Neighborhood
Canal Street / Gay Village
in Manchester, United Kingdom
Bars, clubs and most visible scene.
Where it is
Canal Street and the Gay Village lie along the Rochdale Canal in the south-east of the city centre, close to Manchester Piccadilly station.
Address: 46 Canal Street, M1 3WD Manchester
What it is
Today the Gay Village around Canal Street is the heart of queer life in Manchester, with a dense run of waterside bars, clubs and cafés. It hosts the major annual Manchester Pride festival. The atmosphere is open, sociable and especially lively at night, drawing a crowd from across the city.
History
The street grew up with the building of the Rochdale Canal from 1804 as an industrial, warehouse district. In the 20th century it became a discreet meeting place for the queer community at a time when same-sex relationships were persecuted; the New Union pub was a focal point from the 1950s. The opening of the Manto bar in 1990 catalysed today's Gay Village, brought to international attention by the 1999 television series 'Queer as Folk'.