Manchester/North
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The area is multi-cultural with significant Polish, Ukraine, Irish, Punjabi, Sikh and other communities; but most notably it has a large Jewish community, with many schools and synagogues, and a museum. One member of that community was Michael Marks, from Slonim (nowadays in Belarus), who met up with Tom Spencer and Isaac Dewhirst and founded the retail chain Marks & Spencer.
Get in
railway station is just south of this district, with trains across the Pennines and to Rochdale.
Victoria station is a hub for the Metrolink trams, serving Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
See
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phone: +44 161 834 9879address: 190 Cheetham Hill Road, M8 8LWManchester has Britain's largest Jewish population outside London; this museum tells their story. From being barely tolerated in the 18th C, they prospered in the 19th C (as did the entire city) in textiles and tailoring, and moved out of the centre to the new suburb of Cheetham Hill. The museum is in the former Spanish-Portuguese synagogue in what was once the heart of that community; later generations have moved upmarket further out.
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phone: +44 161 205-2122address: Boyle Street M8 8UWLarge collection of old buses & similar memorabilia in a former depot.
Heaton ParkManchester's largest open space and one of the largest municipal parks in Europe. The park is home to a former stately home, vintage trams (run Apr-Oct Sa Su) and golf course.
- See Manchester Victoria section for sights just outside the "North" district, which include Chetham's Library, the football museum, and cathedral.
- See The Quays and Salford for the Lowry, Imperial War Museum and Old Trafford, a short way west.
Do
Sportcityis the big complex developed for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Its main components are Manchester City football stadium (now the Etihad), the Regional Athletics Arena, the National Squash Centre, and the National Cycling Centre which includes the Velodrome and the BMX Arena.
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phone: +44 870 062 1894address: Ashton New Road, Sportcity M11 3FFCity play in the Premier League, the top tier of English football, and in recent years have overtaken old rivals Man United. Their home ground is Etihad Stadium, capacity 55,000. It has a museum and a stadium tour, adults £7, concs £4.50, hours as above.
- You can also watch football, while making a point of not watching Man United, at
phone: +44 161 769 2005address: Broadhurst Park 310 Lightbowne Road, Moston M40 0FJThis breakaway club was formed in 2005 by Man United supporters alienated by Malcolm Glazer's takeover, and it continues to be entirely supporter-owned. They play in National League North, the sixth tier of English football. Their home ground is Broadhurst Park, capacity 4400.
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phone: +44 161 223-2244address: Stuart Street M11 4DQBritain's first indoor Olympic cycling track; a great place to try out the sport and to see the self-proclaimed 'home of British cycling'. Check website for times as the track is often booked out for Team GB training.
- Lots of golf courses dotted around the edge of the city.
Buy
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address: Cheetham Hill Roadbig retail complex
Eat
The main collection of small eating places is along Cheetham Hill Road (A665) and Bury New Road (A56).
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phone: +44 161 834 4544address: 170-172 Cheetham Hill Rd
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phone: +44 161 773 1645address: 5 Bury New Rd
Drink
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Joseph Holt Brewery
phone: +44 161 834 3285address: Empire StBeers on sale and managed pubs throughout the city.
Sleep
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address: 4 Cheetham Hill Rd M4 4EWConvenient chain hotel.
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address: Great Ducie St M3 1PTMid-range chain hotel.
- Premier Inn has a dozen hotels around the city, including three on its northern edge by M60 ring road.
These are Prestwich M25 3TG, jcn M60 & A56; Heaton Park M8 4NB on A576; and Chadderton / Oldham Broadway OL9 8DW jcn M60 & A663.
Go next
Take the train from Victoria for sights in Lancashire, such as Clitheroe.
Leeds, another easy train ride from Victoria, like Manchester has a large Jewish community to its north, especially around Moortown. It was in Leeds that Marks first met up with Spencer and Dewhirst, and opened the first of his "penny bazaars" in Kirkgate Market.