The Mancunian Way: Can King Street regain its crown?

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Here's the Mancunian Way for today:

Hello

Hope you're all feeling relaxed and refreshed after two Bank Holiday Mondays on the trot.

In today’s newsletter we’ll be taking a look at what’s happening on the ‘Bond Street of the North’. More than a quarter of shops on upmarket King Street are currently empty as the economic downturn continues to hit traditional bricks and mortar retailers hard.

But experts and insiders explain how a comeback could be on the cards as King Street looks to re-establish itself as one of the city centre’s prime locations.

Elsewhere we’ll hear the remarkable story of Nic Lee, a gay teenager from Tameside, who after teaching himself dance during lockdown has now bagged a place at one of the country’s leading performing arts schools.

And comedian Jack Whitehall also tells us about his love affair with Manchester, the time his front door got stolen in Fallowfield and discovering his 'schtick' here in the city.

For Mancs of a certain age it was the place to go if you were looking for a posh frock, a diamond necklace or a new suit. But while King Street still has its fair share of upmarket boutiques and restaurants, it’s fair to say it’s lost a bit of its lustre over the last few years.

During a visit last week Manchester Evening News city centre reporter Ethan Davis counted 12 empty shops - out of a total of 41 at street-level. Although business leaders say half of the vacant units have offers on them, it means more than a quarter of the street's commercial properties are dormant.

But insiders say