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Manchester Stories

Features, journalism and guides about the city we love. Updated every day.

The Northern Quarter: Manchester’s Creative Quarter in 2026

The Northern Quarter: Manchester’s Creative Quarter in 2026

From its textile warehouse past to its position as the city's creative heartland.

Gerald Drake - 20 March 2026 - 5 min read

Best Pubs in the Northern Quarter 2026

4 min read

The Northern Quarter has too many bars and not all of them are good. Here are the pubs that have earned their reputation - real ale, live music, honest atmosphere - and why the rest of the strip is mostly avoidable on a weekend.

Gerald Drake - 18 May 2026

Best Coffee in Ancoats – Manchester’s Café Strip

3 min read

Ancoats has the best coffee in Manchester. That's not a particularly contested claim. The concentration of serious cafes in a few streets around New Wakefield Street and Blossom Street is better than anywhere else in the city centre.

Gerald Drake - 18 May 2026

Best Bars on Deansgate – The Full Strip

4 min read

Deansgate is Manchester's longest bar street, running from the train stations at the south end up to Spinningfields. It has some of the best bars in the city and some of the worst. This guide tells you which is which.

Gerald Drake - 17 May 2026
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About MCR │ Everything Manchester

MCR is Manchester's all-in-one city guide and events platform. We list thousands of events in Manchester every month, from live music and club nights to restaurant openings, art exhibitions and sport fixtures across Greater Manchester. Whether you're looking for free things to do or planning a weekend in the city, MCR has you covered.

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From the independent shops and street art of the Northern Quarter to the canal-side restaurants of Ancoats, the cocktail bars of Deansgate and the village charm of Didsbury. Explore every corner of Manchester with our neighbourhood guides, curated city stories and real-time what's on listings.

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