(CNN) The city of Manchester, where at least 22 people were killed in a suspected terrorist attack at a music concert Monday night, is no stranger to tragedy.

In 1996, less than a mile from the Manchester Arena, the site of Monday night's explosion, the IRA detonated a powerful truck-bomb -- their largest ever on the British mainland -- injuring hundreds and ripping apart the city center, causing millions of dollars in damage.

#RoomForManchester is trending and people are offering lifts and rooms for the night for those in need 🙏🏽🙌🏽 — Police Community (@PolComForum) May 22, 2017

Then, like now, the city was united in its response, as the community rallied around those affected.

Immediately after Monday night's incident, with train services temporarily halted, and traffic in the city at a standstill, the hashtag #RoomForManchester began trending on Twitter, as hundreds of local people took to the social media platform with offers of spare beds and car rides to those left stranded.

Such big-heartedness is typical of Manchester, a city characterized within the UK by its strong sense of local spirit and generosity: Mancunians are proud of their city and local bluster has it that Manchester is the "greatest city in the world."