about greater manchester
the country's second city in as few words as possible
At the heart of England's northwest, Manchester is built on a rich industrial and now mixes historical landmarks with bold, contemporary architecture to form a skyline as diverse as its population. The cathedral that marks the centre of medieval Manchester is a stone's throw from the ultra-modern ski-ramp-shaped Urbis museum, itself a short walk from the Victorian masterpiece that is the Town Hall.
Fine restaurants and hotels sit with stimulating clubs and bars, while small, independent boutiques share the street front with prestigious designer outlets to tempt any taste or budget.
And surely we don't need to mention the city's sporting heritage? Two Premiership football teams, a World Cup event-hosting velodrome and the superb legacy left by the hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2002 are just three reasons why Manchester is as athletic as it can be relaxed.
The city boasts a population in excess of 2.5 million, with more than 7 million making up Greater Manchester. As a seat of learning, there are three universities within reach of the centre, boosting the student population to some 50,000
The wider area encompasses the boroughs of Bolton, Bury, Rochdale in the West Pennines, Oldham and Tameside to the East, Stockport and Trafford to the south, and Salford and Wigan to the west. Each has a heritage to be proud of and adds its own flavour to the Greater Manchester mix.
To give you some idea of what the area has to offer, there are three professional orchestras, more than 150 cinema screens, 61 galleries and museums, 8 professional football clubs, 350,000 seats in professional sports stadia and (apparently) one UFO landing site.
Add to all this a breathtaking array of drama, dance, comedy and music, and you can't fail to be attracted to the country's most amazing city.