I just got back from Manchester, where I had the chance to explore the city’s creative side, thanks to Creative Tourist, an online guide to all things artistic in the city. Here are my impressions of Manchester and four top reasons to visit this Northern city.

Manchester isn’t about picturesque views; it’s more about a gritty industrial landscape filled with canals, warehouses, and cranes. The city made its wealth from mills and manufacturing, and now those old canals and warehouses have been transformed into stylish apartments and leisure areas.

You can see this transformation clearly if you take the metro to Salford Quays. There, we visited the Lowry Arts Centre and the Imperial War Museum, which are on opposite sides of the Manchester Ship Canal, connected by a metal bridge that occasionally rises to let ships pass.

Not every artist has an arts center named after them, but LS Lowry does. Even if you don’t know much about him, you’ve probably seen his paintings of matchstick figures hurrying to work or a football match, with smoke billowing from factory chimneys. Lowry painted scenes from the streets of Manchester, and his work is displayed at The Lowry Centre in Salford Quays.

While Manchester is famous for football, nightlife, and shopping, we took the chance to explore some of the city’s many free museums. At the Imperial War Museum, we saw Don McCullin’s thought-provoking black and white war photography in the “Shaped by War” exhibition and listened to the voices of children at war in an audio-visual presentation in the main hall.

At the Science and Industry Museum, we got an up-close look at the Mona Lisa without the usual crowds you’d find at the Louvre. This wasn’t the real Mona Lisa, but an incredibly detailed photographic copy taken with a special camera that captured every tiny detail. Although these exhibitions have moved on, you’ll always find something interesting and new, with plenty of information on the latest artistic events on the Creative Tourist website.

The Northern Quarter offers a refreshing contrast to the sleek, modern designer labels in the Arndale Centre. Here, you’ll find a vibrant street scene with clubs, cafes, and vintage fashion, all peppered with street art, like the tiled cars we spotted down a side alley. It’s a fantastic place to wander around and discover the most interesting and original creations from Manchester’s artistic community.