Manchester has wide streets and trams, a low rise city centre, a multicultural population, international food, old buildings, new buildings. There has been a push towards cycle lanes and pedestrisnisation, lots of tree planting. The transport system is pretty good, as is the pricing.

It also has possibly the saddest collection of losers who genuinely yearn for slums, litter and smog, doing everything in their power to keep the city a litter strewn shit hole, on top of the issues all cities have since the government stopped funding them in 2010. But everywhere does.

But a Finnish friend said she felt at home here, and there's a lot to recommend it. Like any city how you see it is important.

In my favourite European cities on holiday I'm not looking at housing prices and council funding, just the general vibe. It's different when you live there and are aware of all the problems.