He's right in as much as the City Council has abandoned Piccadilly to an urban wasteland fit for nothing except rioting & urchins in undies running through those jets of water. West Dids is vibrant in that there's lots of crime there-I think DH is thinking back to the Madchester years when Burton Rd was popular with the e-generation, but most of the indy shops are being forced out and it's turning into a "strip" of fast food takeaways, hairdressers, bars, more bars and er bars, just like Didsbury. Only reason the burbs are more attractive is because there are less marginally less scallies there. Thanks to the Trafford Centre, all of Manchester & it's suburbs, to say nothing of Altrincham are completely stuffed.