When you think of the trendiest places in the world, your mind probably jumps to a glamorous street in New York or Tokyo. But according to TimeOut, one of the coolest streets is a little closer to home - hidden behind a ring road in Manchester.
Cutting Room Square in Ancoats was awarded the 21st spot in the magazine's annual list of Coolest Streets in the World 2022 - a first for Manchester. It joins the likes of Rue Wellington in Montreal (no 1) and Yaowarat Road in Bangkok (no 8), and was ranked higher than MacDougal Street in New York which came in at number 28.
I visited the area - sandwiched between Blossom and Hood Street - on a sunny weekday afternoon to see if it's all that it's cracked up to be and heard the locals' verdict on its new claim to fame. And it's fair to say there's been a mixed reaction to the news - with one business owner telling me there are few places like it in the country while a punter argued there is nothing that special about it.
What can't be contested is its global recognition from times gone by; with Ancoats once hailed as 'the first industrial suburb in the world,' renowned for its steam-powered mills during the Industrial Revolution.
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But post-war and since the decline of UK manufacturing it became an abandoned ghost town, and as Mancunians would put it - ‘you wouldn't step foot in it.'
But an injection of cash in the last few years has seen it transform into a burgeoning neighbourhood, with people flocking to the area to both live in its converted red-brick buildings and to hang out - with arguably some of the city's best restaurants.
Cutting Room Square homes popular pizza joint Rudy's, small plate specialists Elnecot, and a string of well-known bars, while around the corner lies Erst, loved by national food critics, and Manchester’s first Michelin-starred restaurant in 42 years, Mana.
There is the gorgeous backdrop of Hallé St Peter's - a restored Grade II-listed former church that is now used as a rehearsal space and you can't miss the striking copper monoliths facing its centre.
Time Out's Rob Martin says: "There are many wonderful streets to enjoy in Manchester but one place has, well, the cutting edge.
"Its mix of traditional and modern, of culture and cuisine, of art and architecture, history and forward momentum epitomises what the city is all about, making it a worthy entry."
For a late weekday afternoon, the area is relatively busy with a laid-back atmosphere made up of people enjoying drinks in the sun.
Just this past Bank Holiday weekend, it has become fully pedestrianised for the next six months as part of a trial by Manchester City Council, in the hope that it will become a permanent fixture with local councillors arguing it creates a 'European feel'.
It means the many independent venues have been able to put out seating on the road, as well as across the tree-lined square.
Matthew Kiruba, 25, who is waiting to meet his girlfriend at the top of the street, says he'll visit around once a fortnight as he works nearby.
"I'd agree with [the list] and I can see why," he says, on being told he's currently chilling in one of the coolest spots in the world.
"There are lots of bars here that attract a young professional crowd."
Francesca Raphael, 40, who is catching up with a friend over a drink with her dog sat beneath the table, visits the street every day as she lives just around the corner in the Daily Express Building where the paper once had its offices.
The project manager moved to the neighbourhood from the suburbs during lockdown two years ago in a bid to live somewhere where there was more going on and things to do.
"It's a melting pot of different restaurants, bars - there is a cool vibe and it has a very active and strong sense of community," she says.
"It is super cool and I love it.
"People get to know each other and the strong relationships are really embedded.
"I do everything here - socialise, shop, take the dog for a walk".
Over inside Seven Bro7hers Beerhouse, manager Elliot Morland seems taken aback by the reputation that has become of where his bar sits.
It has come a long way from when the 30-year-old used to hang out here as a teen at the old skatepark.
"People local to the area are proud of it and want to keep its roots," he starts.
"It's well deserved - it's a lovely area with a lovely clientele, a lot of local regulars.
"Everyone's well invested from the council to the bottom level to make it a really nice area to live."
Meanwhile, the manager of live music bar Jimmy's, Charley Lennon, makes a big claim in response to Cutting Room making the list.
"It's like being in a European city on holiday and there are very few places like that in this country," she states, while she adds that the pedestrianisation has helped give that vibe.
"This Bank Holiday in the sun we've been rammed all weekend."
But resident Maisie, 22, who rents an ex-council house in the district, is more sceptical.
Her first reaction to Cutting Room's new title is a scoff.
"I’m from Manchester so I've seen Manchester grow," she begins.
"You used to never step foot in Ancoats."
Gesturing to the stylish crowd, she says: "It is lovely now and it's great they've managed to make a hub but it’s only accessible for these people, not the original residents.
"It makes some people feel out of place.
"Take away these tables and what is it? It's some bars on a road."
Her colleague Harry Jones, 23, joins us with a glass of wine for Maise and a pint for himself.
When I tell him the news, he responds: "F**k off" in disbelief.
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He adds: "It's clean, it's new, but I'm sick of it. There are a lot of rich people flooding in making it 'cool' but it's not cool. What's special about it?
"There are lots of influencers, always people walking around with little dogs, you have to have a certain amount in your bank to eat here."
The pair agree that Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter, where Harry lives, would have been a better shout, or even the nearby marina - which also boasts a string of bars and places to eat overlooking the water.
They'd like to see a bandstand for live music at Cutting Room with more artwork featured and more events, on top of the existing Makers Market.
"It feels special that somewhere in Manchester is picked out but it feels like it's been chosen only because it's the place to live at the minute and move to, which has happened so quickly," Maisie adds.
Time Out - the global media and hospitality business that helps people explore places - say the 33-strong list of the Coolest Streets in the World has been collated from its global survey of more than 20,000 city residents, in which they were each asked to nominate their city's coolest street.
To come up with the final ranking, Time Out's global network of local editors then factored in food, drink, fun, art, culture, nightlife and community vibes.
Two other streets in the UK made the cut - a one-mile section of the Great Western Road in Glasgow, which came third, and London’s Deptford High Street, which has seen over 500 years of flux and change, which made the list at no 17.
The full list of streets along with details from Time Out's local experts on why they have made the grade can be found here: https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/coolest-streets-in-the-world.
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