Life in Manchester
As a world-class centre of research and teaching, the School is able to offer a range of quality postgraduate programmes that prepare students for the very top jobs in industry and research. Read below to learn more about some of Manchester's unique strengths.
No other city can rival Manchester's unique mix of laid back late night bars, live music venues or its eclectic mix of dance, indie, pop and alternative clubs. From hip new haunts to celebrity hang-outs, there's always a new place to discover.
Favourites for indie tunes include 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, whilst Opus and Pure in the Printworks (Manchester City Centre) are a must for the latest dance music. You can experience the Northern Quarter, boasting a vibrant array of independent bars, the well-established Deansgate Locks area catering to a dressier crowd, or Manchester's well-established gay village centred around Canal Street.
Manchester's comedy scene has never been so good, with many venues to choose from and no shortage of quality acts. The Comedy Store on Deansgate Locks provides a more traditional theatre setting that attracts some of the best comedy names in the country. The Frog and Bucket in the Northern Quarter and Remedy in Fallowfield provide a more informal bar setting that attract acts of equally high quality.
The Odeon in the Printworks and AMC on Peter Street are popular city centre cinema choices, whilst the independent cinema, The Cornerhouse, located near to the university campus, offers a wide range of contemporary visual arts and films. A popular choice for students based in South Manchester is Cineworld at the Parrs Wood complex in Didsbury.
The University of Manchester's Whitworth Art Gallery exhibits a rolling programme of art, sculpture and textiles, whilst the Manchester City Art Gallery offers a fantastic variety of all forms of art. Art isn't confined to galleries here in Manchester, it's a part of everyday life and is celebrated in a variety of festivals.
Art is even a part of life here within the School of Computer Science. Our Human Centre Lab Group have collaborated with Manchester City Gallery recently on a the project ‘Art meets Science’.
Manchester's music scene has much to offer. Home of seminal bands like The Smiths and The Stone Roses, and modern-day heroes like Elbow and Badly Drawn Boy, live music is abundant in Manchester.
Venues vary in size and atmosphere, but all have played host to exciting and legendary acts - The Academy, located on campus, has had everyone from Fatboy Slim to Amy Winehouse. All the big names frequently play at the Apollo, the Manchester Evening News Arena and the City of Manchester Stadium.
The Bridgewater Hall is one of Britain's premier venues for classical music and opera and is an impressive blend of modern architecture and great acoustics. The Bridgewater is also home to the Hallé, Britain’s longest-established symphony orchestra.
Manchester Opera House, one of the city's biggest theatre venues, stages more mainstream productions such as Bizet's Carmen.
Eating: With its European-style squares and diversity of cultures, Manchester is a great place to eat out. Pavement-side cafes and bars are perfect for a laid-back lunchtime in the city.
The culinary options are incredible, from Rusholme's 'Curry Mile', a mile long stretch of curry houses open until the early hours that attracts 15,000 diners every week, to Manchester's Chinatown, which is the largest in Britain. Vegetarian restaurants are not lacking either, with choices including the Eighth Day Vegetarian Restaurant near the university and Pop Café in the Northern Quarter. Didsbury proves popular with students looking for a decent restaurant, whilst many favour Deansgate for bar restaurants at the weekends.
Manchester has led the cafe bar revolution and has more entries in the Good Food Guide than any other city outside London.
Manchester is shopping at its best. Everyone from Hennes to Harvey Nichols has a store here. In fact, you'd be hard pushed to name a store not in Manchester. On top of the Arndale Centre's many high street stores, there are exclusive boutiques and unique shops run by local designers dotted about the city:
The Triangle houses independent jewellers and names like Calvin Klein, Mikey and Jigsaw. You can find alternative, independent and vintage stockists at the famous Affleck's Palace. If you want to splash out on designer labels, head for King Street, St Ann's Square and Bridge Street - or check out the Designer Outlet Village next to The Lowry, Salford Quays. The Trafford Centre, Britain's largest indoor shopping centre, has more than 250 stores to choose from.
There are regular Farmers' Markets selling fresh, local produce, plus seasonal European and international Markets visit the city - a chance to pick up something a bit different.
Chinatown offers lots of great ethnic shops selling everything from East Asian food to silk fabrics and calligraphy pens.