Quality of Life in Manchester, United Kingdom

Moved to Manchester in 2012 having grown up in Cambridgeshire (about an hour from London). 12 years later I’ve bought my first flat in the city and absolutely love it here. Great access to a thriving bar and restaurant scene, investment in the city is huge, loads of dog friendly places. Most people are great and friendly, (unless you’re a snob or look down on people). There are a small minority that let the city down, but that’s the same as anywhere. Overall I have a high quality of life in the city and the best but about Manchester is the location. Close to the Pennines, the Lakes, North Wales and the Peak District. I also got used to the cooler, wetter weather (though it’s still relatively similar to the rest of the UK)

I’m finally free after 3 years in this dump. Manchester is truly the city of lazy losers. You don’t realise how much you had until you’re forced to live in Manchester.

My condolences to everyone that still lives there, and to the people that say they enjoy it…

It’s not healthy to lie to yourself.

Manchester as a city is a fraud. It’s like a multi level marketing scam. Promises so much but life there is miserable.

Everything you’ve learnt about life goes out the window. The culture here is extremely anti-intellectual. If you value health, learning, or wellness they’ll accuse you of being posh and resent you.

The people are incredibly backwards and xenophobic. They despise anyone not Mancunian and will deny them jobs and treat them differently. They don’t like people who’re “too different.”

They have 0 self awareness or boundaries. They don’t seem to know anything either. You’ll often see them slowly walking across the street like a zombie, aimlessly going nowhere.

The city is depressing and soulless. Most who have moved there live in regret as they have just brought a house in a place that’s essentially hell.

The people are boring and so are most events they hold. If you’re not a belligerent drunk or druggy it’s no fun. This is why students love it.

Work life is miserable as the people have no respect for others. It’s all me, me, me. The service is extremely poor too. You’ll work for companies that have been around for 20 years that have no structure because no one knows what they’re doing or has thought to learn.

No one can drive. It’s actually scary to get in your car every day.

There is a poor choice of gyms and anything health related as no one there values those things.

The only good think about it is the access you have to better towns and cities.

Don’t live here.

Living in Manchester for about 3 years now, and in my opinion, it's a great city. However, I am young...a Uni student, as people have previously mentioned below, it is a great city for young people. The investment is sky-high at the moment, mostly coming from China. The influence UoM has on the city is insane. Most of the skyrise buildings are occupied by international students, who are paying more per year in tuition fees than the average UK wage (around £27,000). The biggest disappointment with the city, in my opinion, is the locals. The Mancunians themselves (though in my experience, they're hard to even find) do seem to be collectively uneducated. Crime is pretty high and it comes from the locals. They are often resistant to the new infrastructure projects in the city, which are an absolute blessing. There is no wonder that Manchester is one of the fastest-growing cities in Europe, it is just a shame the locals do not share the same levels of enthusiasm. With 20-30,000 students joining the city each year, I am hopeful that the outside energy will reform the city even further. The few actual locals you do meet are proud of where they are from, and often boast about how friendly they are as a population - just don't tell them you're from the south or you'll first have experience xenophobic abuse.

I've been living in Manchester for a year now, and the feelings are totally mixed. For sure, you can find nice nightlife, lots of pubs, cafes. Also, the rents are fairly cheaper than London and other major cities. However, the rain is a big issue here. It rains or is cloudy, without exaggeration, 26-27 days of the month. Also, drugs is a very serious problem. It's a shame that Piccadilly Gardens, maybe the most crowded place in the city centre, is overloaded with drugs and homeless people. Not a very nice scenery...Finally, and that's from personal experience and to my surprise, there is a high number of people who are very rude and seem totally uneducated. Sadly, I 've come to the conclusion that this is the average Mancunian (even though I don't want to believe it). Regarding the job opportunities, I am kind of pessimistic as I haven't seen much going on, but maybe I am wrong. All in all, I believe Manchester is a nice area to live for 3-7 years, especially if you are a young guy, at the beginning of your career.