iHouseShare.com's guide to renting in Manchester

Manchester is a vibrant and diverse city in the north of England with a population of just over 450,000 people. Often called the capital of the North, it's local economy has thrived over the past ten years and in 2006 Manchester was voted the best city by UK businesses to set-up business and now boasts the largest University in the country.

So whether you are a student or a professional looking to move to the city, here iHouseShare.com's guide to renting in Manchester.

When renting in a new city it is always advisable to rent in what are predominantly rental areas, where there is generally the nightlife and social scene to suit young typical renters, such as students and young professionals. Most of the rental areas in Manchester are situated in the south along what is known as the ?Wilmslow Road Corridor?. Rarely in any city has so much been served to so many people down one road and Wilmslow road is widely regarded as the busiest bus route in Europe. Travelling down the road from the city centre, you travel past two hospitals, two universities, through Rusholme's world famous ?curry mile? and onwards through the three of the main suburbs of Fallowfield, Withington and Didsbury.

Starting with the city centre, the main residential areas are the Northern Quarter, Castlefield, and the Deansgate area, although apartment blocks are situated throughout the city centre. There is an oversupply of rental stock in the city centre due to over-purchasing from landlords during the last ten years and as a result it is fully feasible to rent a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom brand new apartment with parking for less than ?600, but you may have to drive a hard bargain. Manchester city centre certainly is a renters market.

The Northern Quarter is the non-mainstream area of the city centre, and is often likened to New York with its selection of second hand record shops, musically minded bars such as the famous ?Matt and Fred's? and the ?Night and Day? Caf?, with both having live music most nights. The Northern Quarter is a lot less polished than the rest of the city centre which gives it that extra edge it is particularly loved for. Castlefield is a sprawling collection of apartment blocks, offices, and bars, interlaced with cobbled streets and canals. Some apartments are new build, but most are conversions of some of Manchester's old textile mills. Castlefield is home to the former free ?DPercussion? festival, which largely celebrated Manchester music, and is a favourite area for local picnic-ing office workers. It's bars, such as ?Dukes 92?, ?Barca? and ?Atlas? are some of the trendiest and most established in Manchester, and close to the celebrity filled bars along ?Deansgate Locks?. Living in the City Centre has its pitfalls however, and a lack of basic health amenities, and green areas adds to the overpriced smaller ?Local? versions of the nations largest supermarkets.

Moving out of the city centre a few miles down Wilmslow Road is Fallowfield - Manchester's principal student district. Centred at the intersection of Wilbraham Road and Wilmslow Road, expect to be turned away from the majority of bars and clubs if you appear over the age of 22 and you don't have a student card. The area is populated by a mix of University dormitories, private student dormitories and ?traditional? student houseshares and flatshares. Due to it's student population, Fallowfield has a high crime rate compared to other areas. Resident's are advised not to walk alone at night and plain clothed police patrol the area to attempt to warn off would be muggers from the area.

Further down Wilmslow Road is Didsbury, one of Manchester's most desirable and safest suburbs. Such is this, that every estate agent and landlord in the area attempts to place every house in the surrounding areas as ?Didsbury?. The centre of Didsbury is the intersection of Barlow Moor Road and Wilmslow Road, and the main corner of Didsbury village contains an enviable selection of butchers, grocers, and fishmongers, as well as traditional pubs such as ?The Dog and Partridge? and ?The Crown?. Much the malign of local residents, Didsbury has seen an influx of ?chain bars? and ?chain Cafes?, such as ?The Slug and Lettuce?, ?The Hogshead?, ?Varsity? and ?Costa Coffee?, with the aforementioned bars attracting crowds of troublemakers from afar. Leafy ?West Didsbury? is centred on the nearby Burton Road and Lapwing Lane and is often focussed on ?The Metropolitan? bar and restaurant, which attracts middle aged, middle class folk from many areas to discuss the world over a sophisticated glass of wine. The rental market in Didsbury is extremely stable and maintained mainly by conversions of mid sized Victorian houses into flats, and young professionals. Rooms to rent in both Didsbury and West Didsbury will generally cost between ?300- ?400 / month.

Withington is in between Fallowfield and Didsbury in location, population and culture, and has its own thriving sub-culture centred around the two bars ?Soloman Grundys?, where the Gallagher brothers are known to drink and ?Fuel?. Withington is seen as being much ?cooler? than it's two neighbours and has a balanced mix of green areas, students and young professionals. The overspill of students from nearby Fallowfield has upset many lifelong locals and the ongoing ?Love Withington? campaign has set out to increase the harmony between locals and those who rent, whilst also promoting the local area. Many observers are interested to see the outcome of the recent demolishing of the old ?Cine City? cinema and the renovation of the infamous ?White Lion? pub, and its outcome on the village make-up. The construction of a few modern apartment blocks, complete with a ?Subway?, have upset the independent nature of Withington and the village could be facing a somewhat unwelcome transformation over the next few years.

Away from Wilmslow Road is the sprawling Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, or simply ?Chorlton?. Affectionately known as ?Bo-Ho Chorlton, by its largely liberal, environmentally friendly residents, it is centred on the unofficially termed ?Four banks? crossroads of Wilbraham Road and Barlow Moor Road. Chorlton has managed to successfully integrate a tasteful amount of ?chain? establishment but still keep its independent liberal edge, and the car-unfriendly ?Unicorn? supermarket is well worth a visit, but take your own bags, and make them preferably not plastic.

Transportation from Chorlton to the City Centre, and along Wilmslow Road is superbly serviced by local bus services. The cherished ?Magic? buses provide unlimited travel along a single route for the bargain price of ?5 per week, which compared to a return daily tube ticket in London of ?6 per day provides fantastic value, and is one of the many reasons, why Manchester is a fantastic place to rent and work.