The beating heart of the Northern Powerhouse, Manchester’s place as one of the UK’s most desirable locations is underpinned by the city’s connectivity. Whether it is business, pleasure or leisure, Manchester has got you covered.
Serving the most popular European holiday and business routes as well as long-haul destinations including Dubai, Qatar, the United States, Canada and Hong Kong, the city’s international airport is the UK’s biggest and busiest outside of London and is easily reached in a quarter of an hour from the city centre.
Manchester was once the centre of the Industrial Revolution, serving as the perfect link between the port of Liverpool and the mills that sprung up in the city and across northern towns. As well as being an economic force in its own right, modern-day Manchester is ideally located at the heart of the north – with all of the region’s other major players easily reachable by rail or road. Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds are an hour away, with Birmingham an hour and a half and Newcastle two hours away.
Leading multinational businesses and major employers are flocking to the city to make the most of Manchester’s enviable location, moving their UK operations northwards. Microsoft, Amazon and BT have all opened regional hubs in Manchester in recent years, with the likes of Adidas and Booking.com relocating their UK headquarters to the city.
Manchester’s residents can jump in the car and be in world-leading national parks and beautiful countryside within an hour. Whether it’s hiking in the Peaks, paddle-boarding in the Lake District or going slightly further afield to scale the heights of Snowdonia in North Wales, Manchester boasts easy access to staggering natural beauty and some of the very best of the UK’s great outdoors.
For those keen to stay within the city limits, Mancuians are extremely proud of the city’s offering and it’s easy to see why. All tastes are catered for in Manchester – from Michelin star dining to a world-famous live music scene and some of the best shopping in Europe.
What’s more, the accessibility and connectivity of the city centre itself is a major factor in Manchester’s success and growth story. Young professionals working in Manchester’s business and financial hub in Spinningfields are a stone’s throw from the buzzing bars of Deansgate, while the gourmet eateries, hip bars and independent shops of the Northern Quarter and Ancoats are just a short stroll across town.
The city’s tram network connects the city centre to the neighbouring city of Salford, the residential suburbs of South Manchester and the city’s outskirts. Connectivity is a priority for the city’s leadership too, reflected in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s £1 billion recent investment in public transport.
Mayor Andy Burnham is focused on improving public transport and cycle infrastructure to make the Greater Manchester city-region better connected, with the city’s transport vision centred on delivering a London-style integrated ‘tap in tap out’ system, bringing together buses, trams, rail and active travel through the Bee Network. Both within the city and further afield, further upgrades to Manchester’s connectivity are set to deliver more benefits to the city’s residents and investors, with HS2 set to cut journey times to London in half to just over an hour.
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There has never been a better time to invest in Manchester. Contact your advisor today to find out more about Manchester investment opportunities.
