I had always seen myself as a Cambridge or Oxford person. But I've been to Manchester. I've walked around it and my first impression after getting off the bus was: "What a depressing city" - it was wet and every building was either grey stone concrete or a dull depressing red brick. But walking around...the accents was beautiful, the young groups of men walking around with lager cans didn't seem very threatening, people seemed to be far more sociable and more likely to talk to strangers (certainly several people spoke to me). The people didn't seem so self obsessed and glammed up as other cities, such as London.
Walking around the city I could nearly hear the smiths, stone roses or mock turtles playing. Thats the kind of city it is. It appears calm on the surface but underneath you know its bubbling with excitement. Stuff is happening.
I love the city. Its so much nicer than the other cities I've been to and lived in. I'd love to go to university there after my current degree, but I doin't know if Uni of Mancs is good enough for me, even though I don't know anything about it really as to where it ranks on the best uni list....I am a snob about what institutions of education I go to.