Manchester ~ Questions

Your closest Whole Foods is in London. It is the only one in the UK.

Unicorn is a vegetarian food cooperative which is, to me, far better than Whole Foods.

Ahem, Chorlton Borders darling! lol!

Well, yes, but of course. 

I am American; but my cousin lives in Hale Village (just outside and lovely) and one of my closest friends lives in Bury. Both adore the city/country balance life of Manchester. I went for a visit when i was there in November and said if I didn't like London (I am from NYC originally); then I would head north. I found the people to be very friendly. I asked  a lot of questions about the area and found that people did not feel the need to go to London for big city living- they had all they needed there.  That's not to mention that ManU is there (I know, I know; but that's my team, okay?). Cousin and I went for a match and had a blast.  We won that time... don't know what's going on as of late. My cousins daughters are well educated, have a great lot of friends (whom I got to meet) and I was well impressed.

Your closest Whole Foods is in London. It is the only one in the UK.

No, there is one in Glasgow as well, but nowhere near Manchester.

No, there is one in Glasgow as well, but nowhere near Manchester.

I stand corrected

Your closest Whole Foods is in London. It is the only one in the UK.

Unicorn is a vegetarian food cooperative which is, to me, far better than Whole Foods.

Well, yes, but of course. 

I'm vegan so many of the vegetarian foods have ingredients that I can't eat.  Whole Foods is perfect.  Someone posted on another board that Manchester had a Whole Foods...so sad to hear that they do not

I am American; but my cousin lives in Hale Village (just outside and lovely) and one of my closest friends lives in Bury. Both adore the city/country balance life of Manchester. I went for a visit when i was there in November and said if I didn't like London (I am from NYC originally); then I would head north. I found the people to be very friendly. I asked  a lot of questions about the area and found that people did not feel the need to go to London for big city living- they had all they needed there.  That's not to mention that ManU is there (I know, I know; but that's my team, okay?). Cousin and I went for a match and had a blast.  We won that time... don't know what's going on as of late. My cousins daughters are well educated, have a great lot of friends (whom I got to meet) and I was well impressed.

Do you live in London or visit frequently?  I couldn't really tell from your post  
I can't wait to visit Manchester...

I live in the States; but have visited often enough to get a feel for which area I'd prefer and for which reasons. My mum is from England and I have a ton of relatives there. I am from a large city (NYC) and I am single; so the idea of spending sometime in London is what my plan is (just sent the UKM form in yesterday... fingers crossed). I was surprised at how nice Manchester was. It is the third largest city in England and has a variety of culture, not to mention good shopping. My two cents anyhow. If I find living in London is not all it should be cracked up to be; then I would consider Manchester. Just my two cents anyhow. You didn't mention where exactly you were from. And what your preferences are? Do you like easy access to the country with a city closeby?

I live in the States; but have visited often enough to get a feel for which area I'd prefer and for which reasons. My mum is from England and I have a ton of relatives there. I am from a large city (NYC) and I am single; so the idea of spending sometime in London is what my plan is (just sent the UKM form in yesterday... fingers crossed). I was surprised at how nice Manchester was. It is the third largest city in England and has a variety of culture, not to mention good shopping. My two cents anyhow. If I find living in London is not all it should be cracked up to be; then I would consider Manchester. Just my two cents anyhow. You didn't mention where exactly you were from. And what your preferences are? Do you like easy access to the country with a city closeby?

I am English but left the UK when I was five years old. I currently live in the US.  I have lived in Queens, and Manhattan (upper East side) and left NYC to go to grad school.  I graduate in May (YAY!) I love the country as well as the city.  It is perfect for me to have a city close by. Initially when I move I won't have a car, so easy access and good transportation is what I'm looking for to get started.  What you have said about Manchester is what I have been reading here and on another site I posted on.  The shopping is amazing in Manchester I hear as they have one of the largest shopping centers in the UK.

Initially I was planning on moving back to London where I was born but started looking elsewhere as a back up plan.  Someone mentioned Manchester and I began to do my homework which included making a post here and on another site and finding everything I can online (google) about Manchester.  I love hearing from people who either live in Manchester or who are quite familiar with Manchester such as yourself.  It helps so much to get feedback about what it is like there.  So please feel free to post anything you think will be helpful to me about the city.  IF you have any questions for me that would make you give info more to my taste please don't hesitate to ask.  Thanks so much for giving your "two cents"  

Wellllll...there have been *rumours* that we are due a Whole Foods, but nothing has materialized yet. There is a vegan/vegetarian cafe/grocery store in town though (8th Day). It's small (and a bit pricey), but it should do you in a pinch.

Hi Brigette,

Sounds as though you've got it much easier to move 'back' here as you already have your citizenship! which is definitely a bonus..

All the replies are of course positive and based on those individuals feedback, but overall, yes, Manchester is a vibrant city and a good choice for anyone moving into the country.

You've mentioned a couple times about securing a job prior to moving. This is indeed possible, and has been done by many countless times. However, it all depends on what your job field is, if there's any vacancies you can go for etc. There's no mistaking things currently, and the job situation is dire all over the UK, there are more applicants chasing each opening than ever before. That's not to say they're all good suitable candidates though! What line of work are you in? how much experience do you have? would you need to back things up with study/qualifications etc etc..  I suspect, you'll need to move your focus away from 'moving to manchester' which you now know is indeed a good place to live, and more towards what job you can get or go for and crucially, what kind of salary level you'll realistically get. I know it's boring and not what you 'want' to hear, but it is fundamental to what you seem to be wanting short, medium and long term. If you are indeed able to secure a job prior to moving, you'll feel more reassured once you land here, if not, then you'll need to be making plans now and saving up as much money as you can to look after yourself once here and jobhunting.

Good luck !

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Brigitte...you are so in luck if you choose Manchester, Chorlton has a fantastic fair trade Vegan supermarket called the Unicorn. Its amazing...

Brigitte...you are so in luck if you choose Manchester, Chorlton has a fantastic fair trade Vegan supermarket called the Unicorn. Its amazing...

YAY! wonderful news.  Thanks for the info

Hi Dennis the Menace,

Couple of things.... I haven't mentioned it before because no one ever asked but I'm in graduate school finishing my Masters in Social Work (my specialty is Mental Health, kids and adults).  The title social work is a protected title in the UK so upon graduation my course work has to be evaluated by the GSCC (an "up to 16 wk process).  Once evaluated and approved I will be on the registry.  In July the task of evaluating international social work degrees will fall to the HPC (Health Professions Council).

 I did not mention any of this in prior postings because it is something that just has to be done before ever working as a social worker in the UK. So because I already know what has to be done in terms of being able to use my degree in the UK (assessment and registration with the GSCC), there was no point in asking questions about that part of my move. Instead I chose to focus on what I did not already know and that is where to live    Excellent point though and I appreciate you bringing it up

So my question for you and anyone else what is it like for social workers in Manchester or the Manchester area.  I continue to see job postings all over the UK and the salary varies.  Salary seems to be higher with contract positions.

Hi Jennie, thanks for the info on 8th day

Ok everyone fire away.  Can't wait to hear your responses

Hi Brigette,
I'm a born and bred Bolton lass. Husband is the US citizen and has joined me here in Bolton. I also happen to be a qualified social worker but have worked in the charity sector for a few years now and am looking to get back into social work.

This is a good site to keep an eye on
https://www.yourcounciljobs.co.uk/Jobs.aspx?sMinimumSalary=0&sMaximumSalary=0&sJobTypeLook=673&sSimple=&SAuthority_id=-1

The main councils in the Manchester area (you can see all their logos at the bottom of the page) all post their jobs here. You can check their individual websites but as far as social work vacancies they all seem to put them here. One thing I have noticed since I have wanted to get back into social work is.. there seems to be a lot more vacancies coming up in children's social work (I am adults specialism) and any adults posts do seem to be in mental health.

As for areas to live, well I am probably not the best to advise as born and bred in Bolton I say familiarity breads contempt  I would probably stick to south Manchester if you want leafy, suburban areas or near city centre. If you are after industrial and gritty then by all means come to Bolton, Rochdale and Oldham

Rosiebee...My husband works in Bolton, at the television mast on Winter Hill...you know the one, the giant mast on the hill with the red lights!