A brand new rental development that’s bringing the ‘co-living’ concept to Manchester city centre is nearing completion, as Square Gardens launches a show apartment giving a look inside its beautiful spaces.
The scheme between First Street and the Mancunian Way will provide more than 1,772 new homes, and will boast one of the largest outdoor green spaces in the city.
There’s a mixture of accommodation options too, from shared three to five bed co-living apartments to one-bed and studio apartments.
The co-living concept means that you can rent your own en-suite bedroom within a shared apartment. Renting a whole apartment solo can be intimidatingly expensive, so co-living is a much more accessible way to get yourself a foothold in the city centre.
It works much like student halls, but with considerably less alcopops (unless you’re still into those…)
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The spaces have been carefully designed to maximise space too, and come fully furnished.
One of the bedrooms in a co-living apartmentOne of the bedrooms in a co-living apartmentOne of the double bedrooms in the co-living apartments at Square Gardens in Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupBedroom options in Square Gardens’ co-living apartments. Credit: The Manc Group
Each en-suite room has huge wardrobes, under-bed storage and desks with more built-in storage.
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The apartments boast high specification living spaces with light, fresh and contemporary design with beautiful furniture pieces. Features include integrated appliances, comfortable living spaces, and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the southern side of Manchester city centre.
Then if you do want your own space completely to yourself, there are one-bedroom apartments and studios where you have your own kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom.
Each monthly rental fee includes all your utilities, super-fast WiFi, and access to the shared amenities across the neighbourhood.
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CGIs of how Square Gardens will look on completion. Credit: SuppliedCGIs of how Square Gardens will look on completion. Credit: SuppliedCGIs of how Square Gardens will look upon completion. Credit: Supplied
Square Gardens amenities for residents include a gym, wellness centre, and co-working spaces.
There are also lounges, a cinema room and a private dining area that you can book.
And the whole development is being built inside what will be the largest private landscaped garden in Manchester at 2.5 acres – which as those of us who already live in the city centre know, is a huge selling point.
There’ll be a series of community events, activities and clubs held for residents of Square Gardens, all year round.
The co-living kitchen inside the apartmentsCo-living shared apartments at Square GardensCommunal areas in Square Gardens’ co-living apartments. Credit: The Manc Group
Square Gardens is set to be the largest co-living development in the UK when it opens this September.
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The first phase of the Square Gardens development, known as Acer, is where the show apartment is located and is now available to view.
Hit theatre production set at a house party to visit Manchester on UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Alright then, 24 hour party people, we’ve found a theatre production you might like the sound of – it’s called The House Party, and it’s set in (you guessed it) a house party.
This smash hit production by pioneering theatre company Headlong is set to land at HOME in March as part of the arts venue’s 2025 theatre season.
It tells the tale of a wild 18th birthday party, where Christine is trying to pick up the pieces of her best friend, a newly-dumped Julie (who happens to be the birthday girl).
Themes of class, power and privilege are all explored with a raw intensity as the cast on stage plough through shots and dive head-first into a night that will change everything they know.
The House Party, which has received glowing reviews from previous showings, is filled with ‘privilege, desire and destruction’.
When it stops off in Manchester, its cast will include Bridgerton’s Sesley Hope as Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho) as Julie, and Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack, Patience) as Jon.
The ensemble of Frantic Assembly performers includes Ines Aresti, Oliver Baines, Cal Connor, Micah Corbin-Powell, Rachael Leonce, Jaheem Pinder and Jamie Randall.
The House Party is written by Laura Lomas and is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation.
It’s directed by Headlong’s artistic director Holly Race Roughan, who directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real.
The House Party. Credit: Ikin YumThe production will be at HOME. Credit: Supplied
Movement direction will come from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham.
Prior to the UK tour of The House Party, Headlong celebrated its 50 year anniversary, including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide.
The House Party will be at HOME in Manchester between 25 and 29 March, 2025 – you can get your tickets HERE.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff
Daisy Jackson
If you’re not a handy person, when something breaks, the temptation is often to abandon or bin it straight away.
But that’s just not how we’re gonna do it here in Greater Manchester any more, with the return of the annual Repair Week to help you learn valuable repair skills and save money at the same time.
Whether it’s tinkering with your bicycle, fixing up your small tech items, or having your furniture re-varnished and upcycled, there are so many places and people who are on a mission to help you fall back in love with your belongings.
There are even workshops to help you put flat-pack furniture together.
Taking place between 3 and 9 March, Repair Week will be the chance to learn skills, fix your stuff, gain repair confidence and find local fixers.
Events throughout the week (and beyond) will be hosted by community groups, businesses and plenty more.
You can sharpen knives, fix zips, and un-wobble chairs with a little hand from local repair heroes.
JillyGDesign Jewellery in Heaton Moor will fix up your sentimental and special jewellery items, while Rag Revival will help you turn unusable textiles into new creations with basic sewing skills.
There are repair cafes popping up all over Greater Manchester where you can take your belongings.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff. Credit: Supplied
Repair Week will highlight schemes like the Manchester Library of Things, where you can borrow the tools and equipment you need for those repair jobs at home.
During the week you’ll also be able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the incredible Renew Hub, the UK’s biggest reuse hub, where donated items are brought back to life.
Similarly, you’ll be able to get inside the textile recycling centre run by homelessness charity Emmaus Bolton, where you can choose your own fabric from the scrap store and turn it into a very handy draught excluder to keep costs down and your heat in.
Recycle for Greater Manchester’s Repair Week will take place between 3 and 9 March, with workshops, events and resources to help you revive your belongings.
Daisy Jackson -
20th March 2024 
