Manchester is famous for its football teams, music scene and innovative urban redevelopment schemes but it now has something else to be proud of.

Because its top-end property market,  helped by the city’s up-and-coming ‘villages’ such as Worsley and Didsbury and suburban wealth hotspots  including Alderley Edge, Hale, Hale Barnes, Wilmslow and Altrincham, is on a roll.

Prime homes in Manchester are rising in price faster than their counterparts in London, increasing by 11 per cent over the past year compared to 4.75 per cent in the capital, according to the latest Prime Index.

Also, the monthly index, which tracks the top quarter of the property market by value, reveals that the average prime property asking price in Manchester is now £319,111, almost double the asking price for an average home in the city (£161,276).

And at 11% Manchester’s prime market has outpaced the city’s broader property market to a large degree, as prices in Manchester’s overall general market have risen by just 0.9% over the past year to £161,276.

Average asking prices for Manchester’s prime platinum properties (the top 10% of the market) have been rising ever faster by 14.28% over the past year, while London’s prime platinum properties have risen by just 3.22%.

But this good news at the top means the gap between up-market homes in Manchester and their ‘general market’ counterparts has opened up significantly (see table above), highlighting a national as well as a Manchester trend of average house prices slipping way behind Prime ones as the recession bites at the bottom and middle of the property market, but bypasses the top.

The heady days of buyers queuing outside new developments armed with deposits and desperate to part with their cash are over, or so we’re lead to believe. But the launch of a recent central London development suggests it still carries on, albeit rarely.

Over 1,900 buyers registered interest for Central Square’s 170 new apartments in the capital’s edgy Clerkenwell, walking distance from the Square Mile, so we thought the launch party last week might be busy. When the doors opened at 5pm in rushed a flurry of buyers who, despite previously registering interest, had not been allowed to buy until then.

Between wine, canapés and viewings the prospective buyers – of all ages and nationalities – quizzed the selling agents. Then like the bear pit of a Wall Street trading floor, they started to buy. With two-bedroom apartments starting at £575,000 this is not a purchase to be bought in a hurry, but a buzz of chatter on the phones to banks or loved ones ensued and deposits of £2,000 per reservation were paid on credit cards.

By 9pm, 37 apartments were already reserved and over a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc we quizzed the Chief Executive of Mount Anvil, Killian Hurley, about the success of their latest launch.

Hurley said one of his tricks is to spend more on the finish, which means investing more in the product, but they sell faster. “You’ll notice when you go to look around the show apartments,” he told us. And we did. Every apartment has at least one balcony, the kitchens and bathrooms exuded high quality and we loved the heated wall and towel rail in the bathroom as well as the floor-to-ceiling windows which add to the sense of space.

And, unlike many new apartments, there’s plenty of storage space and built-in wardrobes. In the two bedroom flat there is a huge open plan living and entertaining space adjoining a large decked terrace and we were surprised at the decent size of the second bedroom.

So it is easy to see why these homes are flying off the shelves. And at £400,000 for one bedroom and £575,000 for two, these are not marketed at the wealthy City bankers looking to spend their bonuses. These pads are being snapped up by young professionals, often working in finance in the City (but not at the bonus level), looking for a trendy place near work.

Central is the operative word in Central Square; it’s within 14 minutes walk to St Pauls, Shoreditch and Liverpool Street. Brian De’ath, the sales director told us that the international buyers often aren’t used to commuting so it’s important for them to walk to work. It’s no wonder then that the development’s marketing slogan is “Unexpectedly close by. Hit snooze then stroll into the office”.

To give you more of a sense of its location, here’s a fun clip of the Kit Kat advert which was filmed in the building site of Central Square – look at the skyline, the building taking shape and its location.

And if you want to reserve an apartment at Central Square you’d better be quick.

Billions of people around the world waited in suspense in April to see what Kate Middleton would wear at the wedding of the decade but few realised that her Alexander McQueen dress had been prepared within one of London’s up-and-coming neighbourhoods.

For it was within Clerkenwell that ‘operation meringue’ took place – the plan, within a locked room at McQueen’s HQ on the corner of Clerkenwell Rd and St John St, to hide the dress from public gaze until the big day.

Many of those waving their Union Jacks may already know Clerkenwell, even if they hadn’t ever been there.  Because its narrow Victorian side streets have been the setting for several Hollywood films including The Dark Knight and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Often eclipsed by its neighbours Hoxton and Dalston, this patch of East London has quietly established itself as edgy while still being ‘old England’ and has been called ‘The Mayfair of East London’ by leading local agent David Salvi.

But another measure of an area’s rise from poverty to gentrification is how many artisans reside locally and Clerkwenwell (pictured above) scores well – the strange haircuts, ill fitting clothes and battered cycles everywhere point to its 60-plus design studios and other arty employers.

Historically Clerkenwell’s buildings had been commercial but 20 years ago this began to change as more factories and warehouses were developed into private accommodation. Janet Street-Porter, the outspoken journalist, pioneered this and had the architect Piers Gough design her post-modernist house at Britton Street.

In the ten years that followed some 2,400 trendy apartments and ‘loft conversions’ have been built in the area, so it now bustles. Planning applications to convert buildings also rose from a couple each year to over fifty.

But the numbers hide a sea change in local culture. Out go the old pubs and derelict shops and in the stylish bars and restaurants which now give the area a ‘new Soho’ feel food-wise including Mark Hix’s Hix Oyster and Chop House, Fergus Henderson’s St John and John Torode’s Smiths which all manage to be fashionable as well as retaining the unassuming, earthy feel of the area.

Hotels chains have yet to bite the Clerkenwell apple with only a few notable names, partly because it’s off the tourist track, albeit that’s starting to change.

The area’s most famous champion is connected to food. Mark Sainsbury, instead of joining the family supermarket business, has moved to a converted Georgian stable in North Clerkenwell after spotting the area’s potential. He opened his fashionable Zetter Hotel (pictured above) six years ago following the success of his restaurant venture in Exmouth Market, Moro – which now has three cookbooks and a cult following.

• To read more about the area, get Alan Ainsworth’s fascinating book Clerkenwell: Change and Renewal which gives an in depth history of the area and describes how it has changed. It is well worth reading, not only for the pictures which capture Clerkenwell’s essence and its USP: the people, streets and architecture.

Whenever Primelocation has been shopping in around Knightsbridge in recent years it’s been obvious that something big was cooking within the huge construction site on the junction where the Brompton Road, Sloane Street and Kensington Road converge, slowly replacing a drab office building.

Richly relaxed: The lounge of One Hyde Park's £140 million penthouse apartment

From its early days the name of designers Christian and Nick Candy were headlined as the stylists behind the project, which soon had a name, too – One Hyde Park – as well as the involvement of architect Richard Rogers, best known among other things as the designer of Channel 4’s striking HQ near the Houses of Parliament.

But what has really made this apartment development famous are the prices being demanded for its properties. As early as February 2008, when the site was still rubble and diggers, prices for the largest of the penthouse apartments were being reported as in excess of £100m and while the housing boom continued sales were healthy – Nick Candy claimed to have sold properties worth £767 million in the first phase and, after the lull that followed the near collapse of the world banking system, more last year pushing up the total to a billion.

High expectations: The front of One Hyde Park, from which residents have views of Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Harrods,

So for the people who have already bought here, or those that may be considering it, what’s on offer? The 86 apartments within the site are best described as super prime and are within four blocks or ‘pavilions’ all with spectacular views over Hyde Park, Sloane Street, Harrods and the London skyline.

The complex, which is being operated by hotel chain Mandarin International, includes a private cinema, 21m swimming pool, saunas, steam rooms, squash court, gym – and at the less prosaic end of the luxury market, a golf simulator, wine cellars, library, 60 on-site staff and their own Rolex shop.

Million pound menu: the dining room

Such luxurious surroundings mean even the smallest, one-bedroom apartment starts at £6.5 million – as much as a five-bedroom detached house a couple of miles away in the richer suburbs of the capital – and rapidly rise to £140 million for the most expensive penthouse apartment, although this hasn’t stopped some of the world’s richest people buying, including the prime minister of Qatar.

Homeowners in the London Borough of Greenwich woke up this morning to the happy news their addresses are now officially ‘royal’.

It has been announced that the Greenwhich  to become a Royal Borough as part  the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations which are due to start later this year. The move celebrates the borough’s links to monarchy, which include the Royal Observatory and its Greenwich Meantime; Royal Arsenal; and Royal Naval College – plus both Elizabeth I and Henry VIII were both born within its borders.

Given the borough’s blue-blooded history, which goes back to the Middle Ages, it’s a surprise royal recognition has been so long coming. But during the ‘interregnum’, as Britain’s brief and bloody republican experiment is known, Cromwell seized crown lands in Greenwich to make way for his family manor house. Memories are long within the royal household, it would seem.

An aerial view of Greenwich including the Thames, former Royal Naval Hospital and Park

Today’s excitement at the name change is focused on the new impetus Greenwich’s recently-stalled gentrification may receive. Although awash with upmarket restaurants and boutiques these days, Greenwich’s property market has endured price slides recently as City bonuses have dried up; a situation not helped by the glut of new homes for sale to the east of the Cutty Sark dock area.

But agents in the borough are hoping that royal endorsement will help propel the area up the popularity stakes again, particularly as it is only the fourth borough to be honoured this way, alongside the Royal Boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, and Windsor and Maidenhead.

“Greenwich has always taken tremendous pride in the borough’s long history of royal connections with Greenwich, Woolwich and Eltham dating back almost 600 years and which continue so strongly right up to the present day,” says Greenwich council leader Chris Roberts.

What do the Duke of Westminster, Kualar Lumpar and Liverpool have in common? The answer is Cesar Peli, one of the world’s leading architects famed for his designs for some of the world’s best-known skyscrapers including One Canada Square in London’s Docklands.

His most recent cloud-tickling structure is One Park West, a large apartment tower under construction in Liverpool’s Albert Docks retail and hotel quarter.

Grosvenor's One Park West development in Liverpool

The development is being masterminded by the Duke of Westminster’s Grosvenor property development firm and when completed the 17-storey building will include 326 apartments from studios to three bedroom units.

And although Peli is probably proud of his latest design, he may be put out that one of his more famous ones – Kualar Lumpar’s Petronas Towers – was yesterday overtaken as the world’s tallest structure by Dubai’s much-vaunted The Burj Khalifa tower – at 825 metres high.

But unlike the £1m-plus apartments for sale at the Dubai tower, properties at One Park West are more affordable starting at £90,000 for a studio and rising to £400,000 for the largest three-bedroom units.

This may account for its apparent success. Grosvenor claims to have sold apartments off-plan worth some £25 million and rented out most of the 123 apartment completed on the project so far – an admirable result given the current economic woes in the region and the UK as a whole.

Building ambitions in Liverpool: The Duke of Westminster

“Demand and new sales struggled during the first quarter of 2009, partly due to the availability of viable mortgage products and potential purchasers being nervous to take the plunge until they saw how the economic landscape was likely to pan out,” says Grosvenor’s Guy Butler.

“But in June we witnessed a change in the market, with an upturn in sales, which has resulted in an average of close to two sales a week since then.”

These figures mask an important point though – almost 70 per cent of sales on the development have been to landlords (rather than owner-occupiers), who have realised that One Park West is one of Liverpool’s few city-centre addresses ideal for upmarket professionals – rents being achieved range from £525 a month for a studio to £900 a month for the larger apartments.

Click here to find out more about the development and see pictures of the apartments.

Brighton really has the best of both worlds. It’s got a beach for starters. A beach! Hooray! But, it’s also just an hour away from London. It’s basically a commuter’s haven and people lap up the seaside lifestyle alongside their busy London lives. More and more Londoners succumb to the lure of the (pebbly) beach and fish and chips each month. You’ve also got some great little boutique shops around the place as well. Brighton is cool. It’s London cool. But the rents are cheaper and those little shops thrive under it. Very clever indeed. And if you’re thinking that Brighton will be a little seaside oasis of calm, then you’re in the wrong city. The lively music venues and gay clubs mean that this isn’t a sleepy place. It’s a student town as well don’t forget. That’s not to say you can’t find somewhere away from the main drag of the pier, but lively seasidey atmosphere is what this place does best. It would be a shame to ignore it.

It seems that there’s nothing that Brighton can’t offer you. Sure, I’d rather a sandy beach than a pebbly one, but let’s face it. It’s kinda perfect, if you can drag yourself out of the hustle and bustle of the city.

So what are you looking at if you move to Brighton? Let’s have a look at some properties!

Saltdean

This property in Saltdean is a bit of a find. Not only do you get a great sea view (it would frankly be rude not to, don’t you think?), you also get yourself a great garden. That’s a pretty good mix in such a sought after area. It’s also detached and double glazed. And best of all it’s just under £400k.  For a four bedroom property, that’s very impressive indeed. I wouldn’t expect this one to be around for very long.

Regency Square

This flat is stunning. If you’re looking for a swanky, dare I say it ‘batchelor pad’ this place would suit you perfectly. It’s a stunning property, with a sea view that would get you bounding out of bed in the morning, and has just about everything you could ask for. Even if you weren’t looking for a somewhere to commute into London this place would be perfect to set up home. And as you’re out of the capital, this stunning flat is just £249,950. I’m tempted to put an offer in myself.

The whimsical idea of living a stone’s throw from London and still being able to eat fish and chips on the pier for my tea is appealing, and with the lovely properties around I can understand why people do it. That one in Regency Square might just convince me. Or maybe I’ll just book a holiday instead.

Shrewsbury is my home town, although I live in London now. It’s actually a pretty famous place in its own right. Put on the map by its yearly flower show (sure, it’s no Chelsea in the bloom stakes, but it’s still impressive) and there’s been a load of period dramas filmed here too. It’s very pretty if you get excited about black and white Tudor buildings. Shrewsbury Abbey became a household name in the 90s after fictional character Cadfael took up residency there.

The High Street is also famous historically too – the buildings encompass more of a time span from old to new than any other street in the world. Impressive huh? There’s a population of 100,000 (even though I’ve fled the coop so really it’s one less) and no less than 600 listed buildings. One of those is a mighty big castle too. Fancy.

The people who built the town were very clever indeed. Giant castle, at the top of the hill, surrounded by the river Severn. That could go some way to explaining why the old buildings are still in such good condition, in Medieval times it was pretty well defended. Of course, now that means that any way you walk through the town you seem to be walking uphill, and the bottom of the town floods every year leaving everyone stranded. It’s like a snow day, but with more damage to shops and houses. Although they’ve been lucky the last couple of years and haven’t had any major problems.

Location wise, Shrewsbury is perfect. An hour away from Birmingham and only three and a half hours to London Euston. You can also get to the beach in an hour and a half as it’s just next to the Welsh border. With its picturesque black and white buildings, countryside surroundings and easy transport routes, it’s easy to see why people want to live here. It’s convenient for both Wolverhampton and Chester Universities and there’s a good mix of private and comprehensive schools in the town and surrounding area, The Shrewsbury High School being the most renowned.

It’s a stunning town, with a really strong property market. The houses in the town itself are period buildings and they’re on the market rarely. Obviously if you want a river view you’ve got to be well prepared against flooding, but if you look in the right areas,like Wyle Cop, Belle Vue and Frankwell you could find yourself living in a rather special town.

The historic spa city of Bath is famous for many things – stunning Georgian architecture, Roman remains, Pump Rooms, its spa, for being a city where Jane Austen lived, for its 15th century Abbey, quirky Pulteney Bridge, its annual literature festival and soon-to-be comedy festival. In addition, it’s also a great place to live. If you’re looking to buy or rent property in Bath, and fancy living in a UNESCO World Heritage site, the city has lots to offer.

Last year, the Sunday Times Travel Magazine Reader Awards voted Bath as the 6th Best European City and its Thermae Bath Spa as the Best UK Spa. It’s also been voted as 4th in the Top 25 Europe Destinations and gained 14th place in the Top 100 World Destinations in a TripAdvisor survey.

One of the biggest draws for many people is Bath’s abundance of gorgeous, honey-coloured Georgian buildings. The Royal Crescent, which was built between 1767 and 1775, is a famous landmark in Bath, along with The Circus, which is said to form the shape of a key when viewed above from the air. In addition to the Royal Crescent and The Circus, some of the other prime locations in Bath include Sydney Buildings, Lansdown Crescent and Sion Hill. Another iconic landmark is Pulteney Bridge, built for William Pulteney by Robert Adams, and one of only a few bridges in the world that has shops built into it.

Georgian properties are often on the market, but do come at a price. Other more affordable period homes can be found in areas such as Walcot Parade, Camden Crescent and London Road. If you don’t want to live right in the city, you’ll find lots of housing options on the outskirts. Bath hasn’t been a hotbed of new housing developments, but the Western Riverside development of 2,300 modern townhouses and apartments, which has been granted outline approval and planning consent by Bath and North East Somerset Council, may change that.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that Bath is home to two universities – The University of Bath and Bath Spa University – which means there’s generally no shortage of students looking to rent flats and houses in the area. There are also a lot of large companies in the area, so young professionals often need good quality rental properties too.

The city benefits from great transport links – it’s located about 10 miles from junction 18 of the M4 motorway, is easily accessible from Devon and Cornwall via the M5 motorway, and has regular rail services from London Paddington and Waterloo. Bristol International Airport, which has flights to many UK and international destinations, is located about 15 miles away.