1 Baltic Triangle/North Docks, Liverpool

Liverpool’s arts and party scene is thriving, nowhere more so than in the Baltic Triangle where abandoned factories have been repopulated by tech start-ups, burlesque shows and pop-up club nights. A £70 million luxury hotel with a rooftop restaurant and outdoor circuit training terrace is planned. The north docks has an arts space, the Invisible Wind Factory — the council aims to turn ten streets near by into a quarter “for innovators”.

House prices

You can buy a studio apartment in the Baltic Triangle for £87,000.

Ancoats Coffee Co is in a former cotton mill

2 Ancoats, Manchester

Ancoats, home to some of the largest mills in Manchester, became dilapidated when the cotton industry declined. Now it is being revived by professionals seeking a cheaper place to live, drink