I get asked time and time again about our best-loved places in Manchester. It is somewhere we visit often and we have lots of favourites. When people have emailed me and asked for recommendations the feedback is always positive and they have enjoyed where I have suggested so I thought it was about time I did a post. I will concentrate on the shops in The Northern Quarter this time as it is definitely our favourite area both for adults and kids and then I will do a separate post on bars and cafes (within the NQ).
The kids love it in here, lots of bright and colourful toys, kitchenware, jewellery, cards, wrapping paper, books & stationery. I love that they have unusual products and work with smaller independent designers, as well as the larger more established ones.
Fred Aldous is long-established store stocking a huge range of arts and crafts materials, plus haberdashery, oh and it has the best photo booths. We have to get our pictures done every time we visit. There a 2 floors of everything stationery your heart could ever desire. This store is The Fred Aldous flagship and HQ.
Where do I even begin with how fantastic Affleck’s is. This is where I use to spend my teenage years buying beads to make bracelets, scouring through vintage clothes, getting piercings (well my friends did I was always a wuss) and choosing the coolest fancy dress. All this and more is still there. There is such a fab mix of quirky shops and cafes (Bob especially likes the Star Wars and Doctor Who figure shop on the 3rd floor).
Manchester Craft and Design Centre
The beautiful Victorian building – once the home of the city’s retail fish market – is still complete with many of its original and quirky fixtures and fittings. There’s a fab cafe and beautiful art, ceramics and jewellery shops.
Always Mark’s favourite, Piccadilly Records is an established, independent music store stocking classic and latest releases on vinyl and CD.
This is an old world style shop which sells quirky and well made gifts and lots of fab home wares, it also offers a tailoring service. This is one of our favourite shops, the staff are lovely and their candles and room sprays are divine.
Another fab shop stocking general and design-focused reads, prints and some seriously stylish gifts.
Anatomy: A Cutaway Look Inside The Human Body
Mark’s favourite clothes shop, it offers the coolest clothes. Including A.P.C., Norse Projects, Patagonia, Lacoste and Universal Works and Adidas (to name but a few).
A beautiful independent boutique which stocks a gorgeous collection of niche and well known casual women’s brands (they had amazing trainers in stock when I was there this weekend). It also stocks home wares and both these and the clothes are super chic and sustainable. A truly fashion forward store. I love the green exterior.
I first discovered this beautiful shop when I went on a macrame making course with the ever amazing Prettylittleknotsco. The exterior is the beautiful green wood again like Nola and they have the most gorgeous sustainable, organic and ethical clothing for women.
I hope you find this post helpful and please let me know if you would like a post on the cafes, bars and restaurants in this area, also please share any shops you think I have missed which are fab, I know I will have forgotten some of my faves.
Shelley x
