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Manchester city centre – known formally as City Centre – is the central business district
Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In Australia, China , Republic of Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and South Africa, the phrase is commonly used, and is often colloquially abbreviated to "CBD"....
 of both Manchester
Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1853....
 and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Metropolitan Borough of...
, in North West England
North West England

North West England is one of the nine official regions of England. It has a population of 6,853,200 and comprises five counties of England ? Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Cheshire....
. The City Centre, as defined by Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council

Manchester City Council is the local authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is made up of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 wards....
, lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road
Manchester Inner Ring Road

Manchester and Salford Inner Relief Route is a Beltway in Greater Manchester, England. It is the product of the amalgamation of several major roads around the city centres of Manchester and Salford to form a ring....
, straddling the River Irwell
River Irwell

The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England....
, and thereby encompassing part of the neighbouring City of Salford
City of Salford

The City of Salford is a local government district of Greater Manchester, England, with the status of a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough....
. The electoral ward
Wards of the United Kingdom

A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at subnational level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography ....
 of Central has a population of 11,689.

City Centre is the historic core of Manchester, around which the modern city grew. It evolved from the civilian vicus
Vicus

In the history of the Roman empire, a vicus was an ad hoc provincial civilian settlement that sprang up close to and because of a nearby official Roman site, usually a military garrison or state-owned mining operation....
 associated with the Roman fort
Castra

The Latin language word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position....
 of Mamucium, which was established c. AD 79 on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the River Medlock
River Medlock

The River Medlock is a river of Greater Manchester in north west England that flows for 10 miles before joining the River Irwell in central Manchester....
 and River Irwell, in a position defensible from the Brigantes
Brigantes

The Brigantes were a List of Celtic tribes who in British Iron Age times controlled the largest section of Northern England and a significant part of the Midlands#The English Midlands....
.






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Manchester city centre – known formally as City Centre – is the central business district
Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In Australia, China , Republic of Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and South Africa, the phrase is commonly used, and is often colloquially abbreviated to "CBD"....
 of both Manchester
Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1853....
 and Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Metropolitan Borough of...
, in North West England
North West England

North West England is one of the nine official regions of England. It has a population of 6,853,200 and comprises five counties of England ? Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Cheshire....
. The City Centre, as defined by Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council

Manchester City Council is the local authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is made up of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 wards....
, lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road
Manchester Inner Ring Road

Manchester and Salford Inner Relief Route is a Beltway in Greater Manchester, England. It is the product of the amalgamation of several major roads around the city centres of Manchester and Salford to form a ring....
, straddling the River Irwell
River Irwell

The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England....
, and thereby encompassing part of the neighbouring City of Salford
City of Salford

The City of Salford is a local government district of Greater Manchester, England, with the status of a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough....
. The electoral ward
Wards of the United Kingdom

A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at subnational level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography ....
 of Central has a population of 11,689.

City Centre is the historic core of Manchester, around which the modern city grew. It evolved from the civilian vicus
Vicus

In the history of the Roman empire, a vicus was an ad hoc provincial civilian settlement that sprang up close to and because of a nearby official Roman site, usually a military garrison or state-owned mining operation....
 associated with the Roman fort
Castra

The Latin language word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position....
 of Mamucium, which was established c. AD 79 on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the River Medlock
River Medlock

The River Medlock is a river of Greater Manchester in north west England that flows for 10 miles before joining the River Irwell in central Manchester....
 and River Irwell, in a position defensible from the Brigantes
Brigantes

The Brigantes were a List of Celtic tribes who in British Iron Age times controlled the largest section of Northern England and a significant part of the Midlands#The English Midlands....
. Once the Romans abandoned Britain, the focus of settlement in Manchester shifted to the confluence of the rivers Irwell
River Irwell

The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England....
 and Irk
River Irk

The River Irk is a river in Greater Manchester in North West England England that flows through the northern suburbs of Manchester before merging with the River Irwell in Manchester City Centre....
. During the Dark Ages
Dark Ages

Dark Age or Dark Ages is a term in historiography referring to a period of cultural decline or societal collapse that took place in Western Europe between the Decline of the Roman Empire and the eventual recovery of learning....
 which followed – and persisted until the Norman Conquest
Norman conquest of England

The Norman conquest of England began in 1066 AD with the invasion of the Kingdom of England by the troops of William I of England, Duke of Normandy , and his victory at the Battle of Hastings....
 – the settlement at Manchester was in the territory of several different petty kingdoms. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
, what is now the City Centre was the township of Manchester
Manchester Township (England)

Manchester Township was one of the many township s and chapelries which formed the Manchester within the Salford of Lancashire, England. It included the area of what is now Manchester City Centre and the ajoining area of Ancoats....
.

Extensively redeveloped since the 1996 Manchester bombing
1996 Manchester bombing

The 1996 Manchester bombing was a bomb attack undertaken by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Manchester, England. The bomb targeted the infrastructure and economy of Manchester and caused widespread damage, valued by insurers at ?411 million, to buildings in the Manchester City Centre....
, the city centre is now the commercial and cultural centre of Manchester, the site of most of its retailing, office space, and heritage centres. The majority of the tallest buildings and structures in Manchester are located in the city centre, including Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall

Manchester Town Hall is a building in Manchester, England that houses Manchester City Council. Completed by architect Alfred Waterhouse in 1877, it is a fine example of Victorian era Gothic revival, featuring imposing murals by Ford Madox Brown....
 which houses the city's administrative functions, and Beetham Tower
Beetham Tower, Manchester

The Beetham Tower is a landmark 47-storey skyscraper in Manchester city centre, England. Built in 2006, it is named after the developers, Beetham Organization, was designed by Ian Simpson and was built by Carillion....
, the tallest building in the United Kingdom outside of London.

History

Manchester Castle
Manchester Castle

Manchester Castle is a medieval fortified manor house, probably located on a bluff where the rivers River Irk and River Irwell meet, near to Manchester Cathedral, underneath where Chetham's School of Music now is, putting it near the edge of the medieval Manchester Township ....
 – a medieval fortification, probably taking the form of a ringwork
Ringwork

A ringwork is a form of fortified defensive structure, usually circular or oval in shape. Ringworks are essentially motte-and-bailey castles without a motte....
 – is located on a bluff
Bluff

Bluff may refer to:* a type of deception, an empty boast...
 where the rivers Irk
River Irk

The River Irk is a river in Greater Manchester in North West England England that flows through the northern suburbs of Manchester before merging with the River Irwell in Manchester City Centre....
 and Irwell
River Irwell

The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England....
 meet. The castle was first mentioned in 1184 and was recorded in 1215 as belonging to the barons of Manchester, the Grelley family. It has been described as "of no political or military importance". The Grelleys replaced the castle with a fortified manor house
Manor house

A manor house or fortified manor-house is a country house, which has historically formed the administrative centre of a manor , the lowest unit of territorial organization in the feudal system....
, which in turn was replaced by a college of priests. This became the site of Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music

Chetham's School of Music, familiarly known as "Chets", is a specialist music school in Manchester, United Kingdom. It was established in 1969 on the site of Chetham's Hospital, an orphanage founded by Humphrey Chetham in 1653....
.

Economy

There are a variety restaurants in the City Centre including a number owned by famous chef Paul Heathcote
Paul Heathcote

Paul Heathcote is a chef, restaurateur and food consultant who spent twelve years under the guidance of Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons....
. There is also a stock of hotels in the area with Manchester's first five-star hotel, the Lowry Hotel
Lowry Hotel

The Lowry Hotel is located by the River Irwell in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. Although within the boundaries of the City of Salford, it is promoted as neighbouring "Manchester's" first Star hotel....
 opening in the City Centre in 2001.

Manchester city centre is home to Marks and Spencer, Selfridges
Selfridges

Selfridges is a chain of department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909....
 and Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols

Harvey Nichols , founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London, Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it offers many of the world's most prestigious brands in womenswear, menswear, fashion accessories, beauty, food, and home....
 stores. Deansgate
Deansgate

Deansgate is a main road through the Manchester City Centre of Manchester, England. It runs roughly north–south through the western part of the city centre....
 and Market Street are the centre's principal retail streets. There is also a large indoor shopping mall
Shopping mall

File:Nordstrom wing , Pentagon City Mall.jpgA shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings which contain retail units, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit....
 called the Manchester Arndale Centre. There are many leisure facilities in the City Centre including the Printworks
The Printworks

The Printworks is an entertainment venue, located on Withy Grove in Manchester, England, and is one of two entertainment venues for Manchester City Centre in the 21st century....
, a large facility containing a cinema (including an IMAX
IMAX

IMAX is a film film format and projection standard created by Canada's IMAX Corporation. The traditional version of IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and than conventional film display systems....
 screen), numerous bars, clubs and restaurants and also Manchester's first Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe

Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of bar-restaurants founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton. The first Hard Rock Cafe opened near Hyde Park Corner in London....
.

The Northern Quarter
Northern Quarter

The Northern Quarter is an area of Manchester City Centre, England, generally marked out between Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria and Ancoats, and centred around Oldham Street, just off Piccadilly Gardens....
, centred around Oldham Street, is known for its bohemian atmosphere and independent shops and cafes. The landscaping of the City Centre has provided several public spaces including the newly developed Piccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens

Piccadilly Gardens is a green space in Manchester Manchester City Centre, England, situated at one end of Market Street, Manchester and on the edge of the Northern Quarter....
, which incorporates fountains, green spaces and a Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink

Manchester Metrolink is an urban light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of three lines which run between Central Manchester and the surrounding towns of Bury, Altrincham and Eccles, Greater Manchester....
 station. Exchange Square
Exchange Square (Manchester)

Exchange Square is located in the England city of Manchester. The square was heavily redeveloped after the Provisional Irish Republican Army 1996 Manchester City Centre bombing....
 is located near Urbis
Urbis

Urbis is an exhibition centre located in central Manchester, England. The centre features changing exhibitions on the subject of city life, alongside talks, gigs and other events....
, which is an exhibition centre focusing on city life. Both Picadilly and Exchange Square are used for screening public events. Two of the City Centre's oldest buildings, The Old Wellington Inn and Sinclair's Oyster Bar, were dismantled, moved 300 metres and re-erected in 1999 to create the new Shambles Square
Shambles Square

New Cathedral Street is a new pedestrianised upmarket retail area of Manchester, England. It runs between Exchange Square and St Anne's Square....
 adjacent to Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral

Manchester Cathedral is a Medieval Church located on Victoria Street in Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral's official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester....


There are other museums in Manchester City Centre including the Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum

The Manchester Museum is owned by the University of Manchester. It is one of the top university museums in the United Kingdom. Sitting at the heart of the University's Gothic Revival architecture buildings, it provides access to about six million items from every continent of the globe....
 which contains many ancient artifacts and natural history items and the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry which includes many hands-on exhibits.

Night life

Manchester City Centre has many nightclubs, many of which following in the footsteps of the Haçienda
The Haçienda

Fac 51 Ha?ienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was widely regarded as being the world's most famous nightclub , The Ha?ienda opened in 1982 and despite considerable and persistent financial troubles survived...
 nightclub which has now closed; the site has been redeveloped as a housing complex. There is a large gay village
Gay village

A gay village is an urban area geographic location with generally recognized boundaries where a large number of lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexuality people live....
 around the Canal Street area of the city centre, which plays host to an annual Gay Pride Festival, and a large Chinatown
Chinatown, Manchester

Manchester's Chinatown is the second largest Chinatown in the United Kingdom and the fourth largest in Europe. It is located in east Manchester City Centre, and situated next to the Canal Street ....
 with numerous places to eat.

See also

Beetham Tower
  • List of tallest buildings in Manchester
    List of tallest buildings in Manchester

    This list of the tallest buildings and structures in Manchester ranks skyscrapers, structures and towers in the Manchester, England by height. Manchester is a major city and regional capital with a population of 441,200....
  • Manchester Central (UK Parliament constituency)
    Manchester Central (UK Parliament constituency)

    Manchester Central is a borough constituency represented in the British House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
  • Castlefield
    Castlefield

    Castlefield is an inner city area of Manchester, in North West England. It is historically notable for the Roman Empire castra of Mamucium or Mancunium which later gave its name to Manchester....


Bibliography


External links