Those familiar with Greater Manchester know that the area boasts an abundance of country parks and nature reserves to explore. Take Heaton Park, for example – the largest municipal park in Europe and the home of the annual Parklife festival.

However, there’s no need to travel far from the city centre to get your nature fix. There are plenty of green spaces in Manchester city centre that are relatively unknown – and all the better for it.

With temperatures in the city reaching record highs this summer, the following places are perfect if you’re looking to unwind outdoors and top up the tan without having to actually go anywhere.

St. John’s Gardens – Castlefield

St. John’s is a tranquil little oasis nestled between the Museum of Science and Industry and Deansgate. It’s home to one of the rarest trees in the UK, the Black Poplar, otherwise known as the ‘Manchester Poplar’. Fittingly, given the city’s past as a manufacturing hub, the tree sheds seeds that cover the pavement in cotton-like white fluff every summer.

Open: from dawn to dusk

Lower Byrom Street, M3 4AP

Green Flag Award (2012) – the national award that recognises outstanding green spaces in England and Wales.

Cathedral Gardens – Central Retail District

The best thing about Cathedral Gardens is its location - right next to Victoria Station, the Corn Exchange shopping and dining centre, the National Football Museum and Cheetham’s Library. It’s one of the most accessible green spaces in Manchester city centre and as such is the perfect place for shoppers, tourists and travellers alike to catch a few moments of relaxation.

Open: always accessible

Corporate Street, M4 3BG

Cathedral Gardens

Sackville Gardens – Canal Street

Bordered by Rochdale Canal on one side and The University of Manchester’s Sackville Street Building on the other, Sackville Gardens has long been a popular student hangout. It’s also the perfect place for a quick lunch break. Be sure to check out the life-size bronze statue of Alan Turing, a pioneering computer scientist who frequented the area.

Open: from dawn to dusk

Sackville Street, M1 3WA

Sackville Gardens

Parsonage Gardens – Deansgate

The area that is now known as Parsonage Gardens has been around since 1066, though it’s changed use a few times since. Interestingly, it was once used to grow food to feed residents at the nearby St. Mary’s collegiate church. These days, it’s a pretty spot ideal for escaping the hustle and bustle of Deansgate, which is just a few metres away.

Open: from dawn to dusk

Parsonage Gardens, M3 2LF

Parsonage Gardens

Vimto Park – Piccadilly

Vimto Park has become something of an iconic spot in Manchester. It’s named after the giant wooden Vimto bottle erected there as a memorial to the soft drink that was created nearby over 100 years ago. The park itself is part of the University of Manchester’s science campus but is open to everyone. Fun fact - the founder of Manchester Apartments, Stephen Beech, started his first business aged just seven years old, selling Vimto lollies in the school playground.

Open: always accessible

39 Sackville Street, M1 3WE

Vimto Park

All Saints Gardens – Oxford Road

One of the livelier parks in central Manchester, All Saints Gardens is a mecca for students of Manchester Metropolitan University, which surrounds the park on three sides. With plenty of shops and cafes nearby, it’s a great spot for a picnic and has ample grassy space to stretch out on.

Grosvenor Square, M15 6BH

All Saint's Gardens, near Oxford Road Station

St. Michael’s Flags and Angel Meadow Park – NOMA

This park is a little slice of history within one of Manchester’s most up-and-coming neighbourhoods, NOMA, which has recently undergone an £800 million regeneration. The unusual name is a nod to the church that once stood there, which you can read all about on information boards dotted around the park. A good size for a city-centre park, it’s a lovely spot for a leisurely weekend stroll.

Open: from dawn to dusk

Old Mount Street, M4 4TF

Green Flag Award (2006)

Angel Meadow Park in the NOMA district

All of our apartments are within easy reach of the green spaces listed above – and many more cool places in Manchester city centre. Check them out by exploring our Apartments for Rent.