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Black Dog Bowl - New City Bowling Alley
The Southern Quarter takes off with another trendy in-comer
Confidential thinks it's getting interesting down Oxford Road Corridor aka The Southern Quarter. There are the Black Dog venues, Gorrilla from Trof has opened and also the Whim Wham Cafe.
Dog Bowl
Confidential thinks it's getting interesting down Oxford Road Corridor aka The Southern Quarter. There are the Black Dog venues, Gorrilla from Trof has opened and also the Whim Wham Cafe.
Cornerhouse will move in with the Library Theatre in a couple of years to a site down Whitworth Street West and thus remain close to the area. Meanwhile it makes sense that any new operator for the present Cornerhouse location will want to retain the arty energy and magic of the present bar and restaurant.
It's a curious thing that the bar sector in Manchester is seeing such a lot of movement when the retail sector is taking a hit once more and units begin to empty on King Street.
The growth of internet shopping is a factor here, one that underlines something else. The effects of the rash of out-of-town shopping centres approved a decade or two ago are now, in recession, having a profound impact. Restricting car access into the city centre does nothing to reduce the pressure.
The leisure side of cities is therefore becoming more and more important. It will have to be.
Canny operators, such as Black Dog, with a nose (forgive the pun) for what appeals to the market are crucial.
You can follow Jonathan Schofield on Twitter here @JonathSchofield
Dog bowl
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Is it me though or is the Southern Gateway slowly becoming the new Fallowfield? All these bars and clubs (and there are shed loads round the area now) seem to be based on that bus stop providing a steady stream of p*ss head students since Fallowfield lost its way a fair bit by allowing non-students in to bars, together with the Oxford Road campus' growing. Great that this area is finally getting some decent movement (and let's hope they do something decent with BBC rather than just flats with a Tesco unit) but I went for an after-work drink in the area in a suit last week and I felt like I as going to be asked for student ID. Or whether I was the defendant. And this is out of term time. Fortunately not too many of them have discovered NQ properly yet, although that's only probably because it's not on a bus route. One student I met thought it was Portland Street.
Not that NQ venues are above this sort of attitude: www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/…/Are-You-Being-Served…
So anon, you felt old in a bar? It happens, welcome to the club. Not needing to be a student to drink in Fallowfield or the city centre kinda makes me wonder what point you were trying to make?
Ha, I didn't say I felt old. I said I felt like I was in a student bar. The point I was trying to make is that I've noticed the Southern Gateway is slowly turning into more of a city centre student quarter. That's not necessarily a bad thing (admittedly the tone probably implied I was annoyed about it) and I think the bar above looks great, I just wondered whether anyone else had observed this. And yes, friends of mine have actually been turned away from one of the bars near Oxford Road Station for not being a student. And my point about Fallowfield was trying to put forward a reason why there might be more students going out in the SG than before i.e. that previously most of the bars there (Hearts, Revs, Orange Grove included) used to turn away non-students and would take the hit in summer in order to keep the area more student friendly. That began to change a couple of years ago, meaning more non-students from the surrounding areas used to go out, which meant people I know started going up town more.
Anyway, point was a complete tangent from the article. More an observation on the area following another bar opening. Should have started with 'looks great, good on Black Dog for keeping standards up'. Hope it does well.
Quite the opposite i'd say - I tried Gorilla this weekend just gone, the crowd was refreshingly mixed in age, the music was great but at a volume you could still hold a conversation whilst having more of a dancier vibe in a second room - didn't feel remotely like a student venue!
Idea looks great
Nice. Off on a tangent but I don't like this 'Southern Quarter' district name. It's lame and pretty sure it was cooked up by Thornley Groves - they use it in their marketing blurb. We can do better than that ;) ANYWAY... good luck, Ross n co with the bowling alley. Looks like it will be ace (esp. if Blackdog NWS is anything to go by). And anon - this area was very studenty way back when I was a student... 15 years ago!
Ali I think it was actually John Robb, music man who thought it up
How many quarters does Manchester have again?
Is it me or are your articles about this so called independent less than objective,much like anything you write about Sam Chop House.This is advertorial.
David this isn't advertorial it's news. People probably want to know. Anyway keep up the good work policing us.
The more of these types of tourist attraction we open the better. We need more and more mainstream fun in the city centre aside from drinking
Interesting timing with this considering the bowling alley being developed next to the AMC Cinema. It'll be good to have options now for bowling in the city centre.
when is the AMC going in?
Wonder which one will open first!! Both close to me but the one in Great Northern by AMC cinema will be very close to me. Actually, whens the Great Northern one going to be finished?? Not been in GN for a few weeks - whereabouts in there will it be?
I like the decor of Blackdog Ballroom so will probably like Blackdog Bowl.
Looking forward to checking out both of them!
Think it's opening in August.
Can only be good for the area surely? Whim wham Cafe is a great little place that will only do better through more interest in the area. not been to Gorilla bar yet but heard lots of good things. Could do with a facelift around there rather than being well known for Locos takeaway and the ritz!
Does anyone know what happened to the lovely 'Sistine Chapel' ceiling from Coco Two?
Hopefully it's been painted over...
Love it!
Anon, that Cocotoo ceiling was weird and curious not lovely I reckon
I hate bowling, but love the other two dogs so I'm looking forward to the Dog Bowl opening. Also looking forward to All Star Lanes just to sample the burgers.
I'm really looking forward to this. Anyone want to join my bowling team?!
Hahhaa fck NO!
But I'll challenge you in a local bowlection
It's September and it doesn't look anywhere near to opening
i like ur sisters!!!!!