The transformation that’s taken place in parts of Manchester in recent years is staggering, from huge skyscrapers to ultra-modern office blocks – but it’s part of the old university campus that’s gone undergone the most impressive makeover of all.
Kampus has taken part of the old Manchester Metropolitan University campus and turned it into a bustling neighbourhood that prides itself on its lifestyle offering.
There’s obviously the restaurant and bar scene that’s taking shape around the central garden, which shows off some of the city’s best operators.
But residents of the beautiful and modern apartments also have access to a gym that rivals the commercial gyms in town, a cinema room, private dining spaces and terraces.
The food and drink scene at Kampus
Kampus has already drawn on some seriously big local names from around Greater Manchester, with plenty more to come.
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Nell’s – the New York-style pizzeria from the team behind Common & Co – was in first, with its huge, glass-fronted restaurant and bar.
Then came more – Yum Cha, with its incredible menu of dim sum; Beeswing, where it’s all about the wine and the small plates; Pollen, the award-winning bakery with giant loaves and perfect croissants.
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Most recently, Great North Pie joined the Kampus neighbourhood, serving its incredible pies that are stuffed with ingredients from around the north west.
And the hoardings are up for others still to come, like queer cocktail den Red Light and the new ‘creative destination’ Maker’s Quarter.
The amenities at Kampus
The cinema at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
Renting a flat at Kampus doesn’t just get you a flat (though, those are pretty special) – it also gets you access to all the amenities built here by developers Capital & Centric and HBD.
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Residents can rent out the private cinema room for movie nights or to watch major sporting fixtures with friends and family.
There are also private dining spaces to help you step up your dinner party game (we all know the struggles of trying to host a big dinner in a one-bedroom apartment), which has a high-spec kitchen as well as huge dining tables.
The lounges and terraces around Kampus are there for residents to socialise and relax together, including rooftop spaces.
At ground level, it’s all about the canal-side garden that’s open to all and surrounded by restaurants, bars and cafes. Huge green plants pour out over the footpaths and benches and in summer, the garden is always hosting some sort of pop-up event.
And there’s Little David Street, a once-forgotten cobbled street that was closed completely for over a decade, but is now restored to even-better-than-its-former glory and steadily filling up with cafes.
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The Kampus apartments in Manchester
Inside Kampus in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Kampus has five pet-friendly buildings centred around the garden, each one offering something a little different.
The Grade II-listed Minshull Warehouse was once a Victorian shipping warehouse, now turned into an apartment building that still shows off its original features. There are similar homes in the Minto & Turner historic red-bricked warehouse.
The original 1960s tower block has been upgraded – ‘a tamed brutalist beast’ – with modern interiors but still original touches like exposed concrete and original waffle ceilings.
Then there are the North and South blocks, the former topped with a rooftop village of Dutch houses that have transformed the skyline.
To find out more about Kampus and to book a viewing, visit kampus-mcr.co.uk.
Featured image: The Manc Group
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Curious mini Mancs called on to help fix ‘special machine’ at Science and Industry Museum
Emily Sergeant
Curious mini Mancs are being called on to head down to one of Manchester’s most-visited museum’s to help fix a “special machine”.
With schools across Greater Manchester gearing up have two-weeks off over Easter very shortly, leaving many parents, carers, and guardians with the task of keeping the kids entertained and educated at the same time, the Science and Industry Museum has, thankfully, just announced a wide range of events and activities especially for the holidays.
And a good chunk of the events planned over the next couple of weeks are actually open to getting involved with for completely free of charge.
The museum, which is based right in the heart of Manchester city centre, is giving families the chance to “spring into action” as it hosts a full programme of “curious contraptions, dynamic demonstrations, and immersive experiences” over the next three weeks.
Kicking off this Friday (23 March) and running right through to 14 April, the Science and Industry Museum is inviting “inventors and tinkerers of all ages” down to explore the world of magnificent machines during the jam-packed half term.
Some of the activities on the lineup include creating a giant marble run, experiencing the thunderous sounds of Greater Manchester’s historic mill machinery, and venturing on a mission to explore mechanics around the museum, as well the opportunity to visit the two of its most talked-about exhibitions that are currently running – Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, and Power UP.
Machines are at the heart of many of the stories told at the Science and Industry Museum, which is why one of the most intriguing events on the Easter holidays lineup this year has to be the chance for young inventors to join the museum’s team of Explainers and “embark on a mission to mend a special machine” and search for pieces to help fix an engine.
Curious mini Mancs are being called on to help fix a ‘special machine’ at the Science and Industry Museum / Credit: Science Museum Group
Visitors can also “turbo-charge their tinkering” by experimenting with a giant up-cycled marble run created by Wild Rumpus, and “combine their creativity with the forces of gravity and friction” to build their own circuits and mechanisms.
There’ll also be plenty of demonstrations of the museum’s historic textiles machinery over the next three weeks too, so visitors can be transported to the past and learn what life was like for Manchester’s factory workers in the Industrial Revolution and the roles that people of all ages played in the production of cotton.
And of course, if you still haven’t yet been able to make the most of the museum’s most-visited exhibitions, then this Easter is your chance to do just that.
There’s a jam-packed lineup of FREE events at the museum this Easter holidays / Credit: Science Museum Group
World-premiere exhibition, Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, will be taking visitors on a digestive journey over the next three weeks, while the ultimate gaming experience, Power UP will also be open every day, with five decades of games to explore.
Both FREE entry tickets to the museum, and charged-for tickets for Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You and Power UP, can be booked now on the Science and Industry Museum website.
Find more about all the activities taking place at the museum over the Easter holidays here.
Featured Image – Science Museum Group
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First look at Manchester’s newest community of stunning ‘lifestyle-led’ apartments
Emily Sergeant
A new community of “lifestyle-led” apartments in one of Manchester’s most up-and-coming neighbourhoods is launching this week.
The apartment images and CGIs of the vibrant development have also just been released too.
The Castings is a brand-new ‘Build To Rent’ community of 352 apartments in Piccadilly East, which is often touted as one of Manchester‘s next-generation neighbourhoods.
The development – which is owned by CDL Hospitality Trusts (CDLHT), also known as the owners of the famous The Lowry hotel – is “bringing new life” to the up-and-coming neighbourhood near Manchester Piccadilly station with its range of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments.
Viewings of the show apartments will be ready to book from this week, all before the development is then set to open its doors to residents in June.
The Castings is a brand-new ‘Build To Rent’ community of 352 apartments / Credit: Supplied
Sitting at the heart of an area steeped in rich industrial history, the development’s name, The Castings, has been chosen to pay homage to its past, and derives from pouring molten metals and other materials into moulds.
The design-led apartments are also inspired by these industrial shapes, flowing forms, and molten textures, according to developers.
As well as the hundreds of stunning apartments, the new lifestyle-led development will also feature a wellness studio and gym, a games room, private dining spaces, a roof terrace, and a co-working hub too – with a collection of food and drink, and retail businesses set to open for both residents and anyone in the surrounding city centre area.
The development will become a focal point of the up-and-coming Piccadilly East neighbourhood once it opens / Credit: Supplied
The Castings will become a focal point of Piccadilly East once it opens.
Not only was it named by The Sunday Times as one of the best places to live last year, but Piccadilly East – which is conveniently-adjacent to Ancoats, New Islington, and the Northern Quarter – is already home to some of Manchester’s most popular food, drink, and live entertainment venues, and is soon to welcome the highly-anticipated Co-op Live arena, too.
“In just a couple of months, we’ll be welcoming residents into our new community,” The Castings community manager, Dave Evans, commented ahead of viewings of the show apartments launching this week.
The new lifestyle-led development will also feature a gym, games room, co-working hub, and more / Credit: Supplied
He continued: “The focus for The Castings has been to create much more than just apartments, it’s a whole new lifestyle, with the best service and living experience that Manchester has to offer.
“Piccadilly East is a really exciting area to be part of, as it’s the next generation of Manchester, and following on from the footsteps of Ancoats, we hope to help create the next bustling creative hub in the city.”
Viewings of The Castings’ show apartments are due to begin from Monday 18 March onwards, with prices expected to start from £1,150 per month for a Studio, £1,250 per month for a one-bed apartment, £1,525 per month for a two-bed, and £2,175 for a three-bed apartment.
With the first residents able to move into the apartments from June, you can now register your interest, book a viewing, and find out more on The Castings website here.