It’s

It’s
easy to condense Liverpool into its stereotypes: The
Beatles, football teams and stark red political leanings. Behind
the Unesco World Heritage waterfront, though, sits a city of
ingenuity and originality. Anchored by the River Mersey in the
north-western stretches of the British isles, and only a two-hour
train journey from London, this old port has learned new tricks,
fuelling a creative, innovative and progressive regeneration.

A metropolis in miniature, you can explore the city centre with
ease in a weekend. Park walks await in the tree-lined southern
suburb of Allerton, there are independent shops to peruse in the
Ropewalks district and night owls will find pulsing beats and
poetry events to entrance inside the Baltic Triangle’s warehouses.
Stroll the streets of the business district to spot the
architecture that inspired New York’s skyscrapers, pass under the
arches of the Royal Albert Dock, and sample some of the bold
restaurants and dynamic city bistros making a dent in the UK’s
fine-dining scene – all of which come with a side serving of Scouse
playfulness.

The undulations of history have taken Liverpool from immense
wealth borne of bloody empire to soul-destroying hardship and
poverty. Today’s Scousers, shaped by circumstance, are a hardy
bunch, quick to joke and even quicker to help out. Ask anyone and
they’ll tell you they’re Scouse, not English – an opinion forged
from resilience and pride. The same emotion fuels the vanguard of
shops, restaurants and venues at the heart of this city’s unique
identity.