While 19th-century Manchester was known for its cotton industry, today the city is probably best known for the Manchester United football team (former club of the charismatic David Beckham) and the “Madchester” music scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Northern England’s industrial hub might not have the cachet of London, but Manchester has its own personality, some wonderful architecture and a certain edgy energy.

If you’re short on time, see the sights via a CitySightseeing Manchester bus . You can hop off and on these brightly painted red double-deckers at any of 10 stops around the city. In the city center, near the convention complex and the major hotels, is the imposing Manchester Town Hall on Albert Square. Completed in 1887, it remains a city icon. If the weather’s fine, park yourself on a restaurant patio facing Albert Square, order up a pint of local brew or a cup of tea, and relish the passing parade of pedestrians.

The grande dame of city center hotels is The Midland (Peter Street, tel 44 161 236 3333) built in 1903. A picture of Victorian elegance, who could resist having tea or a drink in its lobby lounge where Rolls first met Royce? For an authentic Manchester pub experience and a chance to hobnob with locals, head for Briton’s Protection (50 Great Bridgewater St., tel 44 870 236 5895). In business since 1811, it is decorated with brass fixtures and paintings commemorating the 1819 Peterloo Massacre, a local catastrophe in which a cavalry raid on a political rally resulted in death or injury to hundreds. Besides the to-be-expected brews, the bar offers 150-plus whiskies and bourbons.

The Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester (Liverpool Road, tel 44 161 832 2244) occupies the converted remains of an 1830s railway station, but the location isn’t its only unusual feature. You can walk through a replica of the Victorian sewer system, visit a hall full of thrusting, steaming turbines and get within reach of a huge Shackleton bomber.

As its name suggests, Printworks (Withy Grove, tel 44 871 230 5556) was originally a newspaper printing facility that has been reincarnated as a massive leisure and entertainment center. Hip and happening, it has bars and restaurants galore, a multi-screen cinema complex and a health club. Opus (Withy Grove, tel 44 161 834 2414) is one of the center’s liveliest venues, with a restaurant, bar and live performance area for music and comedy.

No truly self-respecting sports fan would leave Manchester without dipping into its football culture with a visit to City of Manchester Stadium (SportCity, tel 44 870 062 1894), home of local favorites Manchester City, or to Old Trafford (Sir Matt Busby Way, tel 44 870 442 1994), the historic stadium that is home to Manchester United. Even if you can’t attend a game, behind-the-scenes tours offer a chance to trot down the players’ tunnel toward the field and to check out the lounges and locker rooms.

While football fans revel in sports statistics, shoppers can check out the Trafford Centre (tel 44 870 746 7777). The incongruous neoclassical-themed shopping complex looks like Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas on steroids, but the range of stores — 250 of them — and goods is impressive.