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Northern Quarter

Manchester

Manchester's creative quarter: independent shops, cafés, cocktail bars and live music in old textile warehouses, a few minutes from Piccadilly station.

Best for Nightlife · First visit · Budget

Transport
5/5
Sights
3/5
Value
4/5
Quiet
1/5
Food
5/5

Typical mid-range hotel ~$160/night · 5 min to Piccadilly Gardens

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Northern Quarter on the map

Why stay here

  • The best bars, cafés and independent shops in the city
  • Five minutes from Piccadilly station
  • Good-value hotels and aparthotels

Who should stay here

  • Nightlife and live music fans
  • Food lovers
  • Weekend visitors who want to walk everywhere

Not ideal if…

  • You're a light sleeper
  • You're travelling with young children
  • You want a polished, quiet hotel street

What it's like

The Northern Quarter is where Manchester goes out. Its grid of red-brick warehouses holds record shops, vintage stores, coffee bars, tiny restaurants and some of the best bars in the north, with murals on almost every corner.

It's central and walkable, and Piccadilly station is five minutes away. The flip side is noise: Thursday to Saturday nights are loud and late, so light sleepers should look at nearby Ancoats or a hotel on the edge of the area.

Best streets and sub-areas

  • Thomas Street & Stevenson Square

    Bars, restaurants and the busiest nightlife.

  • Oldham Street

    Record shops, Afflecks and live music venues.

  • Around Tib Street

    Quieter side streets with street art and small hotels.

Getting around

Nearest stations
Piccadilly station (national rail and Metrolink), Market Street and Shudehill Metrolink stops.
To Piccadilly Gardens
About 5 minutes
From Manchester Airport
About 25 minutes: train from the airport to Piccadilly, then a five-minute walk.

Nearby attractions

  • Afflecks

    Four floors of indie stalls, vintage and oddities.

  • Street art trail

    Murals around Stevenson Square and Tib Street.

  • Band on the Wall

    Long-running live music venue.

Where to eat and drink

  • Mackie Mayor

    Food hall in a restored Victorian meat market.

  • This & That

    Rice-and-three curry café, a Manchester institution.

  • Cloudwater Tap Room

    Local brewery near Piccadilly station.

Where to stay in Northern Quarter

A few hotels we'd book in this area, at different budgets.

Best value

Hatters Manchester

Why we like it: Private rooms and dorms in an old hat factory.

Typical budget rate in Northern Quarter: ~$95/night

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Boutique pick

Cow Hollow Hotel

Why we like it: Small boutique hotel in a former textile warehouse.

Typical mid-range rate in Northern Quarter: ~$160/night

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Hotels in Northern QuarterMid-range from ~$160/night

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