Present
The Northern Quarter is today popular for its numerous bars and cafes as well as its mix of music and clothes shops. Amongst these is Affleck's Palace, a former department store which has been turned into a multi-storey bazaar for alternative clothing and nick-nacks.
Meanwhile, the area is something of a mecca for DJs, with shops such as Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Exchange, Vox Pop Records, Beatin' Rhythm, Eastern Bloc Records (formerly owned by Martin Price of 808 State, then by Pete Waterman) and, until 2009, Fat City Records (formerly run by Mark Rae). The Northern Quarter as a whole is characterised by its offbeat, alternative atmosphere. During the daytime, trendy hangouts include Cafe Pop (a cafe and shop selling retro clothing and household goods) and the Basement (a vegan cafe and meeting place).
Nightlife in the Northern Quarter includes music venues The Night and Day Café, Band on the Wall, the Roadhouse and The Ruby Lounge, The Mint Lounge where Clique (Manchester Evening News' "Club Of The Year 2010") and Funkademia are based, Matt and Phred's Jazz Club, the Frog and Bucket comedy club, the Northern Nightclub and several traditional pubs, as well as a number of restaurants. The area is also famous for its bar scene, which is constantly evolving; well established Northern Quarter bars include Dry 201 (formerly owned by New Order), Cord, Centro, Common, Odd, Bluu, TV21 and Trof.
The area is also known as a home to the creative industries, and in particular fashion design, with various designers, agencies, and clothing wholesalers populating its back streets. There are also a number of commercial art galleries in the area.
Between World War II and the 1990s, the Northern Quarter was not considered to be a residential area, but in recent years, Manchester City Centre has become more and more fashionable as a place to live. Although no official figures are kept (the Northern Quarter is not recognised for administrative purposes), it might be estimated that a little over 500 people now live in the area.
In November 2010 the area was awarded the Great Neighbourhood of the Year Award 2011 for Britain and Ireland at the Academy of Urbanism Awards in London.
Read more about this topic: Northern Quarter (Manchester)
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