Market Street, Manchester

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Market Street is one of the two principal retail streets in Manchester, England (the other is Deansgate). It runs from Piccadilly Gardens in the east to Lower Market Street in the west. Lower Market Street continues on a short distance in the same direction to St Mary's Gate and Deansgate.

[edit] History

Market Street, once known as Market Stead Lane, lies along the former route of the A6 road which goes from Luton to Carlisle. The A6 arrives at Manchester city centre as London Road and formerly went west along Market Street and on towards Salford. But since the pedestrianisation of Market Street the A6 disappears at the junction of Piccadilly and Oldham Street to reemerge in Salford as Chapel Street.

The entirety of modern Market Street is a pedestrian zone with motor vehicle access limited to the emergency services, maintenance workers and deliveries to the adjacent shops. The east end of the street also contains a Metrolink tram stop.

[edit] Layout and Shops

Starting in the east at Piccadilly Gardens the street shares its space equally between pedestrian walkways and two Metrolink tram lines. Standing on opposite sides of the tram lines loom the imposing edifices of two large department stores belonging to Debenhams (formerly Rylands and Pauldens) to the north and Primark and TK Maxx (formerly Lewis's Department Store, 1877-2001) to the south. Moving west, the street crosses Fountain Street and High Street where the tram lines turn away towards the north.

With the removal of the tram lines, Market Street becomes an entirely pedestrian zone bustling with shoppers. Dominating the entire north side of this section is the Manchester Arndale Centre, an indoor shopping complex. A large variety of shops of various sizes line the south side of the street.

Throughout the pedestrian zone there can often be found a large number of street traders and entertainers. Such entertainers have in the past included traditional buskers, bagpipe players and even orchestral string quartets.

Reaching the end of the Arndale Centre, the street crosses Corporation Street and Cross Street, ceasing to be a pedestrian zone and becoming Lower Market Street on the far side. Lower Market Street is lined with the Marks & Spencer department store on its north side and another series of smaller shops to the south.

At its western end, Lower Market Street is renamed St Mary's Gate before it reaches Deansgate.

George Sampson, the 2008 winner of Britain's Got Talent honed many of his street dancing skills on Market Street.^[1]

Coordinates: 53°28′56.50″N, 2°14′26″W

[edit] References