Manchester’s newest apartment building is ready to welcome its first residents from 16 July, as The Castings shows off its completed interiors.
This design-led development has 352 homes, ranging from well-thought-out studios to spacious three-bedroom apartments.
And The Castings residents also have access to some of the best amenities in the city, from a panoramic rooftop terrace to private dining spaces to a work hub, plus a gym and fitness studio.
It’s right in the heart of Piccadilly East, a neighbourhood that was recently named one of the best places to live by the Sunday Times, with venues like Diecast, Ducie Street Warehouse, and even Co-op Live on the doorstep.
Residents will also be at the heart of the city’s vibrant craft beer scene – brewery taprooms like Cloudwater and Track are just across the road and it’s only a short stroll from Freight Island too.
The Castings is a brand-new Build To Rent community for the city, owned by the same group behind the luxury 5-star Lowry Hotel.
Its apartments have been finished to the highest standards with huge bedrooms with massive built-in wardrobes, well-equipped kitchens complete with top-of-the-range appliances, and stunning living spaces that are flooded with natural light.
A typical day for residents at The Castings could start with a workout in the building’s own gym, kitted out with Technogym equipment that includes a free weights zone, squat rack, and cardio equipment, or taking on a class in the studio where virtual instructors are available seven days a week.
Then there’s an on-site home working hub with 12 desk spaces, three private booths, and a bookable meeting room, plus a media room with a huge sofa.
Just off the working hub is one of several roof terraces which looks out over a small but green square below.
Click or swipe through the gallery to see inside The Castings apartments in Manchester
A roof terrace at The CastingsThe studios at The CastingsThe studio kitchenA bedroom in a studio at The CastingsThe living room in a one-bedroom apartmentThe kitchen/dining room in a one-bedroom apartmentThe kitchen/dining room in a two-bedroom apartmentA bedroom in the two-bedroom apartmentA bedroom in the two-bedroom apartmentAn en suite bathroomThe kitchen/dining room in a two-bedroom apartmentThe 21st floor private dining roomViews from The CastingsThe 21st floor private dining roomThe reception area at The CastingsThe reception area at The CastingsA residents’ lounge at The CastingsThe gym at The CastingsThe gym at The CastingsThe Working Hub
A residents’ lounge is fitted with a pool table and a variety of board games, and is decorated with beautiful furnishings, pink walls, and cosy rugs, leading out to an even bigger roof terrace that includes huge double-bed-sized swinging lounge chairs.
The pièce de résistance of The Castings is its 21st-floor rooftop terrace, which has unobstructed views right across Manchester.
Unlike the now-towering skyline of the southern edge of the city, The Castings stands in the exciting Piccadilly East neighbourhood and there’s nothing to block your view.
From one side you can see across the Etihad Stadium and all the way to the Peak District, while other apartments have views of landmarks like the Town Hall, Deansgate Square, the Corn Exchange and the canals snaking past down below.
Residents can book a stylish private dining room up here for entertaining loved ones, with space for up to 10 guests plus a lounge space.
On the imminent launch, The Castings community manager, Dave Evans, comments: “We’re really excited to welcome new residents into The Castings.
The focus for us has been to create much more than just apartments; it’s an experiential way of living and we can’t wait to host our official launch party where the community can celebrate the neighbourhood’s newest addition.”
To celebrate the opening, The Castings is hosting a free launch event for the local community and residents on Friday 19 July from 5pm till late.
With music, food and drink provided by local vendors, the party will start in The Castings’ reception area and later on in the evening make its way up to the panoramic roof terrace on the 21st floor. You can reserve your free spot here.
Prices for the new build-to-rent scheme start from £1,180 per month for a studio apartment, £1,310 for a 1-bed apartment, £1,525 per month for a 2-bed and £2,165 for a 3-bed apartment.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Property
Inside this Victorian mansion with 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and more near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
There’s a million-pound Victorian-style mansion that has 10 bedrooms and its own personal swimming pool just outside of Greater Manchester.
Just like the childhood nursery rhyme, “There were three in the bed and the little one said… there’s another seven beds, roll over!” or at least that’s how they remember it in this character property.
Located in Warrington, less than an hour away from Manchester city centre, this property is a semi-detached Victorian property built in 1860, with 10 bedrooms and its own private swimming pool, all spread across four floors.
As soon as you enter the foyer, your eyes are drawn to the sleek silver chandelier before you notice the grand staircase, which feels like a piece of living history.
Inside this Victorian mansion with 10 bedrooms and a swimming pool near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market)
The ground floor hosts two of a whopping 10 bedrooms alongside a teal-toned farmhouse-style kitchen and that extremely impressive swimming pool with its own built-in projector.
In the kitchen, the focal point is the large wrap-around kitchen unit, which is accompanied by a variety of hanging lights and a big central island.
On the way to the swimming pool, there are a handful of lockers identical to those found in a leisure and as you enter the room, your eyes are drawn to the island-inspired feature wall.
Venture upstairs to the first floor and you’re greeted by five spacious bedrooms with one having its own en-suite while the rest share a main bathroom.
Each of these bedrooms follows a completely different design style, with the largest following a muted grey palette with pops of yellow thanks to the artwork and bed accessories.
The grand staircase and one of ten bedrooms inside this Victorian mansion near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market
As you go upstairs again, you’ll find (you guessed it) even more bedrooms, three to be exact, with the standout
The stand-out of this second floor is the navy-walled bedroom with a vintage vanity unit, patterned floor-to-ceiling curtains and a similarly dark-blue rug to match its four walls.
Another flight of stairs and you’ve finally reached the top of this property, and there’s an LED-lined ceiling and a neutral bedroom colour scheme of greys, whites and everything in between.
There are various amenities nearby, including three schools and three train stations… for if you get fed up of strolling around your four-floored ten-bed, swimming pool-owning mansion.
Two contrasting bedrooms found within this Victorian mansion near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market
We know this property may not be in the price range and might not be affordable for a lot of readers, ourselves included, but we can dream, right?
You can check out this Victorian mansion and flick through even more pictures of this property – Snooping never hurt anybody? Official site HERE.
As always, make sure to check out The Manc‘s property page to check all the other stunning structures currently on sale/in progress across Greater Manchester and in the nearby North West.
No-phones nightclub Amber’s has announced it is relaunching its second room
Danny Jones
Manchester’s famous no-phones nightclub, Amber’s, is preparing for a relaunch of its second room, just over half a year on from the venue’s opening week.
The smash hit, semi-censored space, which enforces a strictly no-device policy to ensure those in attendance maximise their amount of in-the-moment enjoyment without any risk of distraction, has just announced that they will be reworking ‘Room 2’.
Confirmed just in time for the rest of summer ‘season three’, where plenty of people will be opting to rave instead of splash their cash on Oasis and/or festival tickets, the soon-to-be-refreshed space will partner with audio specialists to provide an experience set to rival the main room.
Sharing a post featuring blueprints for the fixtures and some of the top-end equipment, new-look second room opens its doors early next month.
Writing on social media, the venue wrote: “Amber’s is proud to announce the relaunch of Room Two, featuring a brand new custom soundsystem designed by Norwegian pro-audio specialist NNNN and OJAS, and installed by Neuron Audio Visual.
“The collaboration between Amber’s and NNNN is the first time that the Oslo-based company, which specialises in innovating the future of audio, has created a speaker system for use in the UK. Amber’s will be the first venue in the country to house the state-of-the-art system.”
“The partnership furthers our commitment to world-class sound and creating a truly unique club space in the heart of Manchester. Room Two also now boasts a brand new lighting system and has received bespoke acoustic treatment.”
Reacting to the news, plenty of punters and artists alike are already stoked to see what they have in store; promoters ABB Events simply said, “We can’t wait to test this out 26 September.”
Speaking to The Manc, a regular visitor of Amber’s Manchester told us: “Room Two at Amber’s always felt a little forgotten – a space with potential, but lacking the same pull as the main room. With this new Soundsystem they’re putting in, it finally feels like it’s getting the love it deserves.”
While we understand the urge to document those ‘unforgettable’ gig moments – that does kind of go against what we build them up to be, hence why the Amber’s concept has gone down so well.
Teasing a lineup of “the best in house, techno and groove”, Amber’s Room Two 2.0 will debut on 2 August, and regulars are buzzing for it.
As always, the headliner remains unannounced to keep that allure, as well as that further added feeling of anticipation and excitement.
Daisy Jackson -
4th July 2024 
