MediaCity is the most underrated place in Manchester

Fallowfield, Northern Quarter, Deansgate, Oxford Road, these are all areas we know pretty well as Manchester students.

But why does no one ever talk about MediaCity? It has the buzz of Fallowfield, the fancy cocktails of Deansgate and the friendly people of the NQ all in one place.

Branded the "Media Headquarters of the North", the development is home to both the BBC and ITV and shows like Coronation Street, Countdown and our fave Jeremy Kyle are all broadcasted from within its studios.

Ken Barlow is just inside that building

Not only can you take a look around some of the UK's best and biggest TV studios, there are loads of other things to see and do in MediaCity.

Perf for a fancy day trip when the fam come to visit or if you want to take your mates somewhere different.

Getting there is so easy

MediaCity is very well connected to the city centre by both the tram and the bus. The CityConnect 50 bus runs every 10 minutes from Didsbury to MediaCity, passing through Fallowfield and the city centre. And you can use your Unirider on it too. Trams also run from Picadilly Gardens and cost around £3 for an adult day return ticket. Use the Journey Planner on the Greater Manchester travel website to find the easiest route for you. You can also drive to MediaCity too, though parking there for the day may be quite pricey.

There's loads of stuff to see and do

BBC Tours

BBC and ITV Studios

For only £10.95 for students and £11.75 for adults, check out the BBC Studios and get a feel for how and where loads of BBC programmes are made. Buy your tour tickets here.

Imperial War Museum North

MediaCity's IWM is great for people of all ages who want to learn about the wars and swot up on their history knowledge. The exhibition takes you through a timeline of events and gives an interesting insight into how the wars impacted Manchester as a city. Plus, it's free to look around so is great activity for students on a budget.

Theatre and Cinema

The Lowry theatre is in the heart of MediaCity and is home to loads of different productions and shows. So whether you're into musical theatre, opera, dance or comedy, there is bound to be something on that you'll enjoy. Also, this festive period The Lowry are playing host to 'Elf – The Musical', which is sure to get you and your flatmates in the Christmas spirit. Check out whats on at The Lowry here. Inside The Lowry Outlet is a Vue Cinema showing all the latest movies. You can also get 4 hours free parking with a cinema ticket too.

The food and drink is fab

There are loads of different places you can eat and drink around the MediaCity area whether you're looking for somewhere cheap and cheerful or somewhere more upmarket.

In the main piazza you can find Wagamama and Prezzo, and inside The Lowry Outlet there are lots of familiar restaurants like Nandos, Harvester, Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia.

If you fancy treating yourself then check out either the Botanist or the Alchemist, which have both recently just opened in the area. Both bars sell amazing food and cocktails.

Admittedly, they come at a price but if you fancy a post-exam treat or just splashing out on some fancy cocktails then either of these two are your place to go.

View from the outdoor terrace at the Alchemist

Dockyard is my personal favourite. It's a great bar just next door to the Dock10 studios selling loads of different cask ales and beers and is always full of interesting people. They also have a great food menu selling home comforts like fish and chips, burgers and sandwiches for a decent price.

So if you fancy spending a day in the North West's coolest hotspot or bumping into Jezza Kyle himself then head over to MediaCity, even if it's just to take some impressive pics for your Insta!