Street Art - Manchester's Northern Quarter

While I was away recently I spent a few hours alone in the centre of Manchester and wandered round the Northern Quarter.  I like it.  Parts of it look a bit run down but that may be more appearance than reality. It's not all shiny lights and gloss and glamour and the noise of multinational commerce.

But it's the kind of place I enjoy if I'm in the middle of a city.

As I wandered through I noticed that there is quite a lot of street art there and much of it is really good.  So on my way out of the Northern Quarter to meet my friend - and deliberately including a few streets I hadn't walked down before - I came to a decision to get out my phone and take some pictures.  Sometime when I'm back there I'll explore more and take pictures of more of the art.

It turned out that we spent much of the afternoon back in the Northern Quarter.  My friend likes it there too.  She had mentioned a cafe and I wanted to go there.  I loved it.  Very comfortable place to sit.  Dangerously comfortable since it is a pay as you go cafe where the only thing you pay for is the time you are there.  Someone blogged about Ziferblat Manchester a couple of days ago.  Click here and you'll be able to see why I loved it and why it's among her favourite places.

My wonderful friend also took me to a shop I'd noticed from the art outside it, Afflecks Palace.  It's a really cool place.  All kinds of wonderful little shops and stalls are there.  All I bought were a few badges and some very cheap beads which I confess are mainly for being on pretty display rather than for making things from.  Next time we'll go to another cafe.  She showed me the cakes through the window and I just have to visit.  I can't not visit a place with cakes like those.

If you're ever in the centre of Manchester for a few hours and if you're anything like me then I'd advise to visit the Northern Quarter and to avoid the Arndale Centre and all the chain stores with their bright lights and sterility.  Just wander and explore and enjoy.  Of course, if you're a big fan of what large shopping malls have to offer then indulge yourself in the Arndale Centre.

So here is just some of the street art.  There is plenty more to go back and record.  And at the end something that isn't street art and isn't in the Northern Quarter.  But I liked it.  Life is enriched by street art.