85, 86 (Chorlton Bus Station). There are others too but she should be fine with any of the above as there are so many buses so frequently along that road. If she goes to Piccadilly bus station in Piccadilly gardens she can pick up any of them from there

I do live in a city - not London and Ubers are really cheap in Manchester and very quick to arrive too. Buses are fine to get around on.
Do parents not go on university tours these days? I remember my dad coming to all of mine.

I understand your worry about your daughter being alone in an unfamiliar city for the first time.

There are two main exits from Piccadilly railway station. One is next to the taxi rank on Fairfield St (at the junction of Fairfield St and London Rd, near a Costa and cash machine on Google maps) and the other is kind of up a side road/spur called Station Approach which runs from street level up to the station alongside London Road, which is a busy road.

I've just looked on Google maps. On Streetview, it looks like there's an entrance to the hotel on London Rd not far from the Fairfield St/London Rd entrance (?).

To get to the Oxford Rd campus of MMU, there are many, many, many buses from Piccadilly Gardens (I think 42,142,43,143 as well as several others, she can ask a bus driver there tomorrow. I'm sure they'll help). There are also regularly trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Rd stations, although the university is a walk or bus ride from the station.

From Manchester Oxford Rd station, which the buses mentioned above will pass) your daughter, should walk down the approach road (down the hill to the junction), turn right onto Oxford Rd so that Sainsburys and the Palace Theatre are both on her left, cross the main road (Oxford Rd) to the bus stops on the other side and then get the bus south away from the city centre towards the universities). She could also walk down the same road to the university. It's one straight road to where the Oxford Rd buildings are.

If she's going to the newish campus in Hulme, she will need to check which bus goes there (I think one is a Trafford Centre bus, but I'm not sure). It's potentially walkable but several blocks further so probably easier to get a bus or taxi the first time.

Google maps is usually pretty good at planning a route worth public transport.

Piccadilly Gardens is an absolute cesspit but outside of that she should be fine. I’ve been here two decades and the amount of aggressive begging in the city centre was getting ridiculous. I actually think it’s fallen away though.

If she's staying at Motel One she needs to follow the blue signs inside the station for buses and taxis, metrolink and way out (Fairfield St). She will have to go down some escalators within the station to get down to street level and will come out on the corner of Fairfield St/London Rd able to walk over London Rd and right towards Motel One. It will take her two minutes and she shouldn't have any hassle at all.

Try google mapsing a walking route from inside Picadilly (I chose Sainsbury's as a starting point as I know it's near the way out she needs to use). Most of her steps are within the station to get her down to street level. She will be absolutely fine to get to the hotel from the station, I promise!

Everyone else has explained the buses and google maps will see her right there, too.

ETA She doesn't need to go anywhere near Piccadilly Gardens on her walking route between station and hotel. The hotel is between the station and the Gardens so she's perfectly placed for getting transport the next day (I assume)

She can take a taxi from the station straight to her hotel. Part of the Bee bus network travels free between the main line stations in a loop so she could use that. There will be plenty of people around at the time when your DD is arriving so no worries. I lived near Manchetsre city center when I first arrived for uni and was on a very tough council estate. As for the beggers I always walked swiftly past without making eye contact. Dont feel bad about this. Many of them are not genuine homeless - especially in the city center. Picadilly Gardens can be intimidating so best to keep her phone out of sight and valuables close.