Property

This Manchester suburb has just been named one of the UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2024

Should have been even further up the list if you ask us.

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 21st November 2024

An annual poll has named the Manchester suburb of Didsbury spot among 70 locations said to be the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Greater Manchester has got lots to say for itself, especially with its diverse and unique cultural landscapes, as well as various vibrant communities, so it comes as no surprise that one of our beautiful suburbs has been voted in a list of the UK’s happiest places to live for this year.

The survey included submissions from 5,000 people and there’s a lot of love being shown to the neighbouring areas of Yorkshire like Doncaster, Bingley, and Harrogate – the lattermost placed in second in the entire country.

But, ranking 62nd out of a possible 70 places, the distinct and vibrant area of Didsbury has been noticed by Furniturebox as one of the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Credit: The Manc Group

The results took into consideration good state schools, affordable housing, as well as accessibility to pubs, bars, restaurants, independent shops, retailers and more.

ADVERTISEMENT

With multiple parks, walking destinations, and top-notch travel links with Bee Network trams and buses easily taking you back into the city centre and out to other boroughs, East, West and Didsbury Village all remain some of the most sought-after areas in the region.

There’s a whole host of indie retailers to enjoy, especially on the likes of the main high street and Burton Road, which effectively serves as its own cultural district, home to vintage clothing shops like Steranko, tailored styling opticians Fox Brothers and much more.

ADVERTISEMENT

Burton Rd also boasts countless fantastic food and drink spots like The Great Kathmandu, SANTÉ, Volta and Proove Pizza, just to name a few; we’ve spent plenty of time just on this stretch of Didsbury alone.

If you’ve spent even a little time in Dids, you’ll know there’s plenty going on and it’s certainly one our happiest places in all of Greater Manchester and therefore the UK.

You can also enjoy the famous ‘Didsbury Dozen’ right on your doorstep.

ADVERTISEMENT

Read more:

Elsewhere, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Shakespeare’s ever-romanticised hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon once again reigned supreme at the top of this list.

That being said, it’s refreshing to see that these locations weren’t entirely related to wealth and similar factors, the survey took affordability into careful consideration.

Cheshire was destined for success with its cracking views and grand properties, as the North West county made waves for the region managing to place in fifth position, holding up against Falmouth in Cornwall which placed in sixth.

Although not nabbing that all-important top spot, Didsbury is carrying the flag for 0161 and showing what all know to be true: Northerners do it best.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – The Manc Group

Property

A look at Embassy Village as construction on Manchester’s homeless housing project begins

Danny Jones Danny Jones Embassy Village for homeless people in Manchester work started

Work has officially begun on Manchester’s long-rumoured Embassy Village, a new living quarters designed specifically to house the local homeless community.

Set to be the largest purpose-built village of its kind in the UK, the hope is to provide short to medium-term housing for up to 40 rough sleepers in the Greater Manchester area.

Planning permission for the £4 million project proposed by the Embassy Charity was handed down back in 2021 and enabling works have been gradually taking place, with the land now fully prepped for construction to begin.

Officially breaking ground on Tuesday, 19 November, developers and regeneration specialists Peel Waters shared the first images from the site as well as concept artwork for what the district will look like once completed.

The 4.5-acre brownfield site sits beneath 22 railway arches just off the Egerton Street Bridge near Castlefield and the bustling Regent Road which heads towards Salford.

Designed to house homeless and vulnerable people living in and around Manchester within individual units, Embassy Village is a joint non-profit venture by both Peel Waters and well-known property company Capital&Centric.

Contractor Vermont Group will be taking on the construction for free, with around 50 organisations offering their services pro bono, including AEW Architects, Planit and Jon Matthews Architects, who helped design the living quarters and wider communal space from the ground up.

Aiming to create a genuinely beneficial community environment, with those staying there able to access green spaces, mini-allotment plots, sports facilities; counselling services, laundry rooms, computer spaces and tonnes more, they’ve come a long way from offering tour bus beds to the homeless.

Residents will also start off on the right path towards getting back on their feet and those staying there will be required to carry out six hours of training per week in things like shopping, cooking, budgeting and other key life skills.

Speaking on the first day of proper construction, Peel Waters‘ director James Whittaker said: “Today’s launch event is an important milestone, marking years of hard work and collaboration to deliver the UK’s first purpose-built community village…”

He went on to thank all of those who have backed the plans so far, including Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham, who has already applauded it as a “fantastic idea.”

With several local organisations either offering their help for free or contribute by donating to the project, the speed at which work can now move is increasing and it is expected that the 24 homes, as well as the central ‘village hall’ space, will be finished within the next 10 months.

The aim is for Embassy Village to be completed in its entirety by the end of 2025 and with more and more businesses being invited to help with the development along the way, the amount of resources and manpower is only looking like it will increase with approximately £1m still needed to fully bring it to life.

Read more:

Cooperating with the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, which specialises in helping the homeless through its ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, Embassy are now working on finding long-term funding for the village’s operational costs once it is up and running.

Another key benefactor is The Moulding Foundation, an organisation dedicated to alleviating social inequalities, who donated £3.5m to support the village’s construction.

Co-founder, Jodie Moulding, told Prolific North: “For most people, access to housing, healthcare, and education is a given – but for others, it is a privilege…

“It has taken an unbelievable amount of time, effort, and energy to get to this point, so finally breaking ground is a huge milestone for everyone involved in bringing Embassy Village to life.”

As for Embassy themselves the charity’s director, Sid Williams, added: “Special thanks go to Matt and Jodie Moulding for their financial backing and the teams at Peel Waters, Capital&Centric, the Mayor’s Charity and Manchester City Council for making this happen.”

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Peel Waters (supplied)

Property

Fancy living on one of Manchester’s most-sought after streets?

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Quick! A house on one of Manchester’s most sought-after streets has just gone up for sale and by owning it you can be a part of living history.

Anita Street near Ancoats is a real-life time capsule transporting residents and passers-by back to the 19th century.

Originally branded ‘Sanitary Street’ over the years the road has lost the ‘S’ and ‘ry’ parts of its name, making it sound much more homely.

The houses on this street were trailblazers back in the day, becoming the first council-owned housing to have a sewage system and indoor plumbing in Manchester, hence its old title.

Anit
A glimpse inside the communal living space at the Anita Street property.
Credit: Goodwin Fish (via Rightmove)

Now, you can get involved with creating your own future on this street with a listing for a house on this popular street uploaded at the start of this month.

The property, which is a spacious two-bedroom maisonette with parking, has a guide price of offers over £310,000.

The floor plan for this living space displays a very practical set-up with both bedrooms on the left-hand side and facilities such as the bathroom and kitchen on the right.

As you enter through the front door there is a corridor running through the whole property with a communal living room and second bedroom at the end of the hall-esque walkway.

anita street ancoats
The modern and sleek bathroom at Anita Street.
anita street properties manchester
Snug kitchen set-up at Anita Street.
With interiors like this to boot, it’s not hard to see why it’s one of Manchester’s most sought-after streets. (Credit: Rightmove)

This rare find is even available to first-time buyers or anyone looking for a buy-to-let opportunity in a location that has gained quite a big reputation for itself.

Although the exterior street and attached houses are very much original to their 1897 foundations, the surrounding areas offer a handful of cute vendors to visit and enjoy.

Whether you’re a coffee aficionado or pizza lover, being so close to Ancoats will come in handy with coffee shops and one of the OG Rudy‘s so close by.

It’s not the only property to have been recently listed on this rich road positively dripping with heritage.

Read more:

So whether you fancy your chances at bidding for this property in a stunning location or you’re just a nosy parker, you can have a look HERE.

You can also watch our Short Stuff on the historic Manchester street down below:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Rightmove

More Property

Audio

Oldham mansion that starred in an iconic pop music video is up for sale

Boroughs

10 hot properties for sale in Greater Manchester | November 2024

Cheshire

Inside the stunning £10m Cheshire mansion with an indoor pool and tennis court

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches