It's often said that Birmingham is the UK's second city but try telling that to Mancunians - more creativity and sheer energy has poured out of Manchester during the last 20 years than most manage in a hundred.
Manchester is quite simply a one-off. From music to art, from architecture to history, it comes replete with a raft of extraordinary facets that make it one of the UK's vibrant destinations.
That's not to say it's all sweetness and light. The city spawned some of the worst working conditions in England during the industrial revolution and is thought to be the basis for Charles Dickens's Coketown in Hard Times.
Remnants of the city's industrial past abound in Manchester, now woven into the fabric of a massive array of buildings that were once mills or manufacturing bases, but that are now transformed into a modern setting.
Walking around Manchester is an architectural delight. It might not have the neo-classicism of Paris or some of London, but it is visually challenging - almost every building appears to be different - from the sparkling steel and glass structures of the Urbis and Beetham Tower - to the gothic Town Hall separating St Peter's and Albert Squares and the circular municipal Central Library - the largest of its kind in the world.
The Beetham Tower, designed by architect, Ian Simpson, is the tallest building in the UK outside London at 171m (560ft), but even this will be eclipsed by The Inacity Tower at Manchester's busy Piccadilly railway station.
And for the business traveller, the Tower, as well as featuring the 285-room 4 Star Hilton Hotel, also has 219 residential apartments, some of which are owned by the Staying Cool boutique serviced apartments group.
Situated on the 30th floor, Staying Cool's flat offers stunning views of Manchester from the floor to ceiling windows, and through which guests can watch Manchester”s ever-changing weather roll in from the hills.
It has to be said that a certain head for heights is needed, but once used to the birds eye panorama, the view reduces those on the ground to Lowry perspective and its not hard to spend a considerable amount of time just gawping at the spectacle below.
A recommendation is to visit the Hilton”s uber-swanky Cloud 23 bar on the floor of the same number, where the beautiful people of Manchester hang out and pay beautiful prices for the privilege - although a word of warning ” no trainers and smart dress only.
The Staying Cool apartment has all the mod cons necessary for a short or long stay - fridge, dishwasher, TV and broadband, while a porter service to include breakfast or evening meal can be delivered straight to the flat.
Sport is a vital cog of Manchester's wheel and perhaps nowhere more so than in the mightily impressive Old Trafford stadium, home of course to the world famous Red Devils of United and whose capacity was recently increased to 76,000.
The fact that United managed to attract more than 74,000 last week for a Carling Cup game with Coventry - er, they lost - is testament to the enduring power of football in this town, that is of course, also the seat of Manchester City, whose splendid ground was the former setting for the Commonwealth Games in 2002.
There is also the hugely impressive Manchester Aquatics Centre, also used for the Commonwealth Games and the recent European Water Polo Championships, as well as a plethora of sporting options to cater for just about every taste.
The city is home to a diversity of cultures and backgrounds and nowhere is this more obvious than in the pulsatingly vibrant area of Rusholme, whose famous ”curry mile” apparently boasts 70 Asian restaurants, frequented by many of Manchester's 60,000 students.
Although some of the establishments do not quite carry the cachet of their city centre counterparts, they nonetheless represent a fascinating snapshot of this endlessly diverse town.
Manchester of course, is also endlessly locked in an eternal battle between itself and Liverpool - just 30 miles away - but which enjoys one of the fiercest rivalries known in the UK.
Whether or not this is entirely good-natured - the football enmity between United and Liverpool is legendary - is open to debate - but it is certainly there.
Away from sport, both cities have enjoyed a quite staggering level of musical fame, but it was the Manchester of the 1980s and 1990s that really occupied the limelight, with bands such as Stone Roses, New Order, Inspiral Carpets, The Smiths, Oasis et al, that roared into the popular consciousness.
In no small part due to the hugely influential Tony Wilson - now sadly no longer with us - and his iconic Factory Records label - as well as the infamous Hacienda nightclub - Manchester has gifted a musical heritage that will stand for generations.
This city has come a long way from dark satanic mills to the bright lights of 5th Avenue. It's a place to do business, to admire history and to learn, but above all it”s a place to enjoy life.
Simon Warburton stayed at Staying Cool's Beetham Tower serviced apartment in Manchester. Contact Staying Cool on: 0161 832 4060. www.stayingcool.com