Before visiting Manchester, I stayed in London for almost 2 weeks and was pretty acclimatized to big city. The last-minute decision from my husband’s boss announcing he would be shifting from a big city to a smaller eclipsed my entire trip. However, Manchester shows otherwise.
My service apartment was located at the junction of Princess Street and Whitworth Street, within the city zone, and takes a 5-minutes walk to Metrolink and Piccadilly National Rail. I love convenience – great restaurants serving hot buffets of oriental and Indian cuisines, Cineplex, fast foods, groceries were just round the corners.
On the same night, I searched the Internet for more information about Manchester. It totally astounded with its culture, heritage, and history. As compared to London, it was not any way disparaging. It has its own Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester Art Gallery, People’s History Museum, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Cathedral, and scrolling down the page it reveals tons of others. These attractions were connected by GMPT (Greater Manchester Public Transport) and a few minutes walk from tram or bus stations. Furthermore, better bargain lies ahead. Most of the museums were free of charge since years back.
It was the first brilliant Sunday when we decided to go for a stroll, sun high up in the impeccable blue sky, and almost windless. I was wearing layers of thick clothing, but that was replaced with a long-sleeve blouse and a fur vest as I ambled down to Piccadilly Garden with my husband, Del. Perfect weather for doing nothing; enjoy the rare sunshine beating down on you (for England was infamous for its gloomy and vile weather), the light breeze, and stay in a trance in front of the water fountains, which was highlight of the garden.
Abut to Piccadilly Garden was a long path, strictly for pedestrians, mounted with shops and restaurants on both sides. Tucked away in corner of the street vendors were selling "Jacket Potato" (baked potato), was one of the finest and popular demand foods among the locals.
The sky darkened after we spent a few hours indoors. En route to our apartment, we took a different route back. Mosley Street was an old road with quintessential European cobblestone walkway and in a distance was Manchester Art Gallery. Under the perennial moonlight and the archaic street lamps rising from the sidewalk, I felt a sense of history for being here.
Quick Tips:
For savings or adhering to your budget, trams and buses were the only transports to consider. It goes around the city zone and even to outer Manchester like to the towns of Trafford, Sale, and Greater Manchester.
There was no auto door at the train entrance, and you need not insert any Metrolink or tram tickets. Purchasing the ticket occurred only at the station platform, that was where you wait for the train. The system goes this way; either you get a free ride if there were no "surprise inspection," or you get embarrass and pay for a fine if you try to fool around with the ticketing system, meaning not possessing a valid ticket for that day.
To ensure riding quality and budgeting, it was best to purchase a Metrolink Max. You will be given unlimited rides for the day within the city zone and the outer zone, costing you no more than £3.90.
In certain circumstances, Metrolink Max ticket entitles you to a discount on shuttle buses. Let me state an example. Trafford Center falls out of the city zone—take the Altrincham line, drop-off at Stretford, and opposite of the station was the shuttle service to Trafford Center. By flashing my Metrolink Max ticket to the driver, which was good for the day, I was entitled to a discount of £1.
Unlike most subway tickets, the ticket here was a piece of thin, feathery-light, small rectangular paper, the date of purchased was printed overleaf in small black wordings. It may seem to be a piece of useless paper. But in certain times, as your luck get so high to encounter a tram inspector, this fragile ticket becomes so critical.
If you have deep craving for Asian cuisines, Manchester can offer you a lot more than you imagine. Most restaurants serve buffets, great varieties, and menu change once in a few days, or sometimes new recipes are added. The price for lunch and dinner differ £3 to £4, but varieties seem to be the same. Go for a sumptuous lunch buffet and hang on to light food for dinner, perhaps a better way to save money and promote good health.
In areas like Piccadilly, Salford Quays, Deangate, and City Centre, you can easily spot lavish Italian restaurants, health conscious or steadfast religious vegetarian dishes, and health-threat-looms fast food, a category I most prefer.
Best Way To Get Around:
Many attractions or museums were within walking distance. Manchester Art of Gallery was near to St. Peter’s Square; one station ahead towards Sale’s direction was G-Mex station, where Museum of Science and Industry can be found. A walk from station to station is possible if the weather goes smooth, otherwise why not capitalize the Metrolink Max you have purchased?
Old Trafford station was well known to the locals here, because it was home to the worldwide notable Manchester United Football Club. Purchasing tickets to the games needs to be planned a few months in advance, as the response to every game was too overwhelming! Most local supporters prefer to get a Seasoncard, which entitled them to discounts and securing their usual favorite seats.
Riding on Eccles line, it brings you to another part of Greater Manchester with an array of quays whereby Salford Quays, Exchange Quay, and Harbour City almost stood in one straight line on map. A developing area, with newly built, tall, contemporary residential apartments along the waterfront, and the impressive and award winning building in a dazzling waterside location—The Lowry; one of the most lofty art galleries in Britain, which advertises L S Lowry’s life and work.