Manchester recently named top UK city to live
The city of Manchester, often referred to as the UK's ”Second City” (behind London) has come out on top in a recent survey by Economist Intelligence Unit, which has named Manchester as the UK's most liveable city. The Global Liveability Survey scored 140 global cities out of 100 in areas like healthcare, education, environment, infrastructure, stability and culture.
Manchester was the highest-scoring UK cities, ranking 43rd in the world, scoring an impressive 88.8 out of 100. However, the UK's capital city of London was left lacking, 10 places below Manchester and just out of the top 50, ranked 53rd in the world.
This result is unsurprising considering the wheels are well and truly turning on the Government’s plans to create a Northern Powerhouse, an economic rebalancing initiative that seeks to build up the North to compete with the increasingly London-centric economy. Schemes like MediaCityUK in Salford Quays has allowed the North to make leaps and bounds in attracting inward and outward investments to improve infrastructure and become a desirable location in its own right.
In recent years, workers and investors are leaving London in their thousands to seek an alternative—and more affordable—UK city. Thanks to Manchester’s rising stock, the city is in pole position to become a tangible alternative destination to live, work and invest for the hundreds of thousands who are making an exodus from the vastly unaffordable capital.
Furthermore, Manchester’s growth is not set to stop. Already green-lighted for a high-speed rail network system that could reduce travelling times to the capital to just one hour, the rise of Manchester is just beginning.
