From Manchester's world famous Boddington's brew, to the city's finest cuisine, Manchester has it all! Home to the nationally acclaimed Manchester Food & Drink festival, there's more to the city than meat pies and gravy. Un-missable restaurants include the Midland Hotel's French Resaurant, San Carlo, Gaucho Grill and Lounge Ten. Plus if you're partial to a cocktail or three, you could do worse than Socio Rehab in the Northern Quarter or Panacea just off Deansgate.

Calling all Shopaholics Anonymous Manchester has an array of options. The Arndale Centre is now bigger, better, and much improved; new highlights include a ridiculously huge Next store, a Topshop, an Apple store and a Nandos! The Trafford Centre is another bastion of Mancunian retail, with free parking for all and opening hours until 10pm. It also boasts a cinema, over 60 restaurants and a Laserquest. Other shopping meccas include Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, House Of Fraser; and for the more alternative of us there's Afflecks Palace and Manchester's Uber trendy Northern Quarter.

For those somewhat more cultured among us, Manchester is home to some of the most amazing architecture. All purpose museum/gallery The Urbis, is the only building in the world with a diagonally rising elevator; and The Hilton's infamous Beetham Tower is the UK's tallest building outside of London, with a skybar on the 23rd floor. Manchester Central Library is another architectural wonder, the large white domed building is home to more books than you could ever read, whether for leisure, pleasure or education.

Or perhaps you're a budding entrepreneur? Well Manchester has polled for several years as the best place to start a business in the whole of the UK. Economically, it's the fastest growing city in the country, plus office space is cheap and plentiful. The city is also a real media hub, with the Manchester Evening News, Granada, and the BBC all on your doorstep.