Late on a sunny July afternoon, I gathered with onlookers, camera crews and armed police around a pedestrian office block on Manchester's Albert Square. Former mayor Andy Burnham was back as UK prime minister, inaugurating Number 10 North. His ascent catapulted the city into international consciousness.

Manchester had long been transforming. Once known for football, 1980s music and a gritty post-industrial edge, it now attracts big businesses and global cultural names. Co-Op Live hosted the Brit Awards, the first time outside London. Next year, the UK's annual TV Festival moves from Edinburgh. Jamie Adam of Savills points to "big, big occupiers" — Arm Holdings, S&P Global Ratings, Channel 4, Bank of New York Mellon. Over the past decade, it saw the highest property price growth of any UK city, per Rightmove.

"Manchester is having a 'moment'," says Simon Ismail of Salboy, which has built 3,000 homes. The city centre is almost unrecognisable from the 1990s. Joe Robotham, 33, bought in Media City three years ago. "The vibe has definitely shifted," he says.

Rightmove's Colleen Babcock notes asking prices rose over 60 per cent in a decade, versus 7 per cent in London, yet remain less than half the capital's. Relative affordability, jobs and investment keep drawing buyers.