One thing I’ve tried to put a fair amount of energy into since finishing university is being more of a tourist in Manchester.
On getting back from my year abroad, one of the first things I did was buy the Great Britain Lonely Planet guide – I’d spent the year before living in three different cities spending all my available time seeing sights or visiting museums, and didn’t want to give that up on getting home. After finishing my exams and getting a job, I tried to approach Manchester with renewed vigour.
Though the city has its share of attractions, museums and galleries, it’s fair to say that on the tourism scale, Manchester is no London. While this means it requires a bit more effort to fill your weekends with cultural delights (after the hangover subsides), it does make discovering the city that little bit more rewarding.
So, while I’m definitely no expert, here are a few things I’ve found useful when trying to be a tourist at home.
Buy a guide book
When in doubt, buy a Lonely Planet
There are plenty of ways of doing research into what’s going on in your city, but if you’re anything like me, there’s nothing quite like going out and getting a guidebook to get you excited about your latest travel destination. Decent guide books give you a great insight into the history of the area and the importance of local sights. It’s also pretty interesting to see a different take on a city you know well.
Get instagram
As mentioned in a previous post, despite being a little late to the party, I am now a fully fledged instagram addict. My favourite thing about it (apart from obsessively counting my photo likes) is how much it’s changed my perception of Manchester. There are some absolutely stunning photos of the city on instagram, and I’ve found myself trying to take in buildings around me a bit more, and trying to see the city with a photographer’s eye.
Write a bucket list
I’ve left Manchester twice since moving here in 2008 – once for my year abroad and again after graduating university when I spent two brief, yet painful, months living back at home. Both times, I wrote myself a short Manchester bucket list of all the gems and attractions I still had to visit. Happily, I didn’t get round to seeing everywhere on my list, so while I conquered Manchester Museum and the Imperial War Museum North, I didn’t make it to MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) or on a tour of the Town Hall… yet.
Lists are perfect for those weekends where you have nothing planned but want to feel you’ve achieved something. Or those rare weekends when the sun comes out and you feel the need to rush outside and enjoy it.
Stay connected
Bridges in MCR
Keeping track of all the events going on in your town has never been easier – subscribe to a blog, magazine or e-newsletter to keep up to date with the latest cultural offerings. It’s a good idea to follow your city’s tourism board, local theatre or arts centre on twitter, too.
For Manchester, I’d recommend the Visit MCR blog and their excellent ‘3 things to do this weekend’ posts, Creative Tourist and I love MCR online.
Explore
It sounds simple, but I think the hardest thing to do in a city you live in is to explore it at every opportunity.
For example, I have a small number of bars and restaurants I always go to, as a default, and my friends are the same. It’s just too easy to stick with the comfortable and the familiar (and the food at Revolucion de Cuba is too good). Being a tourist in your own city doesn’t mean giving up your local haunts, but it does mean taking a risk and trying something new every once in a while.
MCR – my city
Being a tourist in your own city isn’t easy. Let’s face it, getting excited about places you’ve been walking past for years can be difficult, but being a tourist in your own city is a LOT cheaper than going abroad, and sometimes you need to find less expensive ways of exercising those itchy feet. And never underestimate the huge amount of pleasure you’ll get from discovering a hidden gem in your own town you never knew existed; be it a restaurant, monument or museum.
So arm yourself with a camera, prepare your instagram profile, grab an infeasibly large map and enjoy your city!
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I enjoy having a bucket list in my own town, like you said it keeps me exploring and then I plan free weekends with things I’ve been meaning to go do/see/eat/explore.
One piece of advice that a friend gave me was to explore your own town, walk half as fast as you normally do. You’ll see so many subtleties that you usually miss.
Having a list is such a simple idea, but really effective. That sounds like great advice, too. I’m trying to look up and around a bit more when I’m in the city centre now, too, some of the buildings have some amazing architectural features you’d never know where there.
I love being a tourist in Manchester. Have you been to the People’s History Museum yet? That’s probably my favourite. I’m not sure if they still run the open top tour bus or if it’s only a summer thing, but that’s also fun.
Not done the People’s History Museum yet, but it’s on the list!