The evolving Greater Manchester neighbourhood that won’t stop growing and has everything you could ever need

Some areas of Greater Manchester have changed more than others over the years, but there’s one area that seems to be constantly evolving – Salford Quays.

Opened in the late 19th century, Salford Docks was one of the busiest ports in the UK, carrying goods in and out of the city via the Manchester Ship Canal, which connected Manchester with the rest of the world and helped transform the city into an industrial centre.

To understand just how dramatic the more recent changes have been for the former dockyards, however, you only have to go back a few decades. The docks were closed in the mid eighties and the land was bought by Salford council.

Over the next couple of decades, the Salford Quays regeneration project became one of the biggest and most ambitious of its kind in UK history. Today, together with MediaCity, it is one of the fastest growing neighbourhoods in the country and one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions. The waterfront location now has everything you could ever need – both as a resident or a visitor.

There is an abundance of restaurants and bars, a shopping mall, a theatre, a museum, a watersports centre, and on the other side of the canal (technically in Trafford), you’ll find one of the country’s most famous football grounds and one of the city’s largest event venues Victoria Warehouse.

Here is a look at some of the reasons why the area is so attractive and a look at what the future might hold for the neighbourhood.

Food and drink

MediaCity and Salford Quays are now home to an extensive range of food and drink spots, catering for anything from quick lunches to after-work drinks, or even family meals out. You will find many of the usual franchise restaurants there – Wagamama, Pizza Express etc. – but there is also a growing range of local independents.

The newest addition to the food and drink scene is Kargo MKT at Central Bay, a development aimed at revitalising the Quayside shopping mall. This is the latest food hall to open in Greater Manchester, a concept that has boomed in popularity over the last five years. Unlike the other food halls in the region, it boasts a whopping 20 different vendors, including indie favourites from all over Greater Manchester, such as Leopard Pie pizzas and Jerk Junction.

At the more upmarket end of the scale, there is Pier Eight, the restaurant inside the Lowry theatre, or if you want something more casual, The Dockyard has a decent pub grub menu and selection of ales. Although, when it comes to craft ale Seven Bro7hers is the place to be. The local brewery, with a handful of bars in and around Salford, has a unique variety of beers, including the Honeycomb Pale and Watermelon Pale.

If you want cocktails, then MediaCity also has a Botanist, as well as an Alchemist, which has a fantastic terrace overlooking the water. In a different part of the docks, past the South Bay, you’ll also find neighbourhood bar the Bee Orchid, which is especially nice in the summer and slightly further away from the busier MediaCity area.

Culture and entertainment

Food and drink are not the only reasons to visit MediaCity though, the Lowry Theatre has a packed schedule of drama, dance, music and comedy, with world-renowned productions and performers. The event schedule currently includes the Olivier award winning Life of Pi adaptation, Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands and the latest shows from a string of top comedians including Rosie Jones, John Robins, Ross Noble and Guz Khan.

Salford Quays also has a watersports centre, and you will often spot water skiers, rowing teams and open water swimmers in the Central Bay and Ontario Basin. However, it has been the site of a few tragedies in recent summers, so these activities are only possible through organised groups and events.

If you prefer to enjoy the water in a drier environment, Manchester River Cruises also offer a variety of excursions, including the party cruises. Alternatively, there are some great waterside walks to enjoy along the waterfront exploring the nooks and crannies of the former dockyard, including the remnants of Salford’s industrial past and the infamous Gnome Island. It’s also a 30min walk to Castlefield and the city centre along the canal.

Retail is probably Salford Quays’ weakest area. The Quayside outlet mall has a limited number of shops and never seems very busy. However, the recent arrival of Central Bay may start to change things. This winter, there will also be a pop-up vintage charity shop at the mall, which looks set to bring in new crowds. Also, the Makers Market on the last weekend of the month is also a great way to spend an afternoon by the water.

Living and working

Salford is also a great place to live, and that is evident in how the areas demographics have changed. According to ONS census data from 2021, the population increased by 15.4% compared to 2011, which was the highest increase in the North West.

Thousands of new homes have been built over the last decade and even more are in the works, with surrounding areas also becoming popular, such as Pomona, half of which is wasteland ripe for development, Middlewood Locks and Ordsall, where old and new Salford meet.

When it comes to living, Salford has one of the highest average rents in Greater Manchester at £986 per month as of 1 January, 2023. This is an increase of 15.9% from the previous year, the eighth highest rise in the country and the highest rise of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs, according to Zoopla. The average house price is around £244,744, according to Rightmove.

Salford boasts fantastic transport links with Metrolink stops dotted all around the Quays and MediaCity – you barely have to walk. It is also one of the first Greater Manchester boroughs, along with Bolton and Wigan, to introduce the integrated Bee Network system, which is aimed at improving transport across the region, similar to London. Also, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can also hop on a Lime scooter, which you won’t find anywhere else in Greater Manchester. There are also two train stations nearby, Salford Central and Salford Crescent.

More and more companies are also moving into MediaCity, which means it’s also now a place of work for many people. A large number of them are, as the name suggests, media companies, most notably the BBC, which made the historic partial move up north in 2011, and ITV. The full directory of MediaCity resident companies can be found on its website.

More regeneration plans

Cranes are an almost permanent feature of the Salford skyline and that does not look like it’s set to change any time soon. This week, public consultation opened on the latest round of regeneration plans that would see 3,200 more homes, 300 new hotel rooms and 800,000 sq ft of commercial space.

The plans are part of the big ‘Salford Quays 2030’ vision, which will see the Salford Quays and MediaCity area expanded to almost double its size, and split into four distinct ‘hubs’ – the Media Quarter, the Waterfront and Gateway, which will include flexible structures and pavilions to turn into all-weather public space, the Living Hub, and the Culture and Community Hub, which is centred around Quayside and the Lowry theatre.