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Is Manchester better than Birmingham?

Which English city do you think is more important; Birmingham or Manchester?

Manchester is now apparently the second most important city in England, ahead of Birmingham, according to a survey.

A poll for the BBC has found that nearly 48% of people think Manchester is second only to London, compared to 40% of those who chose Birmingham.

Although Manchester is far smaller than Birmingham, people consider the former to have more of the aspects considered to be a "second city".

Do you live in Manchester and do you think the city is deserving of the status? Are you in Birmingham and do you think it will always be second only to London? Is there another English city that eclipses London, Birmingham and Manchester?

Click here to read about the survey. (on the BBC website)

Reply 1

gooseymcgoose

11

Manchester is not 'far smaller than Birmingham.'

Reply 2

andy_1989

both ****, london rules

Reply 3

shyopstv

15

Does it really matter? Both are great in their own right and do not need to be compared.

Though I do find it amusing that they are fighting for a title that basically says "Good but not as good as London"

Reply 4

e-lover

16

Brum is fantastic! It hosts one of the largest shopping centres (bullring) and will be the home of conservative party conference's next year!

Whereas Manchester, although nice, is just a pile of big buildings one after another with no apparent organisation.

btw, this is biased. i live just 10 mins away from central birmingham lol. but i have been to manchester. I prefer brum.

NB: Brum is a slang word for Birmingham.

Reply 5

gooseymcgoose

11

Hafzal

Brum is fantastic! It hosts one of the largest shopping centres (bullring) and will be the home of conservative party conference's next year!

You should read that again and reconsider what you think Birmingham's assets are, because if they're a shopping centre and the conservative party conference then it's even more dire than I thought.

Reply 6

AT82

Indeed, at least Manchester attracts the current government when they host their party conferences :biggrin:

. Also Manchester is now the second most visited city in the UK, after London, yes that means Manchester is now more popular than Edinburgh.

If the Bullring is supposed to be an asset for Birmingham I would be worried, very worried. The new Manchester Arndale is crap (compared to the Trafford Centre) but still better than the Bullring.

Then there is the train stations, New Street or Manc Piccadilly's, there is no contest really.

Some pics coming soon :smile:

Reply 7

shyopstv

15

Hafzal

Brum is fantastic! It hosts one of the largest shopping centres (bullring) and will be the home of conservative party conference's next year!

Manchester has a larger shopping centre (Arndale) and had the Labour party conference

Also I really don't see where you are coming from when you call Manchester "just a pile of big buildings one after another with no apparent organisation". It can seem quite disorganised when you have many different styles but overall that is surely better than having mostly dull 60s concrete buildings like Birmingham.

Reply 8

vector

15

Piccadilly is a MUCH nicer station than New Street, and I probs prefer it to any of the London stations as well... Fairly easy to get lost in though :p:

Reply 9

Miss. B

10

well, New Street is in the process of being improved so in a few years it will be a much better station.

Birmingham is the best - I love it! My house is so close to Cadbury I can actually smell the chocolate mmmmm

Reply 10

shyopstv

15

Getting lost wasn't much of a problem for me as such but the first time I went there I went up the escalator to the upper level bit and couldn't work out how to get back down again. Resorted to running down the up escalator in the end before I realised the one going down was at the other end of the station.

Its really nice and the Sainsbury's Local is really handy as I live a couple of minutes away but it doesn't really have much character. Saying that, the only station I have been to that I preferred was Paddington.

Reply 11

vector

15

There's a Sainsbury's local? Manchester wins :biggrin:

I went to Tesco metro but we got kicked out due to lack of ID :rolleyes:

Reply 12

shyopstv

15

Yep. An even more expensive version of the most expensive supermarket there is. And I always get ID'd there :frown:

Reply 13

AT82

The BBC article is very wrong, it includes bands like Joy Division as being a Manc band but then says the population is of Manc is 400,000. Following that logic bands like Joy Division are from Salford and the population of London is just 8000.

Reply 14

naivesincerity

2

AT82

The BBC article is very wrong, it includes bands like Joy Division as being a Manc band but then says the population is of Manc is 400,000. Following that logic bands like Joy Division are from Salford and the population of London is just 8000.

Huh?? Explain :wink:

Reply 15

FoeGeddaBowDeet

london wins in every way.

Reply 16

shyopstv

15

naivesincerity

Huh?? Explain :wink:

Greater Manchester population = 2,000,000
City of Mancheter population = 441,000

Greater London population = 7,500,000
City of London population = 9,200

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_london

Reply 17

gooseymcgoose

11

the city of London is different from the City of London

Reply 18

bisous

I live in Birmingham, have visited Manchester, and they are very similar cities. Because I've been raised here, visit the city centre on a weekly basis and know pretty much all of the city from the central-southern sides, I'd pick Birmingham myself, but if I were a more neutral party, say a Londoner, I'd consider them equal.

Manchester seems to be perceived as more exciting I think, which is a little unfair. Birmingham has a lot to do and some of the most fun nightspots I've been to - does Manchester have a Snobs? :p:

I think not. It just has a horrible dreary reputation its never been quite able to shake off and is known by a large chunk of Britain for New Street station, which I agree is ****.

Reply 19

naivesincerity

2

moniker

I live in Birmingham, have visited Manchester, and they are very similar cities. Because I've been raised here, visit the city centre on a weekly basis and know pretty much all of the city from the central-southern sides, I'd pick Birmingham myself, but if I were a more neutral party, say a Londoner, I'd consider them equal.

Manchester seems to be perceived as more exciting I think, which is a little unfair. Birmingham has a lot to do and some of the most fun nightspots I've been to - does Manchester have a Snobs? :p:

I think not. It just has a horrible dreary reputation its never been quite able to shake off and is known by a large chunk of Britain for New Street station, which I agree is ****.

Nah, Birmingham's the one with the dreary rep--is that what you meant? Birmingham has a worse accent and is less cool and has less of a music scene than MANC

Is Manchester better than Birmingham?

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