The Trafford market town has much to offer, regularly ranking as one of the UK's best places to live, making it a top choice for those looking to settle down or enjoy a day trip. It's easy to see why - boasting a plethora of restaurants , bars, cafes, shops, top-rated schools, a 16-acre park, and the National Trust's Dunham Massey nearby, not to mention quick transport links to Manchester and beyond. Despite recording the highest shop vacancy rates in the UK in 2010, the town has seen a revival over the past decade, thanks to Trafford Council's multi-million-pound public realm transformation project.
Hospitality businesses and the conversion of the historic market hall into a food hall have led the way in revitalising the town centre, attracting retailers back to Altrincham, which had long been viewed as struggling against competition from the Trafford Centre. Today, the leafy suburb is witnessing a retail resurgence with national chains co-existing alongside burgeoning independents; and now a bevvy of businesses are getting ready to set up shop in a recent development at the site of the bygone local darling, Rackhams (House of Fraser), which shut its doors back in 2018. Last year, Altrincham rocketed into the top 50 'most desirable' UK locations list curated by The Telegraph, with factors such as the proportion of residents in managerial roles, their overall health, and the cost of housing coming into play for the rankings.
Dubbed a 'mini-Dulwich', in a reference to the affl.