Ropewalks

Named after the rope manufacturers (their wares being laid out in long, straight lanes to be twisted into rope), Ropewalks is Liverpool’s independent and creative quarter – a tight network of narrow, warehouse lined streets now home to galleries, bars, independent shops and coffee houses.

Bold Street is the semi-pedestrianised heart of the Ropewalks. Here you’ll find a smattering of boutiques, cafes and funky gift shops among the creeping chains of Starbucks, Subway and the like – but the emphasis is still (just) on the indie and the esoteric, especially the further away from downtown.

Between Bold Street and Renshaw Street (and fanning out beyond Central Station) Central Village will see a pocket sized new development of boutique cinema, waterside bars and family-oriented restaurants when it opens in 2013. To the south of Bold Street is the grid of streets – Wood Street, Seel Street, Slater Street, Parr Street, Duke Street – lined with bars, galleries, apartments and coffee shops: a thriving night time economy, and a colourful place to head for the evening.

Ropewalks’ southernmost zone encompasses Chinatown, with its dramatic arch – home to the UK’s longest-established Chinese community (as well as some seriously tasty restaurants).