Liverpool: The Vivacious City on the Mersey…
Liverpool is one of the UK’s most vivacious and fashionable cities, with beautiful architecture, big green spaces, lively shopping centres, and a bustling independent scene where music, art and culture ranks high. It’s been up there in the must visit places since the Beatles shot to fame in the sixties and this is still one of its main pulls, along with the top football clubs – Everton and Liverpool FC.
The different parts of the city each have their own vibe; the Georgian Quarter has historic Hope Street at its heart, with handsome terraced houses, and at each end, a cathedral; the area is home to the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and the Liverpool Medical Institution.
That rich history of music permeates throughout the city with the Waterfront famed for ‘Ferry Across the Mersey’ and The Beatles Story sites at the ferry terminal and the Victorian Albert Dock. This is a top spot for culture vultures visiting the museums and galleries, and going to events at the iconic Royal Liver Building, the Pullman Liverpool Hotel, and Exhibition Centre Liverpool, plus there’s a plethora of restaurants, bars and waterside stopovers including the stunning Mercure Liverpool Atlantic Tower Hotel, and the Titanic Hotel.
So where’s cool? Top of the list is the Cavern Quarter where the nightlife is steaming; there’s legendary Mathew Street, Eric’s, the Cavern Club, Rubber Soul, and some uber quirky bars like Soho Liverpool and Black Rabbit Shot Co.; plus the new kid on the street is the Hard Day’s Night Hotel. It’s certainly one of the places to be, but equally cool is the Ropewalk Area, the bohemian part of town, named after the 19th century warehouses once used for rope making. It’s now dominated by all things vintage, crafty and epicurean, a rich mix of food and drink, art and music, centred around eclectic Bold Street.
The Baltic Triangle was the hardcore working part of town, especially during the slave trade, but nowadays it’s rapidly grown to be a part of the Liverpool vibe, raw and pared back, trendy and earthy. St George’s Quarter has the accolade of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, packed with theatres and imposing Victorian architecture, notably the neo-classical St George’s Hall, Liverpool Empire, and Queen Street Arcade. There’s a high Chinese population in Liverpool; behind the chunky Shanghai arch at its entrance is a colourful and buzzing Chinatown.