Welcome to Manchester

“A city with serious swagger, Manchester is a musical metropolis that has travelled from the satanic mills of the industrial revolution via the hedonism of the Hacienda to become the sophisticated, cultured city of today…The spirit of "Madchester" lives on in the artistic Northern Quarter, and reinvigorated districts such as Salford Quays, home of the magnificent Lowry centre, put the beat into a unique cityscape that boasts a district dedicated to curry…”

Alex Gladwell, MSN Travel

Moving to Manchester or Salford? Here are some helpful tips to help you settle in. Greater Manchester is a great place to live with loads to do - art galleries, theatres, cinemas, restaurants, pubs and bars. Here’s a helpful website to get you started.

Studying in Manchester/Salford?

See our student pages.

Housing areas

Manchester

Many Plant members live in the Rusholme, Moss Side and Hulme areas which have lots of affordable housing and include the legendary 'Curry Mile'. Fallowfield and Withington are popular with young families, professionals and students, and also have affordable housing. Grace Church Manchester meets on Palatine Road in Withington. Didsbury is nearby, and has a range of accommodation from flats to Victorian town houses. Levenshulme, Burnage and Chorlton are very nice too.

Renting? The Felthams are Christian landlords beloved by many Plant members over the years (0161 224 1537). Whether you are looking to share (or not) they are very helpful. You're welcome to at The Plant to see if any of our members have a space.

Salford

Irlams O' Th' Height is a relatively nice area in walking distance of Salford Shopping City. A lot of Plant members also live near Castle Irwell and Cromwell Road, off Gerald Road and Littleton Road. The Living Word, Salford is along The Crescent, and not far from Manchester city centre.

Getting around

If you’re not sure how to get around, this online journey planner is very helpful for public transport.

Cycling is a great way to great around Manchester, especially as it is so flat. Greater Manchester Cycling Guide or Free adult cycling training are two useful cycling websites. Manchester city centre is small enough that walking is a pleasant alternative (an umbrella is a wise investment!).

Manchester has no shortage of buses, especially down Oxford/Wilmslow Road (a long road running due south from the city centre through the Manchester universities). The cheap buses are: Magic Bus (run by Stagecoach) and Finglands. There are various annual, monthly and weekly tickets available on their websites.

Manchester's trams are great value and really handy. See their helpful website.

The major Manchester train stations are Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria in the city centre. Manchester Piccadilly is the main station with regular trains to the airport and the South. It's about five minutes’ walk from Piccadilly Gardens, the central bus hub area for the city. Manchester Victoria is near the Northern Quarter, 15 minutes’ walk from Piccadilly Gardens.

Getting to Manchester City Centre from Salford is also relatively simple - most transport leads there. You can get the train from Salford Crescent to all train stations in Manchester. You can also get regular buses from Castle Irwell (M10, 10, 93). As an added bonus if you live in Mattias/Bramall court, it's actually only a 20 minute walk to town.

For other areas see the Greater Manchester Transport Authority website.