A neighbourhood in Greater Manchester has been named as one of the coolest in the world in Time Out‘s annual list.
Of the 51 locations on the list, 16 are in Europe, including one right on our doorstep.
In recent years, Ancoats has crept up lists of this type thanks to its surging food and drink scene and mass redevelopment, turning it from an industrial landscape into an urban paradise.
But it’s not actually Ancoats who got the recognition this time – instead, eyes have turned back to the Northern Quarter.
Time Out said that the pedestrianisation of the area, which started during the pandemic but has been made permanent, has made for a ‘fresher’ visiting experience, according to Time Out’s Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World list.
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The magazine also said that the area ‘always seems to be one step ahead’ when it comes to trends, and placed the Northern Quarter in 30th place.
Mackie Mayor got a name-check in the Coolest Neighbourhoods list. Credit: The Manc Group
In the listing, it praised the area’s independent businesses, name-checking Ezra and Gil, Oklahoma, Vinyl Exchange, Mackie Mayor and Band on the Wall.
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They wrote: “Despite ongoing competition from Ancoats next door, as far as we’re concerned the Northern Quarter has reclaimed the title of Manchester’s coolest neighbourhood for 2022.
“Stevenson Square and some surrounding streets have been permanently pedestrianised, making for a fresher stroll around the centre of the city’s café and bar culture, with its stunning mix of Georgian houses, Victorian pubs and modern hangouts.
“No matter what the trend, the Northern Quarter always seems to be one step ahead – whether it’s vegan dining, pop-up bars or even the street art adorning its walls and shop shutters.
“In fact these murals, part of the Outhouse Project supported by local art shop Fred Aldous, exemplify the neighbourhood: always changing and moving forward whilst remaining respectful of the past.
“The perfect day: Take breakfast with a strong coffee at Ezra and Gil, followed by a browse for quirky handmade knick-knacks in Oklahoma and a flick through the records at Vinyl Exchange.
“Spend the afternoon picking out something special in the Craft and Design Centre before heading to pioneering food hall Mackie Mayer for dinner.
“End the day with a gig at Band on the Wall before retiring to the best aparthotel in the city, Native.”
Time Out polled 20,000 city-dwellers and asked local experts to come up with the ranking, which had Colonia Americana in Guadalajara, Mexico in the top spot.
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The highest-placed UK neighbourhood on the coolest list was Cliftonville in Margate, which came eighth.
The other UK neighbourhoods that placed higher than the Northern Quarter were Shawlands in Glasgow (11th) and Walthamstow in London (17th).
Kelham Island in Sheffield also got a nod, placing in 35th.
Time Out also said: “‘Cool’ is probably the most subjective quality going. But the neighbourhoods we’ve featured below are, simply put, incredible places to be right now.
“They’re areas with accessible, cutting-edge culture and nightlife; brilliant and affordable food and drink; lively street life and big community vibes.
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“They’re distinctive districts that you can walk across in half an hour or less, but could spend a whole day or more exploring. They’re great areas for people to live, visit and stay.
“They’re places that mix up the best of the old and new schools. Locals love them, and you will too.
“These are the world’s coolest neighbourhoods right now. Let’s get exploring.”
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Daisy Jackson -
11th October 2022 
