Why Manchester’s Northen Quarter doesn’t need investment

When I first moved to Salford in 1990 it was fantastic in so many ways. I used to love walking round Manchester, it was edgy, dirty and fascinating. I grew up in the countryside where local newspaper reporters could only dream of stories as interesting as vandalism or graffiti.

Over the years Manchester has seen investment and it’s been rebuilt, repaved, washed down, scrubbed up and feels a much safer place to be in. But there is a neagative side to that and that’s why so many people flood into the Northern Quarter. It’s grubby!

Unofficial street art

The Northen Quarter does allow street artist to do their stuff, but it’s the quirky funny stuff that’s almost sublinal that makes the Northern Quarter a cool place to be. Have you noticed the positive message stickers on signposts and traffic lights, saying things like…