Manchester is famous for a lot of things. Two world-class football teams, Oasis, The Smiths are just a few things that come to mind when you first think of Manchester. However, there are so many more unexpected talents that have emerged from this city, keep reading to discover our top ten facts about Manchester…

1. The Bridgewater Canal was Britain’s first man-made waterway, commissioned in 1761 by Francis Egerton, the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from Worsley to Manchester. The canal remains today, connecting Manchester, Runcorn, and Leigh, and although it’s no longer used to transport coal, its still used by numerous narrow-boaters and is home to families of Canadian geese.

2. Manchester is where the atom was split for the first time. New-Zealand born Ernest Rutherford, Chair of Physics at the University of Manchester in 1907 and Nobel Prize winner in 1908, split the atom for the very first time in Manchester. The major breakthrough enabled the development of nuclear power, as well as radiotherapy which helps cancer patients all over the world.

3. The Manchester viaduct, or better known as the archways underneath the Metrolink, took a whopping 50 years to build and used 11 million bricks. If placed end-to-end, the bricks would stretch all the way to Barcelona.

4. Have you ever wondered why there is a Vimto statue in Manchester city centre? It’s because the drink we all know and love was invented here! Vimto was originally created as a herbal tonic and rapidly became very popular, it is now available to buy in 85 countries!

5. The Guardian newspaper was originally founded in Manchester in 1821. The popular paper was originally known as the Manchester Guardian and it was published weekly. Later, in 1855, the newspaper became a daily publication before ultimately dropping “Manchester” from the title in 1959 and relocating to London in 1964.

6. Manchester is home to the second largest Chinatown in the UK and the third largest in Europe. Its iconic archway on Faulkner Street was completed in 1987 and is adorned with symbols of luck and prosperity.

7. Manchester’s has some of the best transport links in the UK, with Manchester Airport being the largest regional airport in the UK, serving more than 26 million passengers a year. Local travel is pretty good too, with Manchester Metrolink being voted one of the best services in the UK. In addition to this, Manchester has the busiest bus route in Europe, so you’re never short of easy and efficient transport options.

8. Manchester is home to the “Curry Mile”. It’s known to have one of the largest concentrations of South Asian restaurants outside of the Indian subcontinent. Despite its name, it is in fact only half a mile in length and begins at Wilmslow Road. If spicy food isn’t for you, the Curry Mile is also home to an abundance of ice cream parlours, perfect if you’ve got a sweet tooth.

9. Last year’s Economist Intelligence Unit Annual Global Liveability report index confirmed something that Mancunian’s have known for a while: Manchester is the UK’s most liveable city. Manchester was ranked 38th on the 2019 Global Liveability Study, ten places ahead of London, which only ranked 48th in the report.

10. Our final fact is one that you may already know: Manchester is the Football capital of the world! The National Football Museum, located in Manchester, preserves and contains football memorabilia from football’s entire history. Manchester is also home to two of the top clubs in the world, combined both clubs are worth a whopping £1,082,435,490 and their popularity makes Manchester the richest footballing city in the UK by revenue.

We hope you have learnt something new from our guide! Let us know if we have missed any of your favourite facts on Twitter.

If you’re interested in renting an apartment in Manchester city centre, check out our locations across the city and find your dream apartment today!