Stretford’s boom came with the arrival of the Manchester Ship Canal which runs straight through the area, but there are quicker ways of getting around. Sitting on a key junction of local transport arteries, you can drive to Manchester in a little over twenty minutes, or take the Metrolink in about the same time from Stretford station, or as little as 17 minutes from nearby Trafford Park station. Trafford Park is also part of the main Manchester to Liverpool train route, making it perfect for commuters. Frequent local buses run day and night to connect residents with the wider area and easy access to the M60 makes it quick to get onto all the major regional motorways.

Like the rest of the region, Stretford’s food and drink offering is undergoing a surge in variety and quality. Right at the centre of this is Stretford Food Hall on Chester Road, which gives a uniquely Stretfordian take on classic and not so classic flavours. The constantly changing menu is open till 9pm, and includes everything from craft beer, and locally distilled gin to locally roasted coffee, to street food and even a convenient independent retail offering too.

Just along the road in Chorlton you can find some of the county’s best food and drink, from the legendary 50-year-old Barbakan delicatessen and Out of the Blue fishmongers which regularly has queues out the door.

There are fantastic schools throughout the Trafford borough and demand for family properties is high as a result. On the doorstep are Victoria Park Infant and Junior Schools, and St Anne’s RC Primary School, with King’s Road Primary a little further but still driveable in under ten minutes. Stretford Grammar on Granby Road is in the top 5% of UK state funded mainstream schools for EBacc while slightly further afield St Joseph’s RC in Sale, St Hugh’s RC in Timperley and Our Lady of the Rosary in Urmston all boast the highest mark from Ofsted.

The centre of Stretford is a bustling hub with banks, supermarkets, gyms, post offices and the famous Stretford Mall with its fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands. This is of course complemented by Greater Manchester’s shopping Mecca, the Trafford Centre, just a 12-minute drive away, with the Chillfactore and iFly indoor skydiving for thrill-seekers.

Old Trafford football and Old Trafford cricket ground are both up the road too, which means plenty of entertainment sports and music fans alike. The cricket ground is one of the most diverse concert venues in the city, and has played host to Take That, David Bowie, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Oasis, New Order and Foo Fighters to name a few.

With Sale, Urmston and Chorlton so close – not to mention Manchester City Centre just 17 minutes by tram – there’s an incredible amount for families and those who are footloose and fancy free, to discover.

Stretford’s urban vibe is deceiving, because as well as a lot of leafy backstreets it offers a remarkable amount of green space within a three-mile radius. Victoria Park is the closest - just a 4-minute walk from the centre – but the much bigger Stretford Meadows, Turn Moss playing fields and Ivy Green are all close by, along with Chorlton Nature Reserve and the quiet River Mersey walks that it connects in both directions.