Every month we ask questions to you, our residents.
It’s time to meet the fabulous people living in our homes and neighbourhoods, putting faces to our ever-expanding rental-family, building our community.
Get more out of life – GET LIVING.
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Faced with finding a new home during lockdown in May 2020, Sophie Hinton, 25, was grateful to have her head turned by Get Living’s New Maker Yards when driving through Manchester:
“I had less than a month to find a new rental, in the middle of a pandemic, so as you can imagine it was quite an emotionally charged time! I’d been renting with my best friend in Todmorden since we left university but when she bought her first home, I decided to look for a place on my own.
“I’d always wanted to be closer to Manchester, so one weekend my mum and I just drove around the city centre looking at various places. When we passed New Maker Yards’ I was immediately taken by the canal side setting and green surroundings. We pulled up at the welcome office without an appointment and met the lovely Josh who was able to show us a selection of homes right away.
“I fell in love with it all. The homes were lush, fully-furnished with items I would have totally picked myself, but really it was the sense of community that sold it to me. Manchester has a great choice of flats but it was seeing pet owners (who I now know as the Dog Squad) chatting away in the courtyard while their pups played, people saying ‘hello’ to Josh as we walked around, that created a really nice vibe that I knew I wanted to be a part of.
“With security on site 24/7 I feel completely safe living on my own and actually, because of the design of the buildings, where you can see neighbours having their morning coffee on their balconies, in the courtyard, chilling along the river, you don’t really ever feel alone. It’s like we’re all in one New Maker Yards’ bubble! My balcony is one of the favourite features of my flat, I love having the doors open for indoor-outdoor vibes, especially now that summer has FINALLY arrived”
Sophie is a product manager for an innovative smart city company and is currently working from home: “Having the club room as a workspace option was really helpful, and another good way to meet people naturally.
“In the last year especially, my perspective of renting has completely changed. I used to think that it was a means to an end, a stop gap while waiting to buy. But when you get older and think about what a house actually means – the commitment involved, saying goodbye to your life’s savings – you appreciate the flexibility and all the added value Get Livings offers that mean you get more out of renting.
“I’ve not got the worry about mortgage, I’ve got options. And with some much going on and still so much uncertainty in our lives right now, I can just focus on living in the moment.”
I think the best thing at living at New Maker Yards would probably be the sense of community. Especially as we’re coming out of the Covid, it’s been great to start meeting more and more people. We do have a pub on site which also really helps!
The sense of outdoor/indoor – you have a big nice balcony that you can leave the door open and obviously when the sun is shining you can get out, it’s very nice.
I think the last thing I bought for my flat was my lamp. I have so many little things that I put in my basket, obviously you have quite a lot of nice furniture and stuff already, but I like to add a few little finishing touches.
There’s a place called Lena Mirrors in Manchester that I want one of those big mirrors from so that’s the next place on my list in Manchester.
Friendly, community, and also just quite trendy – it’s quite up and coming and quite like youthful in that sense.
I feel like I haven’t had as much chance as I’d like to explore places just yet but definitely Albert Schloss, always good vibes on a Sunday. They let you dance on the tables after a Sunday roast, great! And anywhere in Northern Quarter, maybe like Flok or somewhere it’s quite casual and… The third one hmm… I haven’t been to The Ivy yet but I really want to go to The Ivy.
Oh, god I love food, the food in Manchester, there’s so many good places. Again, Alberts Schloss’ Sunday dinner. I love a Sunday roast. Refuge is also great for that. The Wolf at the Door does really good Vietnamese food, I love their steamed buns.
For fashion and style… In terms of inspo, Hailey Bieber, always. I feel like it’s just easy a blazer, some jeans, a top, nothing too fancy. But shop-wise, Zara – Manchester Zara is great.
Oh, there’s so many I don’t know if I want to give them away! (Laughs) There’s actually one that’s really good around the corner and it is literally a carpark two minutes away which is just a wall, a concrete wall. But I do love St. Peters Square and top secret one is Angel Gardens, which is just another apartment block and it’s just because they have a really nice door… That’s the only reason (laughs).
I think Friday’s are all about chilling, everyone’s had like a long week so maybe just even a few drinks like here at Seven Bro7hers and a bit of a pamper ready for the Saturday. Saturday I’d do a ‘bottomless’ – Gaucho does a really good one that’s not even brunch, it’s just bottomless food and drink which means you get loads of small plates. The probably carrying on at Alberts Schloss afterwards. Then obviously Sunday’s very hungover so then you just go for either Refuge, back to Alberts Schloss for a Sunday roast and then come back and chill getting ready for the week ahead.
So, I’m a massive advocate for BLOK, I love BLOK in Manchester, it’s on like Ducie street and they do different fitness classes. They also do BLOK handstands so you learn how to do really good handstands or ‘BLOK Party’ where you just dance which is like really good fun. I’ve also now started going to Pure Gym as well just because everyone’s got into their fitness in lockdown and we’ve got to get ready for summer somehow haven’t we (laughs).
The last series I watched was ‘The Bold Type’ on Netflix and I literally watched it in about four days. It’s a really good bingeworthy, chick-flicky type of show.
The three people I’d like to invite to my dinner party would probably be Rihanna, just because I think she’d be a load of fun. Kim Kardashian because yeah I’d just like to talk to her, I feel like she’s got a lot going on you know, there’s a lot to talk about! And probably Marcus Rashford just because he’s a delight and I just think he seems like a really nice guy. Hmm… What would I cook? Well you know I love Sunday roast, if it was a Sunday it’d obviously be a roast! If not, probably some sort of Italian spread or Spanish tapas.
I really enjoy Spencer Matthew’s and Vogue’s podcast they’re just dead funny I feel like their chemistry is just hilarious. I also enjoy the like unsolved mysteries ones when they’re talking to you about like crimes and yeah it sounds a bit morbid but I really enjoy it (laughs).
Dogs, always. I’ve never had a dog. I’ve had cats before I’ve always wanted a dog so my time is coming especially living here, it’s coming soon.
Vodka, lime lemonade or like an Aperol Spritz, something quite light.
I think my favourite place in the world would probably be Canggu in Bali… I would love one day to be able to live there, it’s just very relaxed vibes and really good food, you can go surfing… So, yeah Bali.
Live next to Manchester city centre while relaxing by New Maker Yards’ canalside location. Head into the city with a short 15 minute walk to Spinningfields and Deansgate.
Rent a 1-3 bedroom apartment with Wi-Fi included, free events & groups, an exclusive co-working space and a coffee shop and taproom all on your doorstep.
