Manchester is one of the major cities in the UK. It is the main city in the North West of England. For most of the last two hundred years it was the largest city in Lancashire, but is now the centre of its own sub-region of Greater Manchester, which has a population of over 2.5 million.
Manchester is world-renowned for its influence on the histories of industry and music, and for its sporting connections. It is one of the most gay-friendly and multicultural cities in Europe, and boasts the largest university in Britain.

• Piccadilly Gardens As well as being Manchester's central bus station, Piccadilly Gardens is also a recently-renovated landscape garden. It's an interesting choice of design and has not found favour with all of Manchester's residents. The area is dominated by the hideously-ugly Piccadilly Plaza complex, including the Jarvis Hotel and Sunley Tower, an eyesore visible from miles away. Most trips to Manchester will involve coming here due to the proximity of Manchester Picadilly and Market Street, one of Manchester's main shopping areas. Also worth visiting is the Portico Library and Gallery.
• Northern Quarter The Northern Quarter was home to the city centre's textile industry in the 19th and 20th Centuries, and out of this has grown the über-cool home of Manchester's independent clothing boutiques, avant-garde cafés and everything that caters for people with less-than-ordinary tastes. At first glance it could easily be dismissed as a run-down, derelict part of the city, but look more closely at the old buildings - nowhere is more teeming with life.
• Albert Square is the home of the front entrance to the Town Hall and is a large pleasant public space lined with cafés and restaurants. Things to see here include Manchester Town Hall, Manchester Art Gallery, Central Library & Theatre and St Mary's.
• Peter's Fields (also known as the Exhibition Quarter) is the home of Manchester's exhibition, conference and concert halls, as well as the almost-deserted Great Northern shopping and entertainment centre and two of the city's most luxurious hotels. The giant glass tower at the rear of Peter's Fields is The Betham Tower, which is home to Manchester's Hilton hotel and is the tallest building in the UK outside of London.
• Chinatown around George Street and Faulkner Street has been a feature of Manchester since the late 1970s. It's a genuine experience - you'll find people on the streets of Chinatown speaking Chinese to each other and most of the signs are bilingual. It's home to the bulk of Manchester's east-Asian restaurants as well as many traders in Chinese food and goods.