Liverpool - Albert Dock

On the waterfront southwest of the inner city is Albert Dock, superbly restored in 1992. Opened in 1846 by Prince Albert and closed in 1972 the inner-city docks of Liverpool were the second largest enclosed docks in Britain of that time, the first to be built without wood using only bricks and iron to reduce the danger of fire. Nearby the old landing stages are reminders of Liverpool's former glory, when luxury liners from America anchored here and the city was a profitable trading center.

A square block five stories high surrounds the harbor basin, where once cotton, tobacco and sugar were unloaded. The enormous brick buildings by the Victorian engineer Jesse Hartley (1824-1860) are built around an arcaded walkway, its cast Tuscan columns were capstans for mooring the ships. The decoratively restored warehouses with their luxury apartments, designer boutiques, offices, restaurants, cafes and museums are a prime example of "gentrification", a phenomena which can also be witnessed in London, Manchester and Glasgow, whereby decaying inner cities are restored to provide recreational amenities.