I visited Manchester's Northern Quarter neighborhood that doubles as NYC in movies. It's full of thrift stores and vibrant street art that made me want to live here.

Armani SyedFeb 4, 2022, 18:03 IST

The Northern Quarter in Manchester, UK, has been used as a New York City filming location.Armani Syed

I visited the Northern Quarter, a creative Manchester neighborhood full of independent stores.
The streets have been used as filming locations to depict New York City in several movies and shows.

I visited the Northern Quarter, a neighborhood in my home city of Manchester, England, where I would shop most weekends as a teenager.

The Northern Quarter is an area in Manchester City Centre, England.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

I went to the Northern Quarter on a recent trip to Manchester and got there by taking a train to Manchester Piccadilly — the main station in the city.

Manchester Piccadilly, the principal station for the City of Manchester.Armani Syed

I usually enter the Northern Quarter from Oldham Street, a long stretch of characterful buildings that house unique culture stores, bars, restaurants, and cafes.

A corner on Oldham Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

My first stop on Oldham Street, among a network of independent businesses, was Piccadilly Records, an award-winning record store that originally opened in 1978.

Piccadilly Records is a vinyl store that moved to the Northern Quarter in 1997.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

Across the street from Piccadilly Records is Night and Day Cafe, a sleepy cafe by day and a music venue that hosts live performances at night.

The Night and Day cafe is a food and music venue on Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

The streets are lined with trendy independent shops and thrift stores that make it difficult not to spend your hard-earned money but easy to find bargains.

Nice Things and Cow Vintage are independent stores in Manchester's Northern Quarter.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

I then headed to Stevenson Square, the street most frequently used to depict New York City in movies and TV shows such as Marvel's "Captain America: The First Avenger," and Paramount Pictures' "Alfie."

Stevenson Square is the area that most closely resembles New York City.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

I then headed to Stevenson Square, the street most frequently used to depict New York City in movies and TV shows such as Marvel's "Captain America: The First Avenger," and Paramount Pictures' "Alfie."

Stevenson Square was also given a New York City makeover for season four of Netflix's "The Crown," where Emma Corrin depicts Princess Diana on her famous visit in 1989.

The author in Stevenson Square and the same area depicted in season four of Netflix's "The Crown."Armani Syed and Netflix

Next up I brunched, as Carrie Bradshaw once told us all good New Yorkers do.

Ezra and Gil is one of many independent brunch spots in Manchester's Northern Quarter.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

It would not be a successful trip to the neighborhood without buying trendy yet musty-smelling vintage clothes for less than the price of my brunch.

A sign outside the vintage kilo shop and the author in a too-large motorcycle jacket.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

The last place I shopped at was Afflecks, which is the closest place Manchester has to a pilgrimage site. It's an emporium that can offer you band t-shirts, healing crystals, and a new tattoo all in one visit.

The stairwell in Afflecks — an indoor market in the Northern Quarter.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

The last place I shopped at was Afflecks, which is the closest place Manchester has to a pilgrimage site. It's an emporium that can offer you band t-shirts, healing crystals, and a new tattoo all in one visit.

Manchester is a very liberal city, both politically and socially, and its open-mindedness is apparent inside Afflecks.

Stairs and a CBD store in Afflecks — an indoor market in the Northern Quarter.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

Manchester is a great place for art lovers because a number of its walls are lined with vibrant street art.

Artwork on the side of a building in Manchester's Northern Quarter.Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

As I departed and saw the familiar "And on the sixth day God created MANchester" sign that hangs on the wall at Short Street, I realized that Manchester may look like New York City but it stands in its own right.

A well-known sign in the Northern Quarter reads "and on the sixth day God created MANchester."Armani Syed and Mehek Shah

As I departed and saw the familiar "And on the sixth day God created MANchester" sign that hangs on the wall at Short Street, I realized that Manchester may look like New York City but it stands in its own right.

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I visited Manchester's Northern Quarter neighborhood that doubles as NYC in movies. It's full of thrift stores and vibrant street art that made me want to live here.

I visited the Northern Quarter, a neighborhood in my home city of Manchester, England, where I would shop most weekends as a teenager.

I went to the Northern Quarter on a recent trip to Manchester and got there by taking a train to Manchester Piccadilly — the main station in the city.

I usually enter the Northern Quarter from Oldham Street, a long stretch of characterful buildings that house unique culture stores, bars, restaurants, and cafes.

My first stop on Oldham Street, among a network of independent businesses, was Piccadilly Records, an award-winning record store that originally opened in 1978.

Across the street from Piccadilly Records is Night and Day Cafe, a sleepy cafe by day and a music venue that hosts live performances at night.

The streets are lined with trendy independent shops and thrift stores that make it difficult not to spend your hard-earned money but easy to find bargains.

I then headed to Stevenson Square, the street most frequently used to depict New York City in movies and TV shows such as Marvel's "Captain America: The First Avenger," and Paramount Pictures' "Alfie."

Stevenson Square was also given a New York City makeover for season four of Netflix's "The Crown," where Emma Corrin depicts Princess Diana on her famous visit in 1989.

Next up I brunched, as Carrie Bradshaw once told us all good New Yorkers do.

It would not be a successful trip to the neighborhood without buying trendy yet musty-smelling vintage clothes for less than the price of my brunch.

The last place I shopped at was Afflecks, which is the closest place Manchester has to a pilgrimage site. It's an emporium that can offer you band t-shirts, healing crystals, and a new tattoo all in one visit.

Manchester is a very liberal city, both politically and socially, and its open-mindedness is apparent inside Afflecks.

Manchester is a great place for art lovers because a number of its walls are lined with vibrant street art.

As I departed and saw the familiar "And on the sixth day God created MANchester" sign that hangs on the wall at Short Street, I realized that Manchester may look like New York City but it stands in its own right.