Manchester, England was made famous for LGBT Americans by the original Queer as Folk, a one-season show in the United Kingdom, with the first-ever depictions of raw gay sex ever to hit the telly there. The 'dears' (older, conservative church-lady types) were up in arms but lesbian, gay and progressive Brits were smitten.The show is long over but its affects still resonate in this, the 10th anniversary year of the show's debut.

The city proper is in England's top 10 in terms of population but in the top two or three in terms of the extended metropolitan area. This makes for a great urban experience, with lots to do in a relatively small easily navigated area. With the large nearby population the small city can also support numerous cultural institutions, including museums, galleries, opera, theaters and more. There's also great shopping and lots of interesting sightseeing.

This city was founded around 100 AD by the Romans as a fort but gained prominence during the cotton trade and industrial revolution of the late 1800s when it catapulted to the front of the world's cities as a rich, important crossroads where raw American cotton wasprocessed into finished thread and cloth. Numerous Victorian-area buildings were constructed in neo Gothic and faux Tudor styles, and many still exist today, their original purposes as factories and warehouses given over to posh stores and spiffy, modern apartments.

The city went into a long decline after the collapse of the cotton economy and flight of manufacturing to other areas. As recently as 1995, the population of the city center was a mere 500 souls. Today that numbers is closer to 30,000 and with these urban pioneers there are restaurants, pubs, parks, events, and interesting architecture to experience. Surprising to many the city is near much open green space, hills and small mountains, affording locals and in-the-know visitors easy access to the verdant, wide-open spaces.

This is northern Europe and it's rarely super hot even at the height of summer though it's not super cold during winter. Still best time for Americans to visit is in the June to September timeframe. If you can, plan your trip to experience Manchester Pride, a 10-day cultural celebration that takes place the last week in August (to coincide with a bank holiday the last Monday of August) with all sorts of events from the raucous (post-Pride, standing-room-only outdoor parties along Canal Street) to the moving (candlelit vigil for victims of HIV and AIDS).