Gay village manchester

The Gay Village

The Gay Village is a truly singular and vibrant area of the town centre. Located next to the Rochdale Canal, it has a mix of residential, commercial and leisure destinations. It's home to the city’s lesbian, male lover, bisexual and trans person communities. The flourishing gay culture created a safe and welcoming village-like people. And it's world-famous for its night-time and leisure scene.

We've collaborated with the local community to create an move plan for the Gay Village. It looks at how we can preserve the character and spirit of the area. And how we ensure the needs of the LGBTQ+ community are at the heart of anything taking place in the Village. 

As part of our commitment to the Gay Village, a series of listening exercises contain taken place. So we better realize the priorities, wants and needs of the community who live in, serve and visit it. 

There are a range of proposals to enhance the area in the fleeting and long-term. They include: 

• Developing a neighbourhood management plan for improvements to the physical environment
• Replac

  Many cities have a 'gay village' – an area with bars and clubs where LGBT+ people can feel safe to communicate their identity.

  Manchester’s is called Canal Street. It's recognised as one of the UK’s liveliest LGBT+ hubs.

  The beginnings of Canal Street

  In the 19th Century, the area surrounding Canal Street was thriving – not with bars and clubs but with the cotton trade. Manchester had become Cottonopolis – at its peak producing 30% of the world's cotton. At the heart of Cottonopolis was the network of canals that kept the cotton trade moving through the city.

  Booms are typically followed by bust, and when canals were replaced by other transport methods and the cotton industry stalled, the areas around the canals became deserted. This vacuum created a red light district, attracting sex workers and gay men to the area.

  On the corner of Canal Street today stands a pub called the New Union. It was built in 1865, and in the 1950s became a place for lesbians and queer men to meet up.

  It looks like a normal pub, but when you take a closer look you can see the windows are filled with clouded glass – anyone on the outside can’t see in. This meant that those
  
  

  The Gay Village in Manchester is without doubt one of the liveliest areas of the city and this is reflected by the number of pubs, bars and clubs dotted around Canal Street, or 'anal treet' as it's also affectionately known locally.

  Whilst Canal Street is the name most widely associated with Manchester's Lgbtq+ Village, the area is actually spread out on all the streets that fall between Princess Avenue and Minshull Street, lock to Piccadilly Station and China Town.

  Lined with same-sex attracted bars, clubs, cafes, hotels and shops, it's packed at night time with gays, lesbians, transexuals and transvetites who have flocked to the area from all over the earth, many attracted by the Queer As Folk television drama which was based here.

  Whilst 'The Village' is full of gay bars, most of them are straight friendly and the popularity of the area with hetrosexuals underlines the welcoming open-minded attitude Mancunians are famed for.

  A superb time is guaranteed for anybody on Canal Road - gay, straight or bisexual.