Manchester

placed in the category: Cities

Manchester is the second most famous city in the United Kingdom (UK), next only to London. It is a borough of the of the Greater Manchester region and is considered a commercial, cultural, and educational centre in North West England.

As a commercial center, Manchester was voted as the second best city to do business in the UK and the 14th best city in the whole of Europe. It is considered as one of the largest financial centers in Europe, with more than 15,000 people employed in financial institutions. Most businesses can be found in the city's Central Business District.
As a cultural center, Manchester is home to many arts facilities including the Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester Apollo, the Manchester Opera House, the Palace Theatre, the Royal Exchange Theater, and Dancehouse. It is the home of two symphony orchestras, the Halle Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and a chamber orchestra, the Manchester Camerata. The city is also the birthplace of many famous musicians and bands, including Oasis, Take That, Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, and The Fall.

As an educational hub, Manchester boasts of two large universities. One is the University of Manchester, which is UK's largest full-time non-collegiate university. The other is the Manchester Metropolitan University which is UK's fifth largest university and England's largest university in terms of size. Manchester is also the home of the Royal Northern College of music (RNCM), which also functions as an arts center, providing a venue for operas and other musical events.

In the area of sports, Manchester is most famous for being the home of two Premier football teams, Manchester United and Manchester City. It also has the UK's largest football stadium, the City of Manchester stadium. It has a seating capacity of 76,000 and holds the distinction of being the only five-star stadium in England. The 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 2008 UEFA Cup Finals were held in this stadium.

The city of Manchester holds a lot for tourists. It has 135 parks, gardens, and open spaces and many public monuments ideal for walk tours. These and more make put Manchester in any England's traveler itinerary.