Britain's Best City

[Murphy]

Three of my favourites still in the hat going into the top 10. Lovely old job.

 

[blade1889]

Wow, that is absolute nonsense, I lived in Leeds for years and Manc for a bit and I don't get your comparison at all. I found Leeds welcoming, culturally superior, cooler, far less obnoxious , cheaper, more aesthetically pleasing and generally less bloody pleased with itself than Manchester. Add to that it gets better bands, ( used) to have better clubs and the curry is better I have to say you are wrong .

Not been to Leeds loads but find it hard to imagine it beats Manchester on being culturally superior...Think I'm correct in saying Manchester has the most different native languages in the UK (I've worded that poorly I know), along with curry mile, a mini china town, gay village, northern quarter etc. all being distinct areas with different cultures thriving. I dont think there's much in it appearance wise, can go for a walk from the student areas of Manchester and be in the countryside in no time and the city center is very modern and a nice place to be now its had a face lift. Manchester is known for its cool/hip appearance which does add a degree of obnoxiousness I guess...running joke between UoM and UoL is that they try and appear 'cool/hipster' like Manchester but they try too hard, comes natural to some areas of Manchester (not me mind).

Never had a Leeds curry...dont think it could beat Mowgli's on curry mile though, great grub.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

Point of order C&B, a Cornish cream tea is markedly different to a Devon cream tea, as i found to my cost last year !!!

For the love of God can you learn how to quote properly please?
Thank you.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

Some weird results here IMHO. Glasgow seems too low. Strange that Cambridge was so much higher than Oxford when the two are so similar.

Delighted to see Birmingham well down the list.

My weird-arsed scoring system may have skewed results slightly. As such, I'll do a summary at the end of what things may have looked like with a simpler scoring system to see if much would have changed.

As for Oxford v Cambridge, I think where Cambridge wins it is its surroundings. It's just a much nicer place to be in my opinion.

 

[Pliny Harris]

Wow, that is absolute nonsense, I lived in Leeds for years and Manc for a bit and I don't get your comparison at all. I found Leeds welcoming, culturally superior, cooler, far less obnoxious , cheaper, more aesthetically pleasing and generally less bloody pleased with itself than Manchester. Add to that it gets better bands, ( used) to have better clubs and the curry is better I have to say you are wrong .

No chance. I always found Leeds dumbstruck with itself with little to be dumbstruck about. Its curries paled to what I could get at home let alone Manchester/Bratfud's. The average village in Norfolk has more decent buildings. I'd forever be told how good bar/club xyz was in Leeds and when I'd eventually get there it'd be generic, overpriced and forgettable. Then you walk for 10 minutes in whichever direction and end up in a place like Sheepscar or Hunslet, Christ. Aggression seems to be in their genes, and when you finally get into the countryside after a good ten miles it's flat, quilted jacket and moleskine land. And then there's their football team and everyone connected to it.

It definitely holds its own with bands though. There are lots of individual bands that have hailed from there that knock the MADCHESTER OMG stuff into a cocked hat. The campus is brilliant too, plus the Brudenell Social Club and Wharf Chambers are pretty fine. That's about it though.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

Leeds is a little bland in my opinion. I think aesthetically, it isn't anywhere near most on this list. It is a nice place though and the people are great in my opinion. I'm on my way there now as it happens, bet it's windy.

 

[johnnytodd]

Not been to Leeds loads but find it hard to imagine it beats Manchester on being culturally superior...Think I'm correct in saying Manchester has the most different native languages in the UK (I've worded that poorly I know), along with curry mile, a mini china town, gay village, northern quarter etc. all being distinct areas with different cultures thriving. I dont think there's much in it appearance wise, can go for a walk from the student areas of Manchester and be in the countryside in no time and the city center is very modern and a nice place to be now its had a face lift. Manchester is known for its cool/hip appearance which does add a degree of obnoxiousness I guess...running joke between UoM and UoL is that they try and appear 'cool/hipster' like Manchester but they try too hard, comes natural to some areas of Manchester (not me mind).

Never had a Leeds curry...dont think it could beat Mowgli's on curry mile though, great grub.

Judge a city by how diverse it is LOL
hope your white socks aren't rubbing on them sandals #nowonderthecountriesfucked.........LOL

 

[lordofthepies]

Leeds and Manchester are both great, although I do prefer Manchester. Hansa's restaurant is in Leeds, so Leeds wins at curry though.

 

[Aber gas]

Judge a city by how diverse it is LOL
hope your white socks aren't rubbing on them sandals #nowonderthecountriesfucked.........LOL

I think cultural diversity makes a city more interesting, certainly more vibrant.

 

[johnnytodd]

I think cultural diversity makes a city more interesting, certainly more vibrant.

but they have nothing to do with that city?

 

[Aber gas]

but they have nothing to do with that city?

I don't understand the question.

 

[Ciderhead]

4 of mine still to go, 3 of which were always going to be up there but the one that topped my list was more of an outside shot so I'm glad it's made the top 10

 

[Veggie Legs]

I've still got my top two and worst one to come out.

 

[Hurrikeen]

Surely York is still in the hat here?

 

[Veggie Legs]

London, Manchester, Liverpool, York, Norwich, Edinburgh, Bristol, Bath, Newcastle, Nottingham. Is that right?

 

[Hurrikeen]

London, Manchester, Liverpool, York, Norwich, Edinburgh, Bristol, Bath, Newcastle, Nottingham. Is that right?

Can't speak for Norwich, Bath, Bristol or Newcastle, but the others should be:

York, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, London

 

[Veggie Legs]

I didn't have them in order, just listing the ten that are left.

 

[blade1889]

I don't understand the question.

I'm assuming he's on the wind-up again after people lost interest in the Earth being flat.

LOL

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Yeah, he's going back to the closet racist rhetoric now.

 

[Aber gas]

I'm assuming he's on the wind-up again after people lost interest in the Earth being flat.

LOL

I'd forgotten about that thread LOL
Well I wouldn't want this fine thread that C+B had kindly provided to be ruined by any of that nonsense!
Back on topic, Manchester above Leeds ? Are you fucking high ? LOL

 

[blade1889]

Back on topic, Manchester above Leeds ? Are you fucking high ? LOL

Unlike my fellow UoM students, no!

 

[johnnytodd]

I don't understand the question.

are you the sort of person who likes Irish bars in New York? if so that explains alot.

 

[johnnytodd]

Surely York is still in the hat here?

should be top 3 for the cathedral alone

 

[johnnytodd]

I'm assuming he's on the wind-up again after people lost interest in the Earth being flat.

LOL

LOL but we will have confirmation by Friday after my balloon trip

 

[Techno Natch]

Manchester is easily the most overrated place I've visited. Clubs are shite for a start and close far to early for a City that holds its music scene in such high regard. You also get treated like complete scum by their over the top policing at Dance nights.

Don't get me wrong its a nice City but far from "MAD"

A bit like that one person who always says they were crazy or random but was actually just a bit of a twat.

 

[lordofthepies]

Manchester is easily the most overrated place I've visited. Clubs are shite for a start and close far to early for a City that holds its music scene in such high regard. You also get treated like complete scum by their over the top policing at Dance nights.

Don't get me wrong its a nice City but far from "MAD"

A bit like that one person who always says they were crazy or random but was actually just a bit of a twat.

I love how you judge every place on its clubs.

 

[Aber gas]

are you the sort of person who likes Irish bars in New York? if so that explains alot.

Yes I do ! And Indian restaurants in Bristol ,Lebanese restaurants in Berlin, African markets in corralejo , English pubs in Alicante. What's your issue brah ?

 

[blade1889]

Manchester is easily the most overrated place I've visited. Clubs are shite for a start and close far to early for a City that holds its music scene in such high regard. You also get treated like complete scum by their over the top policing at Dance nights.

Don't get me wrong its a nice City but far from "MAD"

A bit like that one person who always says they were crazy or random but was actually just a bit of a twat.

Need to get to morning glory...the worryingly named gay club that opens till 10am

 

[Son of Cod]

Having lived in Leeds for four years, it's a pleasure to me to travel around Manchester, and there's honestly no comparison. The way the whole city is, the way it's built, the humour of the people and its individuality is miles ahead. Get caught in city centre traffic and at least you have some nice sights to look at before you move off. Leeds city centre is about the size of Halifax's, surrounded by mundane, lairy suburbs like an oversized allotment vegetable that has been allowed to go completely rotten, and it can come back to me when it finds itself an orchestra.

Over the years I've come to realise that Manchester people often have a slightly unhealthy obsession with Manchester bettering Leeds. Other than the obvious football club hatred, Leeds doesn't really reciprocate. The humour of its people? Seriously? Manchester people have their own brand of humour that transcends the natives of other cities? That's the kind of thing that puts me off Manchester. It's a very inward facing type of individuality that you're referring too, isn't it? The type that Scousers and Geordies are also guilty of. Almost unaware of life outside of Manchester. Londoners are the same, but of course London is a global city. Despite what some of its inhabitants might think, Manchester is not. Don't get me wrong though, I had Manchester down as my 2nd favourite city ahead of Leeds in 3rd. However, Manchester was held back from challenging London for top spot by one factor. Mancs.
Leeds and Manchester are probably the best two cities in the North for music, from what I've seen. Not sure what the clubs/venues are like now in Leeds, but when I left four years ago there was plenty going on if you're willing to invest the time and scratch the surface.
Which countryside areas around Leeds have you visited, too? I do think if you're only willing to drive 10 minutes out of Leeds city centre you're not going to be spoilt for choice, but I'd love to know where these mountains are located within walking distance of Manchester. Go a bit further out of Leeds into the Dales and you're set. Places like Otley, Ilkley and Horsforth are good days out if you want a good pub/countryside compromise if you're willing to go further than 10 minutes but not right into the Dales.

 

[blade1889]

I lived in Rusholme last year and would walk for 20 minutes and be in the countryside