Guide to Manchester

We’ve put together a few tips that should help you find your way around while you’re in Manchester.

• Getting around
  • By bus
  • By tram
  • By hire bike
  • By taxi
• Food and drink
  • Cafés and coffee
  • Supermarkets
  • Places to eat
  • Bars and pubs
• Things to do
  • Museums and galleries
  • Noteworthy libraries
  • Parks and green spaces

Getting around

Manchester has good bus and tram networks, but (due to the location of the venue) it’s likely that most of the journeys you’re likely to make will be best undertaken by bus, or on foot. There’s also a hire bike scheme, and taxis are obviously an option too!

By bus

At present, industrial action is planned for Friday 19th - Monday 22nd Sept. This means no buses will be running along the Oxford road corridor or to/from the train stations.

TFGM have published the full list of bus services affected.

Key things to know:

• You can buy a ticket on the bus with cash, a contactless card, or ApplePay/GooglePay (see the TfGM page on contactless payments for full details)
• A single journey costs £2 – you get a paper ticket that’s valid on multiple buses for up to an hour
• A 1-day pass costs £5
• The venue is on Oxford Road (to the south of the city centre) and is close to several bus stops

The easiest way to plan a bus journey (and find the right stop) is to install Manchester’s Bee Network app (you don’t need to create an account).

You can also use general purpose apps like Google Maps or Citymapper, or the web based journey planner, but the Bee app is best for:

• listing the bus services that are suitable for your journey
• finding the right bus stop
• live updates showing where your next bus is (see the bus tracking video on the app’s page)

Transport for Greater Manchester have a page that documents accessibility on the buses.

Note that there are a couple of free buses that are useful for travelling around the city centre (though they don’t come close to the venue). These are not affected by the planned industrial action.

By tram

The trams don’t come close to the venue, but if you want to visit somewhere slightly further afield the tram is a great option.

You can purchase a paper ticket from a machine on the platform, or pay by tapping a contactless card on one of the yellow circles at a tram stop. You’ll need to tap out again using the same card at the end of your journey to avoid being charged the maximum day ticket price. See the TfGM page on contactless payments for details of how contactless fees are calculated (and what happens if you forget to tap out at the end of your journey!).

As with the bus, the Bee Network app is a good way to plan a journey on the trams, though Google Maps also works well.

TfGM have a page that documents accessibility on the trams.

By hire bike

Manchester’s hire bike scheme is sponsored by Starling Bank, and the bikes are operated by Beryl.

Key things to know:

• You need to install the Starling Bank Bikes app in order to hire a bike
• Pedal bikes cost 50p to unlock, then 5p per minute to ride
• E-bikes cost £1 to unlock and 10p per minute to ride
• You can see a map of where the nearest bike stations are (and how many bikes are currently available) in the app
• The app gives you a brief tutorial on how to unlock and lock a bike the first time you run it

The conference venue is just off Oxford Road, which is well served by cycle lanes and is largely traffic free during the day. There are a couple of hire bike stations nearby (they’re visible on the maps in both the Starling and Bee Network apps).

Alternatively, Brompton bike hire is available at Windmill Green, not far from Oxford Road station. This requires the Brompton app and costs £5 per day.

By taxi

There’s a taxi rank just outside of each of the train stations in Manchester and at various points in the city centre

Please be aware, the bus gate along Oxford road means that while black cabs are able travel directly to the venue, private taxis will take a slightly less direct route.

Local taxi companies

• Manchester Street Cars: 0161 228 7878
• Manchester Taxi Service: 0161 270 8701

Food and drink

Cafés and coffee

In the order of increasing distance from the venue (and on the way if you’re walking from some of our suggested hotels), we’ve got:

• Bold St Coffee is a 10 minute walk north of the venue (map), opens at 8am, does a decent coffee, and laptops are welcome (with personal workstations and charging points).
• Half Dozen Other is further north up Oxford Rd, and will be enjoyed by pastry fans (map)
• Another great choice is Federal, just a little bit further north again (map). They do a punchy flat white, and (if you can get a table) a good breakfast.

Slightly further north (near to some the suggested hotels) we’ve also got:

• Foundation Coffee House on Whitworth St (map), which is also laptop friendly
• Pollen Bakery inside the Kampus building (map), which is good for dog-spotting

If none of those are nearby, see these recommendations from the Manchester’s Finest.

Supermarkets

If you need anything during the conference, there are a couple of supermarkets on the other side of Oxford Road:

• Sainsbury’s Local (map, 4 minute walk)
• Morrisons (map, 5 minute walk)

Places to eat

If you fancy finding somewhere to eat during the day and fancy a stroll, these are fairly close to the venue:

• Manchester Museum have a good café (6 minute walk)
• Whitworth Art Gallery has a very nice café overlooking Whitworth Park (8 minute walk), but note that there’s often a queue for a table. They stop serving at 3.30pm.
• The 8th Day vegan & vegetarian shop/deli has a Plant Based Café downstairs that’s open from 11am to 3pm. There’s a salad bar, and a small selection of hot meals, all cooked on site. (14 minute walk)

In the evenings, there are a lot of options. Feel free to ask for advice in the #ask-the-locals channel on the conference Discord server, or find out where others are headed in the #social-activities channel.

But to give you some ideas:

• Some of the bars below serve food (look for “serve food” in bold)
• Oxford Road Corridor have a list of restaurants near Oxford Road.
• Mackie Mayor is an upmarket food hall, with several different restaurants operating under one roof. With long tables and plenty of choice, it’s good for bigger groups. There’s a decent range of wine and beer on offer too. It’s on the north side of the city (so not really walkable) but it’s worth considering if you’re happy to do a 25 minute journey by bus and on foot.

Bars and pubs

There are a lot of places to go for a chat/drink. Where do you start?!

Bear in mind that Manchester University’s new intake of students will be arriving back in the city over the weekend, so places near the University might be busier than usual. We’ve organised our suggestions together according to how far from the venue (and University) they are.

If places are too busy and you need to relocate, these sites will help you find somewhere suitable:

• Oxford Road Corridor have a big list of bars near Oxford Road
• Tap Tourist is a guide to Manchester’s craft beer (including a list of the city’s breweries, many of which have large tap rooms, and places serving gluten free beer)

Here are our suggestions around the venue and Oxford Road (times in brackets will give you a feel for how far these places are from the venue).

Close to Contact Theatre (and the University) you’ll find:

• Big Hands is right next to Contact Theatre. It’s popular with local musicians and gig-goers, so gets busy after a gig at Manchester Academy. (map, 2 minute walk)

• Kro BAR is also very close, has more room, and serve food. (map, 3 minute walk)

• The Salutation is a decent size, and is run in partnership with Bollington Brewing co, who make decent beer. The Salutation is re-opening the night before the conference, just in time for the return of the MMU students! Could be busy… (map, 14 minute walk)

• Sandbar have an excellent choice of beers and whiskies, and serve decent pizza. It’s popular with local academics and students, and has a good atmosphere. If it’s too busy, try The Deaf Institute over the road. (map, 14 minute walk)

Slightly further towards the centre:

• North Bar is a modern bar just off Oxford Road. An on-site restaurant called Koto serve food (see menu). (map, 18 minute walk)

• Lass O’Gowrie is an old brick building on the banks of the River Medlock, halfway between Oxford Road and Piccadilly stations. It’s known for its old tiles and fittings, and Guinness. They also do guest beers and serve food. (map, 20 minute walk)

• YES bar is next door to the Lass O’Gowrie. There’s a bar on the ground floor (where you can get a slice of pizza) with music venues on other floors. They’ve got reasonably sized booths that should fit groups of 6, but it might get pretty noisy at the weekend. (map, 20 minute walk)

• Bundobust Brewery is slightly further north. Being a Bundobust, they also serve food. Open ‘til 10pm on Friday/Saturday, 8pm on Sunday. (map, 20 minute walk)

Nearer to the city centre, these are all worth a mention:

• The Gas Works Brewbar is on the site of an old gas works and has a brewery on site. It’s fairly spacious, they serve food, and you can play shuffleboard. (map, 25 minutes walk)

• The Britons Protection is a proper old pub with plenty of nooks and crannies. Dating back to 1795, there’s some real history to it. It was used to recruit soldiers during the Napoleonic wars, and there are rumours that people injured in the 1819 Peterloo Massacre were treated on the bar. They’ve got a couple of hundred whiskeys to choose from. It’s quite popular, so perhaps not ideal in the evening for large groups. (map, 28 minute walk)

• Peveril of the Peak (a.k.a. “the Pev”) is one of Manchester’s most famous pubs, and dates back to 1830. It’s known for the beautiful tile-clad frontage. Inside you’ll find multiple rooms, stained glass, and some bench seating. The landlady has been there over 50 years, and there’s a ghost! 👻 (map, 26 minute walk)

• City Arms is just off St Peter’s Square (so really quite central) and is a reliable choice. It’s almost 200 years old, has a good atmosphere, and two rooms. There are normally several different beers on tap (including one vegan option), and around 150 gins. (map, 30 minute walk)

If you’d like to seek out some live music head for the Northern Quarter. Night and Day and Soup Kitchen are good bars that usually have bands playing at the weekend. Head to Matt & Phred’s if you prefer Jazz. And if you’re in the Northern Quarter in search of a good beer, try The Castle or TROF.

And finally, for the gamers:

• NQ64 is a neon-lit bar with retro arcade games and themed cocktails. There are two, one located in the Northern Quarter, another on Peter St. Think Mario Kart, Street Fighter, and classic pinball. Open til 3am on Friday and Saturday – what could go wrong? (map)

• Pixel Bar offers themed nights, PC and console gaming, and a fully stocked bar – ideal for a relaxed evening of gaming and geekery. In the Northern Quarter. Open til 1am. (map)

Things to do

If you fancy some fresh air, the YHA have put together a 3.4 mile walking tour (see their PDF and map) that takes in 24 sites of interest around the city. It includes most of the places we mention below, and the map is a useful reference if you don’t want to do the walk. There are also a couple of free buses that cover a similar area to the YHA’s route.

Museums and Galleries

• Manchester Museum is a 6 minute walk along Oxford Road from Contact Theatre, is free to enter, contains a huge variety of fascinating things (including live amphibians and reptiles on the 2nd floor). Open until 5pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Highly recommended, even if only for a fleeting visit to say hello to Stan the T-Rex. (map)

• Whitworth Art Gallery is just beyond Manchester Museum, an 8 minute walk from Contact, and is also free to enter. The café itself warrants a visit, but the gallery is superb. (map)

• At The Pankhurst Centre (also just round the corner from Contact Theatre) you can visit the former home of the Pankhurst family, and learn about the story of women’s fight for the right to vote. Only open on the Sunday between 11am and 4pm (last entry at 3pm), £6 admission. (map)

• Manchester Art Gallery is in the city centre, free to enter, and open every day except Monday. They’ve got over 25,000 things in their collection, including many of international significance. (map)

• At the Science and Industry Museum you’ll find a replica of Baby (the first computer to run a program from memory) and Stephenson’s Rocket under one roof. They’ve got a lot of exhibits showcasing Manchester’s industrial history, the textile industry, and the birth of the railways (the Liverpool to Manchester route was a world first). It’s just to the west of the city centre. Entry is free (though you can book), and it closes at 5pm. (map)

• Explore some of our literary heritage at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. It’s a 15 minute walk from Contact Theatre. Open on the Sunday between 11am and 4.30pm (last entry at 3pm), £8.50 admission. (map)

Noteworthy libraries

• John Rylands Library is one of Europe’s finest examples of neo-Gothic architecture. The building itself is superb, but the contents are fascinating, including contains ancient papyri, early prints, and medieval manuscripts. It was opened in 1900 as a gift to the people of Manchester. Open until 5pm on Friday and Saturday (last entry at 4.40pm). (map)

• Chetham’s Library and medieval building is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world, dating back to 1653. It’s also where Marx and Engels met! Tours include the stunning medieval buildings and atmospheric reading rooms. But you do need to book your tour, which will last just over an hour. (map)

• Manchester Central Library is the second largest library in the UK, and is famous for its echoey acoustics. The central room on the upper floor is large and circular with a high domed roof. Make a short sharp sound and it will be echoed back to you a split second later. It’s a great place to study or work. There’s also a café downstairs. Open until 5pm on Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday. (map)

Parks and green spaces

• Whitworth Park is right next to Contact Theatre, and perfect for a stroll between sessions.

• Closer to the city centre, near to some of the suggested hotels, and just north of the Gay Village, you’ll find Sackville Gardens. This park isn’t big, but it’s an interesting spot for programmers. The Alan Turing memorial statue can be found in the centre, depicting Turing sitting on a bench holding an apple.