If you’re about to move to Manchester, or you’re still unpacking after a relocation, or even if you’re just staying there for a few weeks for work, you need to prepare yourself for it. Manchester is an experience – a state of mind even – and if you want to get the most out of the city, you should come armed with facts and pointers.
Yes, it rains
It really does rain. A lot. It’s not a myth, it’s something to do with low, water-heavy clouds not being able to get over the Pennine Mountains. This means they hang around over Manchester until they just can’t hold on any longer. It’s also cold rain.
Think twice about donning your warm waterproofs, though
It rains so much, and it’s such cold rain, that the locals have learned to live with it. This means they’ll often be found nipping out to the shops without waterproofs, umbrellas or even woolly jumpers. You don’t have to make this sacrifice, but you will stand out as a newcomer.
At least give chips and gravy a go
It’s a famous northern combo and if you’ve never tried it before, do. You might like it. Even if you don’t, just pretend that you do love it, it will help you to assimilate.
Strangers will talk to you
And this is nothing to be worried about. Honestly, just don’t worry about it. Try responding, even, you may even enjoy yourself. Even taxis in Manchester are friendly and drivers have been known to go out of their way to help stranded newbies.
But be careful when it comes to football
Football is a serious business in Manchester – you’re either City or United. If you’re not into football, at least pretend to be interested for a few minutes. The natives will know you’re pretending, but that’s OK, you can’t help it and at least not liking football means you’re not a Liverpool supporter.
You can be a hipster if you want
Manchester has always appreciated individuality, so if you have an obscure hobby or you like to dress as Oscar Wilde at the weekends, no-one will mind.
Get ready for a slowdown
If you’re moving to Manchester from the south, you’ll be surprised at how slowly, for a big busy city, everything moves. This includes shop staff, buses, trams and trains. This is possibly the reason strangers will talk to you, it fills the time and you probably do look a bit exotic with that raincoat and umbrella…
Reframe graffiti as urban art
No, seriously. Your southern council works department probably spends a lot of its time scrubbing walls with that strange, orange-scented solvent stuff, but Manchester deals with graffiti in the same way it deals with the perma-rain. It turns it into a thing. Local artists, political messages and the simple need to soften the look of industrial buildings means that the writing stays firmly on the wall.
Try to live in Chorlton
It’s great there! It’s hipster central, with vegan cafes, wholefood shops, urban chickens and the Unicorn collective supermarket. It’s friendly, alternative and embraces everyone from young families to hedge fund managers to old hippies.
