South Manchester

South Manchester covers the south of Manchester as far south as the M60. It lies within The Historic County Boundaries of Lancashire. It contains amongst others, the following neighbourhoods:

• Didsbury Historically, this was the home of many of the wealth merchants who traded in the city and is an area with strong Jewish links. It was further developed as railways grew with much more housing built in the 1930s. It is one of the most up-market and expensive residential districts within Manchester. here you will find a mixed academic cosmopolitan community with a smattering of media stars. It offers a wide selection of bars, cafes and restaurants and looks and feels more like an English village than a suburban district 4 miles south of the city centre. Didsbury is often a destination of choice for many people, from elsewhere in the city and beyond, for a meal or drink, in one of the many such bars and restaurants, some of which spill out onto the streets in the summer months.
• Hulme is at the heart of Manchester's counterculture, the area had suffered badly from inept town planning throughout the 1970s until early 1990s. Regeneration of old housing has improved the appearance of the district. It is one of the birthplaces of the European dance scene and home to a multicultural population of artists, punks, anarchists, environmental activists and party people.
• Moss Side Just to the west of Rusholme, is home to a large African and West Indian community a lively and yet tough area is worth a visit for its Caribbean cuisine and pubs.
• Whalley Range Referred to as "Leafy Whalley Range" is one of Manchester's first and finest suburbs started in the early 1830s, built by local banker and businessman Samuel Brooks as "a desirable estate for gentlemen and their families". Here you will find grand Victorian houses on beautiful tree-lined roads that border Alexandra Park and Upper Chorlton Road.
• Chorlton-cum-Hardy Known as Chorlton, this is a suburb of Manchester with good facilities and a residential area of choice for the city's arts, theatre, and music people. It offers a wide range of continental-style café bars and eateries and some trendy shopping around Beech Road. The continental-style café bars and eateries and some trendy shopping outlets have also taken over large stretches of the main shopping streets, Wilbraham Road and Barlow Moor Road.
• Withington Is a diverse district housing a mixture of "professionals" and "students" and close to the University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University.
• Rusholme A multicultural community, home to the largest concentration of South Asian restaurants in Manchester known as the "Curry Mile" (along Wilmslow Road). Here you find cuisine from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, North Africa and the Middle East.

Get in

By air

Manchester Airport is on the southern edge of Manchester and offers Domestic, European and Intercontinental flights. Direct trains from the airport serve Piccadilly in the city centre and some stop at local station en route, including East Didsbury. The trams, buses and taxis can also be take from the airport to locations in South Manchester.

By train

The train line from the city centre to the airport passes through south Manchester. So, for example, the quickest way to get from the airport to Didsbury Village is to get the train to East Didsbury and then walk or catch the bus along Wilmslow Road.

In general, the train service in South Manchester offers inferior coverage and frequency, in comparison to the bus service. However, if it is going where you want it will probably be much quicker.

Most train services in South Manchester go to Manchester Piccadilly station, which offers connections to much of Britain.

By tram

Manchester's Metrolink tram system runs through much of South Manchester, and is normally the best way to get between Didsbury, Chorlton, and Trafford. "Withington" tram stop is not in the centre of Withington, but is well located for Hough End Leisure Centre.

See

• 1 Manchester Airport Visitor Park. Located on the south-western side of Manchester Airport, the visitor park is well worth a visit for any aviation enthusiast. It's home to the flagship of the British Airways Concorde fleet, as well as offering excellent views over the airport apron, taxiways and runways. 
• 2 Baguley Park. Small play area for children surrounded by large grass areas and housing. 
• Levenshulme, a neighbourhood stretching along Stockport Road, has a bustling, close-knit community feel and is popular with families. The new Lev Inspire centre, built inside a refurbished church, has become a hub of community activities. The area has also seen a resurgence of new, independent businesses opening up alongside established ones such as Levenshulme Antiques Village housed in the historic former police station building. The annual Levenshulme Festival brings hundreds of free music, art, food and sport events to the neighbourhood each year.

Do

• DUFFA (Didsbury Ultimate Frisbee For Amateurs), info@duffa.org. If you fancy something a little different, this Didsbury society is free and open to all. Free. 

Eat

• Yechan Foods, 95 Mauldeth Road, M14 6SR, ☏ +44 161 225-4447. 
• Coriander Restaurant, 485 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton Cum Hardy, M21 8AG, ☏ +44 161 881-7750. Indian Restaurant (updated Aug 2015)
• Asian Fusion, 491 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton Cum Hardy, M21 8AG, ☏ +44 161 881-7200. Indian Restaurant (updated Aug 2015)
• 1 Desi Roots, 483 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy M21 8AG, ☏ +44 161 881-8969. Traditional Indian Restaurant mains from £8. (updated Aug 2015)

Drink

Wilbraham Road, Barlow Moor Road and Beech Road are all peppered with bars catering to both local and hipster alike. All are easily accessible from the Chorlton Metrolink stop.

• The Metropolitan, 2 Lapwing Lane West Didsbury, ☏ +44 161 438-2332. Pub - serves both food and drink. 

Sleep

• See also Manchester Airport for hotels convenient for South Manchester, eg those at M56 junction 6 with Wilmslow Rd.
• 1 Didsbury House, Didsbury Park, Didsbury M20 5LJ, ☏ +44 161 448-2200, reception@didsburyhouse.co.uk. Stylish B&B in leafy Didsbury village. No dogs. They also run the nearby 11 Didsbury Park but in 2020 it's closed for refurbishment. B&B double £130. (updated Aug 2020)

Go next

Routes through South

Spinningfields-Albert Square ← Piccadilly ←	NW  SE	→ Stockport → Peak District
Wilmslow ← Cheadle ←	S  N	→ Oxford Road → Piccadilly-East Centre
Altrincham ← Sale ←	SW  NE	→ Old Trafford → Castlefield-Petersfield
Castlefield ← Piccadilly ←	W  E	→ → Hyde → Sheffield