[HDNG]TOWN:[EHDNG][PARA][GRPH]E2[EGRPH][STAT][BULL] Price of a pint of beer: ú1.20 [BULL] Glass of wine: 95p[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]Manchester could hardly be hotter to trot, busting with top clubs, [PARA]the country's most vital venues, other musical amusements and [PARA]diverse diversions.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Cinemas:[EBOLD] (23 screens) A multiplicity of multiplexes and sundry [PARA]cinemas, everything from mainstream to art-house. There are 8 [PARA]screens at the Salford Quays complex and the [ITAL]ultimately trendy[EITAL] [PARA]Corner House (3 screens) shows many an arty flick. With a [PARA]gallery and cafe thrown in,[ITAL] it's a poser's paradise and a [PARA]sophisticate's dream.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Theatres:[EBOLD] (6+) The old Cotton Exchange is now the [ITAL]nationally [PARA]renowned[EITAL] Royal Exchange theatre - some of the country's [ITAL]best [EITAL][PARA]shows for under a fiver on student standbys. The next [ITAL]boldest [EITAL][PARA]are the Palace, the Opera House and the Library Theatre, which [PARA]show ballets, musicals and touring plays. For other touring [PARA]productions and dramatic distractions, try the Green Room [ITAL](also [PARA]does nifty veggie grub)[EITAL] and the University's Contact Theatre.[PARA][BOLD]Pubs:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Historic pubs in the truest tradition of the working men's [PARA]dive: bitter with bite, beer in gear. The recent rise in Manchester [PARA]cred has spawned a few pubs for the more whiney wine bar [PARA]clientele with video screens and limes in the beer bottles. These [PARA]tend to be more expensive and, generally, eminently avoidable, [PARA]but if you must be a victim, pose in Manto and the Dry Bar. [EITAL][PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL][PARA]plugs go to The Old Garratt, The Clarence (Irish pub), The [PARA]Whitworth, The Flea and Firkin, The Old Stream Brewery, The [PARA]Salutation, Dukes, The Peverill and the Lass O'Gowrie [EITAL]which are [PARA]all within a few minutes of the universities and UMIST.[ITAL] Further [PARA]afield there are The King's Arms (Chorlton-on-Medlock, home [PARA]brewing in the cellar), Chorlton Green (Chorlton), The Barley Corn[PARA]and Dog and Partridge (Didsbury), Queen of Hearts and Yate's [PARA]Wine Lodge (Fallowfield) and The Whitworth (Rusholme).[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Clubs/discos:[EBOLD] [ITAL]When God created Manchester, she created [PARA]clubbing. A student night out is often a euphemism for dancing [PARA]and a curry. Our only problem is listing the best bop spots. The [PARA]music is alive and the clubs come and go. Read 'City Life' for the [PARA]latest. The Haìienda has to be included - clubbers come from as [PARA]far as London to queue from as early as 8.30pm for the [PARA]legendary experience which has now turned into a bit of a [PARA]Manchester Scene theme park and costs up to ú20.[EITAL] [ITAL]Other [EITAL][PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL][PARA]plugs: The Board Walk (popular with students, Glam nights [PARA]Fridays); The Brickhouse (cheap and cool), Home (pretty hip); [PARA]The Underground; The Venue (for every Indie dance pilgrim); Man[PARA]Alive (rave and 70s retro); The State (ragga rave); No1, Rocky's, [PARA]Paradise Factory and It (gay); and The Discotheque Royale (take [PARA]the piss at the setting for the terminally terrible 'Hit Man and Her').[PARA]Every night is student night somewhere, check for these cheaper[PARA]NUS-only nights. Watch also the flyers for the alighting points of [PARA]fly-by-night clubs.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Music venues:[EBOLD] G-Mex has hosted [ITAL]some of the most meetless [PARA]musicians [EITAL]including Simply Red, The Happy Mondays and [PARA]Madness. [ITAL]The Apollo, by most towns' standards, would be a [PARA]best bet[EITAL], however, all over town there are live venues of every [PARA]size -[ITAL] the Band on the Wall (for Latin, Roots, etc) must be [PARA]mentioned. Among the many others: Gilly's (rock); Chorlton Irish [PARA]Club (folk); P J Bells (jazz); NIA Centre (world music); The Free [PARA]Trade Hall and the Royal Northern College of Music (classical)[EITAL]. [PARA]Many of the clubs stage live bands (Haìienda, The Boardwalk [PARA]and so on).[PARA][BOLD]Cabaret: [EBOLD][ITAL]Manchester is a breeding ground for stand-up talent. [PARA]Live comedy lives and is usually high octane value fun. Bernard [PARA]Manning is a local boy. Well, the exception that proves the point, I [PARA]suppose.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Others:[EBOLD] Millionaire students, or at least lucky or stupid ones, will, [PARA]no doubt, not want to miss Manchester's many casinos. The [PARA]more cultured will find many a fond hour to spend in some of the [PARA]city's splendid galleries (The City Gallery, The Corner House and [PARA]The Whitworth, which has many of L S Lowry's best paintings, [PARA]particularly of Manchester, his home turf).[HDNG]UNIVERSITY:[EHDNG][PARA][GRPH]E2[EGRPH][STAT][BULL] Price of a pint of beer: ú 1.20 [BULL] Glass of wine: ú1.10[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]The 2 universities host some pretty swinging times and UMIST [PARA]students often take their funky stuff strutting off to them. In [PARA]return, other students often strut down to UMIST ents.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Bars:[EBOLD] (4) There are 2 bars in UMIST Union's well-used Barnes [PARA]Wallis Building and the Renold Tavern in the Renold Building.[PARA][BOLD]Theatres:[EBOLD] (1) When not being used for student productions, and [PARA]films, The Renold Theatre is one of UMIST's largest lecture halls.[PARA][BOLD]Clubs/discos:[EBOLD] 4 times a week students get up and get down in [PARA]The Underground (cap 600), a new venue run by the Union.[PARA][BOLD]Music venues:[EBOLD] Live bands also play the Underground (open till [PARA]2am) and at LAH (cap 550) in the Union, including, of late, BjÜrn [PARA]Again, Urban Species and Terrorvision. The Main Bar (300) is [PARA]often used for jazzy/bluesy/folky stuff. The Institute itself lays on[PARA]organ recitals and lunchtime concerts.[PARA][BOLD]Cabaret:[EBOLD] Every fortnight, there's a cabaret night in The [PARA]Underground or Main Bar with some [ITAL]talented [EITAL]titter tempters from[PARA]the circuit such as, recently, Hugh Lennon.[HDNG]EATING OUT:[EHDNG][PARA]During the day, the Barnes Wallis Refectory (above the Union) [PARA]provides [ITAL]cheap [EITAL]chomps including veggie options, [ITAL]but for students[PARA]who want to use food as an excuse for chatting to friends and [PARA]avoiding work,[EITAL] try the snack bar in the Renold Building or the [ITAL][PARA]wittily named[EITAL] 'Readers Digest' snackerie in the Main Building. Or,[PARA][ITAL]for a bite with a beer[EITAL], there's the Renold Tavern and The [PARA]Swinging Sporran (which UMIST is threatening to turn into a hall [PARA]bar). The Union has its own cafe too (cap 70) open all day, and [PARA]the city has grub stops galore. [BOLD]Eating out in Manchester: [EBOLD]see [ULNE][PARA]University of Manchester[EULNE].
