I grew up in Greater Manchester's trendiest spot - it's not always been like this

But since it received its much needed £1 billion investment plan to transform the centre, the town has changed drastically – so much so that it was even crowned the best place to live in the North West by the Sunday Times earlier this year.

Stockport is only getting better, with its new bus interchange, the Viaduct Park, and a re-emergence of thriving local businesses on Underbank, among many other improvements to come. Who knows, we might even see the Metrolink soon? Here’s why Stockport is now the place to be from a local’s perspective. 

Food and drink

Now more than ever, Stockport has upgraded its food scene since the arrival of ‘Where The Light Gets In’, a Michelin Green Star restaurant located on the top floor of an old Victorian warehouse. This loft-style restaurant surprises guests with a new menu everyday and uses locally-sourced produce to create some of the most high-end meals in town. 

If you’re after something less fancy and more hearty, the Stockport icon The White Lion pub reopened its doors after 15 years and is located in the centre of town. The pub still attracts families during the day for its popular club sandwich and fish and chips.

Another well loved establishment is the award-winning Norfolk Arms in Marple Bridge, Stockport, which won Greater Manchester Pub of the Year 2024 award and recently celebrated its 200th birthday. It’s a little out of the way but if you’d prefer to be out of the busy streets of Stockport then this is the pub you’re looking for.

If you're looking for a taste of what the local businesses have to offer, Stockport’s Foodie Friday takes place on the last Friday of every month in Market Square for a night of live music, craft ale and great food – an absolutely great community event to get involved in. 

Green space and nature

Despite being a more urban town, Stockport is home to some amazing walking routes and parks. Woodbank Memorial Park sits just a stone's throw from the town centre and is the perfect green space for a leisurely stroll or, for the athletic people out there, the park has its own running track and community 5k every week on Saturday mornings. 

If you’re a wildlife enthusiast, Etherow Country Park in Compstall, Stockport, is a relaxing walk where you can watch and feed the ducks with some food available to purchase at the cafe. The park has some stunning scenery, including a large waterfall, which makes the walk so much more enjoyable.

For a more central location, the new Viaduct Park above the bus interchange is a great family friendly area with plenty of benches to admire the views of the town centre. It is widely accessible via stairs or lifts both located within the bus interchange. 

History and culture

Stockport’s main attraction is its rich history surrounding the World War II period. The Air Raid Shelter is a unique experience many Stopfordians know from their primary school days. It was first built in 1939 and was known to be the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the country housing 6,500 people, which was almost double its intended capacity of 3,850. Nowadays, it hosts immersive tours of the mile long tunnels to groups and schools.

Staircase House is Stockport’s oldest town house repurposed to show the evolution of the town from 15th to the 20th centuries. It is home to one of only three surviving Jacobean cage-newel staircases in the country and is a completely hands-on historical experience. If you’re a music lover, the pop-up exhibition for Strawberry Studios where Manc icons New Order recorded their Unknown Pleasures album among other iconic music stars is for you. The exhibition is located next to Staircase house inside Stockport’s museum.

Stockport’s most unique attraction has to be its Hat Museum, the UK’s only hat museum, where you can watch demonstrations of the Victorian hat-making machinery in action and learn about the town’s historic hat trade during the 20th century.