Piccadilly Market

Massive bus station in the centre of Piccadilly Gardens. Many a bus stop for the many bus routes which commence and finish here. No real thrills or conveniences available at this hub of transport for Manchester. Not much of it is covered to protect you from the elements but is usually absolutely full at peak times and after nights out waiting for the solitary bus to get back down Oxford Road.

It’s big, it’s cold and you can get the Number 86 from there. Yes, it must be Piccadilly Bus Station — arguably the worst excuse for a ‘bus station’ ever created by man’s fair hands.
I spent way too many hours during my idle teenage years hanging around here waiting for a bus to come and speed me away to more exotic climes than a patch of grotty concrete on the wrong side of Manchester City Centre. Like, you know, Chorlton. However, somehow this place always pulls me back. Mainly because I usually have to go via here to actually get my bus home.
Once upon a time, you could distract yourself from the chewing gum littered concrete and malformed pigeons by treating yourself to a nice polystyrene carton of cheap chips. However, there aren’t even any decent chippys situated across from it in Piccadilly Plaza any more, because the mighty Piccadilly Fish Bar (which did the best chips, mushy peas and gravy combo known to man) was closed down so they could build a Spar in its place.
I’d say avoid this place at all costs, but if you’re a Mancunian, that’s pretty much impossible. All I’d suggest is that if you do go, you take a big coat. And an ipod. And one of those wasp noise thingys to dispel the marauding teenagers. It’s that kind of a place.

A bit of local flavour that’s around at the moment is a lovely little set of stall that have set up in Piccadilly Gardens, creating a mini little market. There are only a handful of stalls, but each is worth a visit. They include:
1. A Jamaican Food Stall selling jerk chicken and goat stew with soup for four quid!
2. A sweets stall selling amazing candy of all sorts of flavours
3. A cheese stall which smells amazing and has a great range of fresh cheeses. Some of the cheeses are worth seeing for the sheer size of them!
4. A pie stall selling large pies for £3.50 or small ones for £2. All look incredible and are in puffy pastry in pretty star shapes.
5. A fresh meat stall
6. A stall selling rubbish stuff.
Check it out!

Now that spring is here and the sun is high and shining, why not enjoy a day out walking through the PIccadilly Market?
The Piccadilly Market is an amalgation of many little stalls making the perfect area to shop few things and eat some good food. There are sweet stalls with awesome candy to keep kids and adults happy, the cheese stall is of course the one emitting delicious cheesy odour and attracting one and all. Then there are pies, jerk chicken stall and pastries all for within a fiver!
A good day out, maybe not the best, but pretty good enough.

I wish I could give minus stars for what must be whe worst Bus station in any major city in Europe. There are poor shelters in this open air bus interchange, affording very little cover when it is raining or cold. No facilities worth mentioning. One pay toilet that your very lucky if it is working. This bus interchance is disgusting especially when you notice that it contains the GMPTE headquarters. Contains a tram stop again with open are platforms