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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Molly-Mae Hague revisits first Manchester flat, now on the market for £185k
Daisy Jackson
Molly-Mae Hague’s first Manchester flat is now on the market for £185k – and the star herself has paid a visit to her old digs.
Those who have been following Molly-Mae since before she shot to serious fame on Love Island will have recognised the backdrop of her recent TikTok video.
The 27-year-old reality TV star and businesswoman posed around the one-bedroom flat, dancing to Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘House Tour’.
The apartment is where she lived just before entering Love Island, and where she and now-fiance Tommy Fury lived briefly when they left the show.
And now that exact flat where she really launched her social media career has been listed for sale, at £185,000.
The corner apartment stands on the 17th floor of Islington Wharf, overlooking New Islington tram stop and right on the doorstep of Ancoats.
Her former landlord, who arranged for Molly-Mae to have one look around her old flat before it’s sold, said that she was a ‘lovely, polite and down-to-earth young woman, and an excellent tenant who looked after the apartment extremely well.’
The one bedroom apartment has double-aspect floor-to-ceiling windows which look across Manchester on one side, and out towards the Pennines on the other.
It’s listed for sale with no chain and the option to include existing furnishings (which seems to include the same couch Molly-Mae had at the time).
The flat also has a kitchen/living space, a communal garden, superfast broadband, and is within walking distance of Manchester Piccadilly.
New measures announced to tackle ‘rogue’ landlords across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A cohort of trained enforcement officers are set to hit the streets in all 10 boroughs to help improve the lives of the region’s renters.
Forming part of Greater Manchester‘s commitment to the highest-quality housing standards alongside the Good Landlord Charter, the newly trained enforcement officers will be tasked with protecting tenants, joining Council teams in checking rental properties, bringing enforcement action against bad landlords, and cracking down on illegal practices.
The introduction of the new enforcement officers comes after what has been ‘years of sustained pressure’ on local budgets.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says it is working with the 10 councils across the region to strengthen local teams, rebuild in-house skills and expertise, and ensure that powers can be applied with consistency in all boroughs.
As mentioned, this is happening alongside the Good Landlord Charter – which is GMCA’s ‘bold approach’ to drive up standards for renters across the region.
Landlords of more than half of rented properties in Greater Manchester have now signed up as supporters of the Charter, and as supporters, they have committed to going above and beyond legal minimums to improve the renting experience for hundreds of thousands of people.
“A safe place to call home is the cornerstone of a happy, healthy life,” explained Mayor Bev Craig. “But for years, people have felt trapped in poor-quality housing, and cash-strapped councils were unable to step in to help. I’m putting an end to that.
“We know there are plenty of good landlords in Greater Manchester, and many of them have already signed up to our Good Landlord Charter, but too many are just not good enough.
“That’s why we’re deploying a new generation of expert housing officers onto the streets of our towns and cities.”
Mayor Bev Craig declared that she ‘won’t stand by and let rogue landlords take advantage of people’.
She continued: “By empowering renters, working with responsible landlords, and using our powers to crack down on the bad ones, I will make sure everyone in Greater Manchester has the foundation for a good life.”
Daisy Jackson -
4th July 2024 
