Daniel

I am traveling to Manchaster, England for business and only have a few days. Do you have any suggestions for things to see and do and places to eat??? Thank You in Advance.

Nigel Doran

Glad to see you are going to somewhere that is not a traditional 'honeypot' tourist location. <BR> <BR>Manchester is on a roll right now. It has the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and parts of the city centre are being spruced up big time. It has more of a continental feel than other cities due to its having a new tram system. It is also seriously trendy with lots and lots of pop bands hailing from there. <BR> <BR>The city has lots of history. I have hear say that without Manchester (the city being here used as a symbol of something much bigger, like the industrial revolution) the U S A would not exist as it does today. Cotton was king and money was made. Poverty was rife also. <BR> <BR>The city centre was hit by a big I R A bomb, but from the ashes a new city centre has risen. There are shops and bars and restaurants galore. Just walking around and lifting your eyes will treat you to some very good Victorian architecture. If you read up a bit about the history first you would get MUCH more out of the visit. <BR> <BR>Use the city as a base for trips to Chester, Liverpool or York. All these are within 90 mins by the train. <BR> <BR>See the Industry museum and check out the new Lowry Centre. Lowry was a famous, working class artist whose distinctive 'matchstick men' figures earned him the scorn of the art world when he was new to the art scene. The fact he has an internationally-acclaimed museum now dedicated to him kind of tells you how wrong those critics were. <BR> <BR>I am sure if you do a Manchester tourism search you will come up with a lot to look at. Also try www.bbc.co.uk/ and click on Manchester on the 'where you live bit. (Lots of cities are listed here.) <BR> <BR>Foodies should try to eat at Yang Sing in the 'Chinatown' area or take a taxi to Rusholme to eat at authentic Asian restaurants (south Asian.) Try to avoid weekend nights after the pubs close though! It can get boisterous and sometimes even unpleasant. And try Boddington's beer. It is not a lager but a bitter, but it is not really that bitter. It is brewed there and is lovely!

Claire

Also, if you have transport, and like the countryside, you will be very close to some of England's most beautiful open spaces - the Peak District (less than one hour drive) and the Lake District (about 1.5 hours). North Wales is not too far away as well. <BR>

Stephen

Although I shouldn't be suggesting this, as a die-hard Liverpool fan, if you have any interest in sports or soccer, I would visit Old Trafford, home of Manchester United (just remember that also Man United is the most successful British team in recent times, Liverpool is most successful British team ever. Thank you.). I think there's a museum in the stadium, and I've heard the tour's pretty good.

janis

If you're interested in sports - definitely Old Trafford. Otherwise - the new city centre is great. <BR> <BR>Rent a car and head out to the Peak District and Chatsworth - the largest Private home in the UK with fabulous grounds and art and antiques. York is a wonderful place - the midieval city wall, the minster (one stained glass window is the size of a tennis court!), the shambles, the 1st or 2nd best railroad museum in the world (depending on how you rate the one in Sacramento). And York is easily reached by car or train.

Paul

Take a look at http://www.ukattraction.com/north-we...manchester.htm for a few ideas... <BR> <BR>Paul <BR>