The Student Room Group
University of Manchester
University of Manchester
Manchester

What's it like living in Manchester?

basically i like a chemistry course at manc uni... but what is the town like to live in? the course sounds ideal but i don't know about the city.


student life, niceness of city, clubs, transport, shopping, weather
(edited 12 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
At Manchester uni most of the student stuff is on the south end of oxford road and the actual city on the top end not a huge distance between the two but nice enough that you get a feeling of a student community. Personally I love it and hope to carry on and do a masters and PhD here.

What else do you want to know? your question isn't too specific.
University of Manchester
University of Manchester
Manchester
Reply 2
It's like this:

(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by Davidosh
At Manchester uni most of the student stuff is on the south end of oxford road and the actual city on the top end not a huge distance between the two but nice enough that you get a feeling of a student community. Personally I love it and hope to carry on and do a masters and PhD here.

What else do you want to know? your question isn't too specific.


sorry, edited

student life, niceness of city, clubs, transport, shopping, weather
Reply 4
Ok a lot of the above posts have to do with crime... All major cities have high crime rates: I live in London, and have yet to be shot or stabbed or raped or murdered. It's really about being sensible and just being "street-wise", use your common sense: don't walk about alone at night, don't flash your things esp if they're expensive; where you can, take back a licensed cab/the bus with a group of friends; if you're going out drinking maybe decide on one person who will stay at least somewhat sober in case anything happens - rotate this role; avoid dodgy areas even if you do go in groups. Many students go to Manchester and survive without a scratch. So ignore the fear mongering, just be sensible.

As for always raining up there as one poster said.. Yeah that's England for you really isn't it? Weather is a very trivial thing to put you off a university with such a great reputation and I've been up there 3 times - every time it was sunny..

The student area of Fallowfield is further down Oxford Road, and many students have said it's not that unsafe despite being near Moss Side; again just don't be silly and leave things unlocked.


But in general, people who have gone and studied in Manchester LOVE it and have the time of their lives: I'd say if the course is ideal, go for it. It's a lovely city, green (compared to London), fairly clean (again compared to London), and for the most part the Mancunians seem to be fairly friendly people (but again I'm speaking in the context of London, where people don't so much as look each other in the eyes).. I've firmed Manchester and I'm absolutely buzzing about going, I cannot wait :biggrin:
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by Bellissima
sorry, edited

student life, niceness of city, clubs, transport, shopping, weather


Student life: one of the best night lives in the UK, rumoured to be the best outside of London. As i said in the first post, I think the city is lovely but apparently town-gown relations aren't great.

Transport: buses are free for students (but you pay a £150 fee for the whole YEAR, saves a lot when you crunch the numbers).

Shopping... Well how much do you plan on doing? I'm sure all the high street brands are there, Topshop, New Look, M&S etc...
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 6
Original post by HighRoller
At night stay away from the northern quarters, printworks, piccadily, , mancunain way and salford (where that student got shot in the head). If you're living a little further up at the student residents don't go to moss side or Rushmore.

All these place are full of yobs.

And if you go to wilmslow road aka "curry mile" with your girlie friends for a ngiht out watch out far gangs of asian chavs. The place is teeming with them and they're well known to harrass women walking thorugh, esp if they're white.

Only nice place in the whole of manchester imo is Hale and surrounding areas and parts of town like deansgate. The rest is basically just infested with obnoxious bottom-feeding scum.

You make Manchester sound like its some urban crime infested and ugly jungle lol It's actually not a bad place.

And to those who say it rains a lot, yes it does just like most of England (maybe it rains slightly more than London but on MOST days it doesnt rain) and it can also get sunny and warm during Summer.
Reply 7
Original post by goussberry
Student life: one of the best night lives in the UK, rumoured to be the best outside of London. As i said in the first post, I think the city is lovely but apparently town-gown relations aren't great.

Transport: buses are free for students (but you pay a £150 fee for the whole YEAR, saves a lot when you crunch the numbers).

Shopping... Well how much do you plan on doing? I'm sure all the high street brands are there, Topshop, New Look, M&S etc...

Its £120 actually. And there are free buses which you don't even need a pass for however they aren't as frequent as the majestic Magic Bus :tongue:

There are lots of places to shop in, you have your typical high street style shops around Piccadilly (Topshop, Selfridges, Zara etc.) then you could go to Trafford Centre for more of those types of shops and theres also the Northern Quater which has more vintage and unusual style shops.

There's lots of places to eat, I tend not to go to the Curry Mile since the only place I think serves good food there is Shahi Masala, but if you want a quick take away style food then curry mile is pretty good.

There's lots to do in terms of sports, I dont like playing sports myself but from seeing so many societies I'm sure theres a huge variety around Manchester from rugby to bikram yoga.

Deansgate can a be nice place to stroll through on sunny days, and it has a good nightlife as do other places as well.

You can find lots of info on life in Manchester if you browse the Manchester uni page

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/studentlife/sociallife/
Reply 8
Original post by goussberry
Ok a lot of the above posts have to do with crime... All major cities have high crime rates: I live in London, and have yet to be shot or stabbed or raped or murdered. It's really about being sensible and just being "street-wise", use your common sense: don't walk about alone at night, don't flash your things esp if they're expensive; where you can, take back a licensed cab/the bus with a group of friends; if you're going out drinking maybe decide on one person who will stay at least somewhat sober in case anything happens - rotate this role; avoid dodgy areas even if you do go in groups. Many students go to Manchester and survive without a scratch. So ignore the fear mongering, just be sensible.

As for always raining up there as one poster said.. Yeah that's England for you really isn't it? Weather is a very trivial thing to put you off a university with such a great reputation and I've been up there 3 times - every time it was sunny..

The student area of Fallowfield is further down Oxford Road, and many students have said it's not that unsafe despite being near Moss Side; again just don't be silly and leave things unlocked.


But in general, people who have gone and studied in Manchester LOVE it and have the time of their lives: I'd say if the course is ideal, go for it. It's a lovely city, green (compared to London), fairly clean (again compared to London), and for the most part the Mancunians seem to be fairly friendly people (but again I'm speaking in the context of London, where people don't so much as look each other in the eyes).. I've firmed Manchester and I'm absolutely buzzing about going, I cannot wait :biggrin:

Aww you will love it! even when you are an old Magic Bus getting a leaflet from Magic Bus Lady (google her lol)
Reply 9
Original post by Luxray
Its £120 actually. And there are free buses which you don't even need a pass for however they aren't as frequent as the majestic Magic Bus :tongue:

There are lots of places to shop in, you have your typical high street style shops around Piccadilly (Topshop, Selfridges, Zara etc.) then you could go to Trafford Centre for more of those types of shops and theres also the Northern Quater which has more vintage and unusual style shops.

There's lots of places to eat, I tend not to go to the Curry Mile since the only place I think serves good food there is Shahi Masala, but if you want a quick take away style food then curry mile is pretty good.

There's lots to do in terms of sports, I dont like playing sports myself but from seeing so many societies I'm sure theres a huge variety around Manchester from rugby to bikram yoga.

Deansgate can a be nice place to stroll through on sunny days, and it has a good nightlife as do other places as well.

You can find lots of info on life in Manchester if you browse the Manchester uni page

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/studentlife/sociallife/


Ha yeah I read that link, it kept me buzzing all night.

And sorry, my bad abotu the bus price, I read somewhere else it was 150..close enough!

As for sports yeah I've read there's the Armitage Centre, and the Aquatics thing...
Reply 10
Original post by Luxray
Aww you will love it! even when you are an old Magic Bus getting a leaflet from Magic Bus Lady (google her lol)


Yeah I think I will :biggrin: it definitely seems my kind of place :smile:

is this what you mean? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZHK4YRspTo&feature=related
Student life - yeah, it's pretty awesome :smile: There are lots of great clubs and societies to join, although the union itself could be better.

Niceness of city - some of the areas that are nearby the university / student areas are probably best not ventured into at night. However, those are invariably the areas that you wouldn't have any real reason to go to anyway (Longsight, Moss Side etc.). A great many students never leave the 'Oxford Road corridor' - that is, Fallowfield - Curry Mile - Uni - City Centre, and those areas, whilst not the world's plushest, are fine.

Clubs - I genuinely don't think I'll ever get around all of the clubs in Manchester. And we've got Sankey's, which is meant to be the world's second best club or something like that.

Transport - the Oxford Rd corridor is reputedly Europe's busiest bus route. If you live in Fallowfield, then you'll buy a bus pass, which takes you anywhere in Greater Manchester on any Stagecoach bus for a whole year, for £185.

Shopping - well, we've got the Arndale Centre and the Trafford Centre, and I still haven't fully got to grips with the whole city centre as yet. There's just so much of it!

Weather - no worse than my home town, which is Bristol, although nationally this whole winter has been unusually dry.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 13
It's ****ing brilliant.
Is there a chinatown?
Reply 15
Original post by goussberry
Yeah I think I will :biggrin: it definitely seems my kind of place :smile:

is this what you mean? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZHK4YRspTo&feature=related


I'm actually buzzing! Think I'm going to put Oak House first choice now after seeing the photos. Although Manchester could do with modernising its accommodation when it's compared to other unis :tongue:

What you thinking?


He was an idiot to be honest. If you act like that...he opened his door to strangers. That's rule number one to anyone living anywhere, let alone in a rough city like Manchester...
Original post by sarah1345
He was an idiot to be honest. If you act like that...he opened his door to strangers. That's rule number one to anyone living anywhere, let alone in a rough city like Manchester...


tbf anywhere is a bit rough if your a bit soft. not directed at you.
Reply 19
Original post by sarah1345
He was an idiot to be honest. If you act like that...he opened his door to strangers. That's rule number one to anyone living anywhere, let alone in a rough city like Manchester...


thanks god you did not say that he was Indian! : kidding:
Agree, there is no such place as heaven on this earth and it depends on person to person how they will feel the place and integrate in it!

Quick Reply