We’re the envy of the England, right now. With all the unique developments popping up left, right and centre, who wouldn’t want to live in Manchester?
City centre living in the capital of the north just keeps on getting bigger, better and more exciting – and no new neighbourhood encapsulates this better than Circle Square.
Vita Living at Circle Square offers residents unrivalled design, space and location in the heart of M1 set in the latest dynamic district – comprising of beautiful modern apartments nestled in a village atmosphere.
There’s also a range of independent artisan coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and retailers surrounding the landscaped five-acre hub – turning Circle Square into its very own bustling Mancunian community.
Vita Living
Each Vita Living apartment is finished to the highest specification, boasting open plan layouts, extended ceiling heights, tailored kitchens with a full suite of appliances, built-in wardrobes, floor-to-ceiling windows, Juliet balconies, and a ratio of 1:1 bathrooms per bedroom, which means no more waiting for the shower.
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All apartments are pet-friendly and come fully-furnished with free super-fast WiFi as standard.
There’s also the option to choose from four distinctive interior design style routes too, which are inspired by European cities – Classic, Oslo, Berlin, and Milan.
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There’s so much more home that extends beyond your apartment as well – including Manchester’s newest green space in your back garden.
Providing a safe environment that offers residents an extensive amount of space to relax, dine, socialise and work in, the building is managed 24 hours a day with a dedicated residence team who provide a constant sense of security.
As a resident of Vita Living, you’ll be part of a unique and vibrant community where your neighbours include museums, famous music venues, street food hot spots, some of the city’s best bars, and a host of incredible restaurants.
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Think early morning HIIT classes, brunches with friends, VIP parties, family picnics, cookery classes and more.
Vita Living
Not only that, but Vita Living is also better kitted-out for work than most offices too.
So if you’re self-employed, a freelancer, or just need the occasional at-home working day with no distractions, there’s a choice of fit-for-purpose work spaces to make the most of on-site.
All communal spaces are completely flexible and designed to make the most of everyday life giving you so much more than apartment.
And, as well as all of the above, there’s parking available for residents, too.
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Vita Living is set to open in January 2021.
Studio (39m²)
One Bedroom (44m²)
Two Bedroom (66m²)
Three Bedroom (89m²)
Descriptions of each apartment and floorplans / layouts can be viewed here.
Reservations are now open. You can click here to register your interest and book an appointment, or you can find more information, FAQs and step-by-step reservation processes – as well as details on deposit payment schemes, credit checks and move-in procedures – via the Vita Living website.
Don’t forget to follow Vita Living and Circle Square on Instagram too for all the latest updates.
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Vita Living, Circle Square, Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 7ED
Greater Manchester town named one of Britain’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2026
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in Great Britain for 2026 have been named, and the north is well represented.
Just as it has done for the last 13 years now, Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index, which explores exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlights the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year.
This year, thousands of residents across more than 200 locations told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community – from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlines the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
And among the top 10 happiest places to live, Rightmove has selected five northern towns for the list, including two here in the North West – and, crucially, one in Greater Manchester.
Altrincham was named the sixth happiest place to live in Britain.
Altrincham has been named one of Britain’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The Trafford town often gets its name thrown around in conversations like this, and with the variety of homes available, plenty of good local schools, great access to green space, and an ever-expanding retail environment and dining scene in the town centre – including the popular Altrincham Market, and the Stamford Quarter – it’s really not hard to see why.
Rightmove said that the average house price in Altrincham in 2025 was £643,244 and the average rental price (per calendar month) was £2,698, which does put the town up there with most most expensive in our region, it has to be said.
Elsewhere on the top 10 list, it was the popular Yorkshire town of Skipton that took the crown as Britain’s happiest place to live.
Macclesfield in Cheshire was the other North West inclusion at number seven, and then the other northern towns ranked in the top 10 are Harrogate at four and Hexham, in Northumberland, at number 10.
When it comes to the wider rankings, and the North West ranking as a whole, no other Greater Manchester town made it into the region’s top five, however Stockport did find itself in the North West’s top 10 in the sixth spot.
A sense of belonging and wellbeing, and how the environment shapes daily life were highlighted as major influencing factors on the top 10.
But Rightmove did admit that this year’s survey showed there are many different layers that combine to influence what is or isn’t a happy and fulfilling lifestyle.
“Interestingly, this year’s survey shows that our happiness with where we live often grows with age,” Rightmove said of this year’s Index.
“Residents aged 18-24 were the least likely to say they felt happy where they live. Happiness then increases through the age brackets, with those aged 65 and over being the most likely to feel happy with where they live.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
Property
Manchester’s iconic Rylands building is being reborn – and the developers want to hear from you
Daisy Jackson
Manchester’s iconic Rylands building, formerly home to the Debenhams department store, is being reborn.
And now the developers working on its new chapter want Mancunians to weigh in on which businesses we want to see in the landmark building.
The transformation of Rylands Manchester will honour the heritage character of the building, which dates back to 1932, but will introduce contemporary design and a list of residents that’s bang up to date for our modern city centre.
The plans include building a four-storey extension with panoramic city views and a bright, central atrium. When it completes, this Grade II-listed art deco building will bring together workspace, retail, and leisure, right at the beating heart of town between the Northern Quarter, Piccadilly, Manchester Arndale, and the central business district.
Standing proudly at the top of Market Street, this next era for Rylands will establish it as an exciting new destination in the heart of town when its phased completion begins from late 2026.
Already confirmed to be moving in is Market Place Food Hall with its first northern location, which has signed on for a 15 year lease to occupy the ground floor of Rylands.
Market Place Food Hall is already confirmed to be moving into RylandsRylands is entering a new era
But now Rylands are putting it back to locals to ask what shops, restaurants, or cafes we’d love to see moving in.
It could be a high street hero you’ve loved for years, an independent business you’ve fallen for, or a foodie spot you return to time and time again.
Your ideas could help to shape the future of this landmark building and make it a destination us Mancs can be proud of.
And if you submit your suggestions in the comments of THIS Instagram post, you could be in with a chance of winning a £100 Love2Shop voucher (make sure you’re following @Rylands_manchester for a chance to win).
Emily Sergeant -
15th December 2020 
