So when you throw it all the way back to the 1960s and 1970s then parts of the city really are unrecognisable. We’ve delved into our archives to gather a host of pictures from that era.
They show off Piccadilly, the ship canal and more. There’s some familiar faces too including Manchester United and Manchester City stars, and an early Gallagher portrait years before anyone had uttered the word ‘Oasis’ in Burnage.
If you enjoy this gallery, then also check out some of our other recent retro content.
1. April 1960
12 year-old footballer Margaret Wilde bounces and catches a football while skipping, as part of her training regime, in a street near her home in Denton. Holding one end of the skipping rope is her friend Brenda Brook (12). Wilde was the youngest member of Nomad Ladies Football Club, who are preparing for an international tour. | Getty Images
2. April 1969
Manchester Cathedral on Deansgate. A number 26 bus passes on its way to the Cannon Street bus station. | Getty Images
3. July 1961
Crowds cheer Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin - the first human to journey into space - as he arrives in Manchester for a visit to the headquarters of the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers | Getty Images
4. March 1962
Manchester City football player Glyn Pardoe sitting at the kitchen table, as his mother pours him a cup of tea, on the day of the game against Birmingham City | Getty Images