Think London is the only city in England worth visiting or living in? Think again. Manchester is fast becoming one of the most desirable places to visit and live in the UK.
I am a proud Manchester local, having lived here my entire life.
In this article, I’ll share my picks for the best neighbourhoods in Manchester, including pros and cons of each. Hopefully, this article will make your decision on where to visit or live in Manchester a little easier!
Notification: Travel Lemming is an independent reader-supported blog. You can support us by purchasing via the affiliate links on this page, which may earn us commissions. See our Advertising Policy for further explanation. Thank you!
10 Best Neighbourhoods in Manchester
Northern Quarter
A bohemian neighbourhood jam-packed with independent shops, restaurants, bars, and stunning apartments.
📍 Google Maps | Northern Quarter Website | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: The Cow Hollow Hotel
The Northern Quarter – located to the north of the city centre – is Manchester’s beating heart for all things culture and leisure. The Northern Quarter is a bohemian neighbourhood jam-packed with independent shops, record stores, cafes, restaurants, bars and live music venues.
This is one of the best neighbourhoods for visitors, offering a wide range of accommodation options including boutique hotels, hostels, and apartments.
The Northern Quarter is the go-to choice for young professionals wanting to live in the city centre thanks to the excellent nightlife, delicious coffee, and alternative vibe. The unique blend of modern and Victorian buildings, adorned with vibrant street art, makes the area a colourful place to live.
If you love the industrial-chic look of Brooklyn, New York, then you’ll feel right at home in the Northern Quarter.
Pros of the Northern Quarter
- Loads of cafes, restaurants and bars
- Great independent shopping
- Central location
Cons of the Northern Quarter
- Noisy at night
- Pricey apartment rent
- No green space
Ancoats
An up-and-coming Manchester neighbourhood home to some of the best restaurants in the city and a variety of housing options.
📍 Google Maps | Schools: Co-op Academy New Islington | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: Crowne Plaza
It’s not surprising that The Times named Ancoats the 34th best place to live in the UK in 2023.
Ancoats was practically a slum during the Industrial Revolution and was a no-go zone as recently as 20 years ago. The last decade has seen the area change beyond recognition, with new apartment buildings and restaurants opening seemingly every day.
Ancoats is located just across Great Ancoats Street from the Northern Quarter. The area is home to fabulous restaurants such as Erst and Mana, the latter of which is Manchester’s first Michelin-starred eatery in over 40 years.
The adjacent New Islington development has seen family-friendly town houses built next to New Islington Marina, a tranquil marina and park flanked by bakeries, people-watching coffee shops, and specialty wine bars.
The area has an elementary school too, perfect for families moving to the area with young children. There is also a supermarket and gym nearby.
The current average house price in Ancoats is around £270,000.
Pros of Ancoats
- Superb restaurants
- Plenty of new apartments
- Elementary school
- Outdoor space and marina
Cons of Ancoats
- Expensive rents
- Few shops
Castlefield
A peaceful residential neighbourhood with canal-side apartments and history at every turn.
📍 Google Maps | Castlefield Website | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: The Castlefield Hotel
Castlefield might be the neighbourhood for you if you want to experience city-centre living without the usual hustle and bustle.
The area is the most tranquil in Manchester city centre thanks to the canals, lazy waterside bars, and traffic-free streets and towpaths. New attractions including the Castlefield Viaduct garden and nearby arts and music space Aviva Studios show the area is on the rise.
History and architecture buffs will love Castlefield. A re-creation of a Roman fort stands where the Romans founded the settlement of Mamucium, while Victorian-era viaducts loom over the area that played a key role in the Industrial Revolution. The Science and Industry Museum is a stone’s throw away.
Castlefield is far from sleepy though – there are a number of canal-side bars and eateries to cater for all tastes. The current average house price in Castlefield is around £300,000.
Pros of Castlefield
- Peaceful and relaxed
- Child-friendly
- Green space
Cons of Castlefield
- Lack of shops
- Restricted car access
Central Retail District (CRD) & Oxford Road
Shops, culture, nightlife, and great transport links make this area the beating heart of Manchester.
📍 Google Maps | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: Kimpton Clocktower
Staying near the Central Retail District (CRD) and Oxford Road is the way to go if you want to be at the very heart of the fast-paced city.
The CRD neighbourhood includes quite a few smaller areas, including Chinatown, the Gay Village, and Deansgate. All are well connected by buses, cycle lanes, and the Metrolink tram system.
Housing is limited to new-build apartments, but what you lose in space you gain in accessibility to shops, restaurants, theatres, museums, pubs, the universities, and excellent transport links.
Oxford Road runs south from the Pantheon-like Manchester Central Library to the southern suburbs and student areas, so is one of the busiest city streets in Europe. If you want peace and quiet then consider staying in one of the other neighbourhoods on this list.
The current average house price in the CRD neighbourhood is around £256,000.
Pros of CRD and Oxford Road
- Close to all amenities
- Great transport links
- Diverse area and food options
Cons of CRD and Oxford Road
- Very busy
- Traffic noise and pollution
- Lots of students
Salford
Affordable rents and culture aplenty means Manchester’s younger sibling is having its moment.
📍 Google Maps | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: The Lowry Hotel
Salford is a city in its own right. But, for the purposes of this list of Manchester neighbourhoods, I’m focusing on the Blackfriars area adjacent to Manchester city centre and Salford Quays.
Blackfriars is within walking distance of Deansgate and the rest of Manchester city centre. But, because it is on the opposite bank of the River Irwell, rents in Blackfriars tend to be cheaper.
The area has its own collection of pubs, restaurants, and cultural venues to enjoy, as does Salford Quays. The old shipping docks have been regenerated over the past 20 years and are now home to thousands of residents living in plush waterside apartments.
There are plenty of schools in Salford compared to Manchester city centre. The current average house price is around £179,000.
Pros of Salford
- Close to all amenities
- Cheaper property than Manchester city centre
- Busy and peaceful areas
Cons of Salford
- Less variety in cuisine than Manchester
- Fewer shopping options
Chorlton
A strong community feel and plenty to do make Chorlton the suburb to be.
📍 Google Maps | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: The Hilton Garden Inn, Emirates Old Trafford
Moving out from Manchester’s city centre, Chorlton is the obvious area to start.
Chorlton is packed with independent shops, cafes, restaurants and bars, but the city centre is still just a short tram ride away should you need it.
In recent years Chorlton has become one of the most desirable places to live in Manchester, thanks to its community feel – exemplified by its football club, West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC – green spaces, abundance of schools, and beautiful homes.
That popularity has come at a cost though – with more and more young families moving into the area, the average house price now stands at around £381,836.
There aren’t many hotels in the residential area, so visitors would be best staying in the city centre and travelling over by tram.
Pros of Chorlton
- Community feel
- Plenty of amenities
- Green space
Cons of Chorlton
- High house prices
Didsbury
Green space and a relaxed feel make Didsbury a great suburban oasis.
📍 Google Maps | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: The Lowry Hotel
Like Chorlton, Didsbury covers all the bases without having the relentless hustle and bustle of the city centre.
Didsbury is comprised of West Didsbury, Burton Road, and East Didsbury. Didsbury has bars and shops aplenty, as well as a weekly artisan market.
Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden is a beautiful place to spend a (unfortunately rare) sunny day in Manchester. Meanwhile, the city centre is just a 30 minute bus or tram ride away from Didsbury.
Like Chorlton, accommodation doesn’t come cheap in Didsbury. The current average house price is around £367,678.
Pros of Didsbury
- Plenty of places to eat and drink
- Beautiful green spaces
Cons of Didsbury
- Expensive house prices
- Not as close to city centre as Chorlton
Prestwich
Prestwich’s social scene is thriving while buyers get more bang for their buck.
📍 Google Maps | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: Hotel Indigo
Prestwich is arguably the fastest growing of Manchester’s neighbourhoods, both in terms of popularity and in terms of people moving to the area from other parts of the city.
The last 10 years has seen plenty of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops open in the village, meaning residents and visitors don’t have to venture into the city centre to let their hair down.
Heaton Park – one of Europe’s biggest public parks – is one of Prestwich’s big draws, as are the paths and bike trails found in Prestwich Clough and Drinkwater Park.
The Prestwich neighbourhood is located four miles north of the city centre, and is well-connected to Manchester by trams and buses and is serviced by plenty of schools.
Junction 17 of the M60 highway makes exploring the rest of the northwest from Prestwich easy. There aren’t many hotels for visitors, so staying in a hotel – like the Hotel Indigo – close to a tram stop in the city centre is the best option.
There are plenty of accommodation options in Prestwich. While prices have risen in recent years as the area increases in popularity, the current average house price is less than the southern suburbs of Chorlton and Didsbury at around £271,272.
Pros of Prestwich
- Plenty of outdoor green space
- Cheaper property than Manchester city centre and south suburbs
- Thriving food and drink scene
- Great transport links
Cons of Prestwich
- Few non-grocery shops
- Congested main high street
Altrincham
This suburb eight miles southwest of Manchester offers a great balance between city and country living.
📍 Google Maps | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: Ashfield Altrincham
Altrincham is one of the most appealing places to live in Manchester, thanks to its abundance of bars and restaurants, its community feel, and its proximity to Manchester.
Despite being eight miles from the city centre, Altrincham is well connected to Manchester by tram, train, and bus.
There is plenty to keep you entertained in Altrincham without having to venture into town. Altrincham Market is home to some of the best food traders in the country. Nature is also never far away, with National Trust Dunham Massey right on Altrincham’s doorstep.
Everyone wants to live in Altrincham, which unfortunately means property doesn’t come cheap. The current average house price is around £516,148.
Pros of Altrincham
- Plenty to see and do
- Easy to access Manchester
- Lots of green space nearby
Cons of Altrincham
- Expensive property
- Lacks city centre feel
Stockport
Don’t listen to the haters – Stockport is experiencing a renaissance and is only going to get better.
📍 Google Maps | 👉 Best Hotel for Your Scouting Trip: Holiday Inn Express Stockport
Stockport – a town and borough seven miles southeast of Manchester – had been in decline for decades. Shuttered shops and businesses are now being replaced with new and ambitious upstarts, as independent traders look to claim back their town.
The Underbank area of the town centre is particularly interesting, with new cafes, bars, and shops popping up all the time. Stockport is home to some of Greater Manchester’s best pubs, as well as cultural attractions like the Market Hall and Hat Museum.
Stockport has plenty of schools, is reachable from Manchester by a 10-minute train journey, and is a great jumping off point to get out into the Peak District.
Wealthy suburbs like Bramhall and Marple Bridge have driven the average house price up to around £335,792, but cheaper options can be found in Cheadle and Stockport centre itself.
Pros of Stockport
- Up-and-coming area
- Cheaper property than Manchester city centre
- Blossoming nightlife and social scene
Cons of Stockport
- Further regeneration is needed in the town centre
- Farther from Manchester than other neighbourhoods
***
That’s it for this guide. Next up, check out my guide to when to visit Manchester.
