Two Manchester Insiders Share Itineraries for a Perfect Day in Town

Welcome to Two Perfect Days, in which we profile a pair of prominent locals on their favorite haunts. Consider it a complement to our obsessively researched Two-Night Minimum city guide series.

How do you know if someone’s from Manchester? They tell you right away. Mancunian pride extends far beyond the fierce football (soccer) and music following of late. The city boasts a long history of brag-worthy feats, including the first public library in the English-speaking world, the first canal and steamboat transportation systems and the first gaslit streetlamps. It’s also the birthplace of Western vegetarianism—or so Mancunians will tell you. Here, two of our favorite Mancs take us through the specifics of what makes the so-called Capital of the North ahead of its time and worthy of their own devotion.