Heartland

As I'm not only visiting Leeds and there's a thread out there asking for top tips for Leeds visitors, I'd like to ask the same for Manchester. I'll be there the weekend after the Sisters gigs.

Any great ideas of places to go, eat, visit, drink, party?

Particularly outstanding record stores, excellent camera shops, historical music spots?

Thanks all!

whooo hah! so you're here on saturday & sunday 19th & 20th?

Any great ideas of places to go, eat, visit, drink, party?

our apartment

what kind of food you like? we have a big chinatown, and lots of thai and japanese places, loads of indian restaurants (go to rusholme), a few amazing greek, armenian, lebanese & turkish places, a couple of rather smashing mexican places...

so many to choose from

drink-wise, we tend to inhabit grand central or the salisbury, but they're grotty rock pubs so you might prefer someone funkier like any bars in the northern quarter (try odder, troff or black dog ballroom) or maybe some nice old boozers like the britons protection or even the salutation

actually, on the saturday night we're off to see a friend's band on a 'battle of the bands' type thing at a bar called 'night and day' on oldham street (near the records shops mentioned above)

Obviousman wrote:Particularly outstanding record stores, excellent camera shops, historical music spots?

records: vinyl exchange and piccadilly records, both on oldham street - practically facing each other

historical music spots: afflecks palace, the old factory office (now fac251 nightclub) & hacienda site (now the hacienda apartments) spring to mind, but there will be others

we need to chat...

Quiff Boy wrote:whooo hah! so you're here on saturday & sunday 19th & 20th?

Any great ideas of places to go, eat, visit, drink, party?

our apartment

we need to chat...

Don't stand near the window! Can't be safe tha' knaws If only you were here till the 24th I have a spare ticket for Copey on the 24th, I'd have pressganged you into attending

Debaser wrote:

Quiff Boy wrote:whooo hah! so you're here on saturday & sunday 19th & 20th?

Any great ideas of places to go, eat, visit, drink, party?

our apartment

we need to chat...

Don't stand near the window! Can't be safe tha' knaws If only you were here till the 24th I have a spare ticket for Copey on the 24th, I'd have pressganged you into attending

we havent got our copey tickets yet so we'll have your spare

Quiff Boy wrote:

Debaser wrote:

Quiff Boy wrote:whooo hah! so you're here on saturday & sunday 19th & 20th?
our apartment

we need to chat...

Don't stand near the window! Can't be safe tha' knaws If only you were here till the 24th I have a spare ticket for Copey on the 24th, I'd have pressganged you into attending

we havent got our copey tickets yet so we'll have your spare

But they're sold out.......so, which one of ya's gonna miss out? SHAME on you. I purpoisely bought a spare just incase 'someone' tried to get out of it. Looks like I'm gonna have to start buying extras in pairs

ar$e.

Saw the subject line and thought that someone was looking for a guide to the landfill sites for which Manchester is justly famous...

Quiff Boy wrote:whooo hah! so you're here on saturday & sunday 19th & 20th?

Yup, getting there Friday afternoon and flying home Sunday at 19h30.

Any great ideas of places to go, eat, visit, drink, party?

our apartment

what kind of food you like? we have a big chinatown, and lots of thai and japanese places, loads of indian restaurants (go to rusholme), a few amazing greek, armenian, lebanese & turkish places, a couple of rather smashing mexican places...

so many to choose from

drink-wise, we tend to inhabit grand central or the salisbury, but they're grotty rock pubs so you might prefer someone funkier like any bars in the northern quarter (try odder, troff or black dog ballroom) or maybe some nice old boozers like the britons protection or even the salutation

actually, on the saturday night we're off to see a friend's band on a 'battle of the bands' type thing at a bar called 'night and day' on oldham street (near the records shops mentioned above)

I'm curious when it comes to food, so I'm sure I'll find my way round all those countries And a wide array of drink places, sounds good too

Obviousman wrote:Particularly outstanding record stores, excellent camera shops, historical music spots?

records: vinyl exchange and piccadilly records, both on oldham street - practically facing each other

historical music spots: afflecks palace, the old factory office (now fac251 nightclub) & hacienda site (now the hacienda apartments) spring to mind, but there will be others

we need to chat...

Excellent We'll talk about it over a drink or two in Leeds, or I might be in touch before, we'll see I booked me a bed in a hostel for the nights, I think it's quite close to the record stores. Don't know if that is wise though

Thanks for all the great tips already

Debaser wrote:

Quiff Boy wrote:whooo hah! so you're here on saturday & sunday 19th & 20th?

Any great ideas of places to go, eat, visit, drink, party?

our apartment

we need to chat...

Don't stand near the window! Can't be safe tha' knaws If only you were here till the 24th I have a spare ticket for Copey on the 24th, I'd have pressganged you into attending

Oh, I've got Sisters gigs to see, you know, so I had to be home already that week Thanks though!

which hostel?

Hilton chambers. You haven't heard any horrible stories about it, I hope?

Old Trafford, The Theatre of Dreams, Imperial War Museum North, The Science Museum, Timperley Golf Course, Moss Lane

paint it black wrote:The Science Museum

we live around the corner from the museum of science and industry

Obviousman wrote:Hilton chambers

you're on the corner of oldham street then, 2 secs from night & day and both records shops... nice location

...and smack bang in the middle of the northern quarter (aka: NQ)

Sounds good to me. Think it'll be two and a half days well spent

I taught in Manchester (Salford technically) for five years and despite being a Leeds lad through and through I have to say Manchester relieves itself from a great height over pretty much everything Leeds has to offer. Mind you it is a bigger city centre so as well as having a greater range of interesting places to go it is much more spread out and has more than it's fair share of meat head bars. I went back there last Friday to see Wire and took in a meal in China Town plus Bar Fringe (one of my favourite Belgian bars in Manchester) and Lass O' Gowrie (pleasant pub near Oxford Road) which are both still reasonable places to go. Manchester Roadhouse is still staking a strong claim to be the worst venue ever though, and I include the Duchess in that list! I noticed Mr. Robb was there too but then I understand his presence at all gigs is something to do with the licensing arrangements? Barry?

Oooh, thanks for this!
Im in Manchester on Monday to see Chamelons Vox and was looking for touristy things to do!

Last time i was in Machester i stayed in a vegan housing co-op in Hulme- i have never needed a bag of cheesy chips and non-vegan chocolate cake so much in my life

Initially I thought i could spend a day in Manchester before going to Leeds. Manchester seemed rather interesting. Hopefully, another time...

The Marble Arch pub on Rochdale Road (just up from NQ) is well worth a visit, for the great inhouse ales (all vegetarian and mostly organic) and the fantastic building itself.

I would also recommend stopping by the People's History Museum at Spinningfields if you're interested in social history. They do a great latte too.

Obviousman wrote: excellent camera shops

Jacobs on Cross Street is pretty good

http://www.jacobsdigital.co.uk/t-store-manchester.aspx

Digital, ewww More looking for second hand kind of places to be honest

More thanks to all for the great tips, I've made a lot of notes from this thread already

there is/used to be a great record shop on Deansgate, a really big one that i always remember being covered with scaffolding, not sure if its still there though anymore., someone might know what it is/was called and actually be of some use...unlike me :/
hope you have a good time anyway its a fantstic city!

Obviousman wrote:Digital, ewww More looking for second hand kind of places to be honest

you have enuff cameras

Obviousman wrote:Digital, ewww More looking for second hand kind of places to be honest

ah, you'll be looking for the manc branch of London Camera Exchange then, Piccadilly Plaza or Real Camera on Dale St in the Northern Quarter

That's more like it

And I never, James