To shine a light on what defines a cultural hotspot, we have tapped a couple of individuals to show their city through the eyes of a local, highlighting several of the lesser-known spots alongside their favourite urban green spaces that provide respite from the hustle and bustle. 

Taking on the all-important role as one of Northern England’s heartlands, Manchester is steeped in cultural importance attracting people from all over the world to soak up its history and as a hub for those in the creative industry. Despite being relatively small in a geographical sense, the city prides itself on its spirited, independent community with a wealth of fashion and footwear spots to explore, especially in the Northern Quarter.

For us to unearth some of the most authentic spots in Manchester, naturally, we had to reach out to Kian Patel who runs All Terrain 95, a fashion and footwear platform that has seen him travel across the world, but, you know what they say, there’s no place like home. With a particular emphasis on footwear and technical clothing, Kian’s style fits right at home in Manchester amongst like-minded people, as well as following in the steps of the same tastemakers that walked its streets 30 years before. 

His Guide 

• Mayfield Park – Slap bang in the city centre, this 6.5-acre green space provides a much-needed respite from the goings-on outside of this bubble. Providing a stark contrast between nature and manmade, Mayfield Park welcomes in the sky, open space, trees, the river Medlock and increased biodiversity in an ever-busy world. 
• NCP Car Park Stanley street – Looking for a place to park your car and do an impromptu photo shoot? This is the spot for you. 
• Northern Quarter – Epitomising Manchester into approximately 0.3sq/km, the Northern Quarter is home to a diverse range of bars, galleries and shops all within walking distance of each other. Whilst exploring the Northern Quarter, you’ll come across plenty of inspiring art pieces by locals and visitors. 
• Gone Fishing Vintage – Nestled in the aforementioned Northern Quarter, Gone Fishing Vintage is THE go-to spot when it comes to vintage Italian sportswear, featuring labels like Avirex and Stone Island. Even better, it is a locally run independent store that is up-cycling and reusing clothing that may otherwise be nonchalantly discarded. 
• Philadelphia Fried Chicken – This isn’t the first chicken shop to have housed a music video or photo shoot, that’s for sure, but it does provide some well-needed refreshments after a day trekking through the city with Merrell. According to Kian, it is home to the best burger in the city, the ‘Number 1 Spicy’. 

Lastly, we wanted to ask Kian what Manchester means to him, he responded with, ‘A Strong sense of community and culture that unite in sports, music and fashion. Manchester has inspired many of my hobbies with such a variety of geography there is always something to do, from shooting photography in the city to catching sunsets over the cityscape.’