Missing Stars Hollow? These Manchester spots are giving serious Gilmore Girls energy

The leaves are changing colour, the air is getting brisk, pumpkin spice is swashing about in the bottom of my coffee and yes, I am rewatching Gilmore Girls again.  Everyone knows it can’t truly be autumn until I’ve had my dose of Stars Hollow, right? 

While urban and lively Manchester could not be more different from a small town in Connecticut, there are little spots that just transport me straight to the comforts of town festivals, Chilton, and all of it’s glory. 

The John Rylands Library

What better way to start this list than with the iconic, gothic, late-victorian site in the middle of Deansgate. John Rylands is the perfect place to put in some earbuds, grind down your uni work, and romanticise your life.

It is the perfect Sterling Library dupe, to help you live out your early 200s Yale fantasies. With beautiful architecture, elaborate staircases and medieval manuscripts surrounding you, it’s practically impossible not to be productive and feel good about yourself doing it.

Admittedly, it’s more of a historical archive than a hotspot for undergrads, but that’s part of the Rory-charm. 

Mala

Via Netflix

With food across a range of cuisines, Mala, takes a page straight out of Al’s Pancake World. Located in Northern Quarter it is a hotspot for various, rotating street food trucks, with options to eat a full dinner, have a cheeky sweet treat, or even grab cocktails with some girlfriends.

The atmosphere is set as soon as you open the door. With fairy lights dangling and fancy cushions decorating the wooden benches, there is a true ‘secret garden’ mystique immediately established. 

Sitting in this botanical dream garden, you can browse a range of menus from the available vendors and decide whether you’re feeling Italian, Indian or something else entirely. Lorelai Gilmore would have a field day with ordering a little bit of everything.

Victoria Baths

Via Netflix

If you’re looking to truly bring that Pinterest board to life though, I would make a note of this Chorlton treasure. Victoria Baths is the ultimate cheatcode. A unique city landmark that opened as a leisure facility with swimming pools and turkish baths, it now transforms into the vintage market of your dreams.

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The Vintage Home Show runs regular furniture-selling events, bringing over 50 vibrant stalls to students just a short distance from Oxford Road. 

If you’ve ever been properly endeared by Mrs. Kim’s ‘you break, you buy’ mantra, this is the perfect place to take yourself on a little date. With gorgeous pieces and reasonable prices, the stalls easily eat up hours of your time just by encouraging a little window-shopping indulgence. 

Evelyn’s

Via Netflix

You might think it’s an impossible task to find an equivalent to Luke’s beloved diner in the 21st century. Evelyn’s however, seems to have captured the feel pretty well, as an easy-going restaurant with offers you can’t refuse.

Located in Northern Quarter, their menu promises delectable options for brunch, dinner, group dining, happy hour, and more, making it the perfect hub for just about any occasion.

After a classic Lorelai-Luke fallout, I can picture the girls swerving and heading straight in the door here for eggs royale, waffles, or perhaps more fittingly, a cheeseburger. 

While it’s no converted warehouse, the quaint restaurant provides a rustic feel with it’s gorgeous interior and lively plant wall. With big, inviting windows, it’s the perfect place to take a break from the city from time to time, and perhaps also turn your phone off (if you’re really dedicated to the Gilmore Girls bit.) 

Platt Fields

I’ve truly saved the best for last. Platt Fields has carved out a very special place in my heart. This is home to the world’s friendliest squirrels, and the perfect place to go run off your worries (or just leisurely stroll and think about everything that has ever happened to you, if you’re more like me.)

From an autumnal paradise to the perfect summer picnic and revision spot, I can practically see Rory Gilmore bicker with someone over her chosen study tree here. Another reason my beloved Gilmore Girls comes to mind is the event-life that pops up here. 

There is no shortage of events hosted in the great Platt’s all year round. From Yoga in the Garden to Manchester Bonfire night, this is the exact place to transport you into the world of festivities and town hall meetings that would make even Taylor Doose proud. 

Next time you’re humming Carole King’s Where You Lead, remember that you can get your fix of Stars Hollow right here in the heart of Manchester. It’ll make the transition into winter more comfortable, anyway. 

Featured image via Netflix.