It seems clear that Manchester is at least two cities in one: The gritty area downtown and the rebuilt/gentrified area around the old docks in Salford.

I spent some time in and around Piccadilly Gardens today, and it was more than a little edgy. The green area was crowded, because the sun was out, but the place didn’t quite bring to mind refined and genteel English living.

If I had to describe the crowd, it would be: young, downmarket, overweight, apparently aimless, heavily tattooed, liberally pierced.

Now, that may just be how young folks role in northern England, and the whole crew could have been harmless as … tea and crumpets. (But I don’t think so.)

I was in the area to buy a a “dongle” for use with my computer, come the Thursday night London 2012 soccer match here between the UAE and Uruguay.

I found the sprawling and unimpressive Arnedale Mall, nearly touching one end of Piccadilly Gardens, and actually had to exit the mall (which was closing down at 7) to find the telecommunications shop recommended to me.

I was helped, there, by a woman with a stud in her eyebrow and another in her nose, and a “plug” in her ear. I prefer to think I did a fine job of not staring … at any of that.

I attempted, in vain, to find a place to eat anywhere nearby that was not a Starbucks or a Burger King. I saw the “Stratford” down one street, and it looked like the kind of British pub I was searching for, but it had stopped serving food hours before.

Anyway, this is the part of Manchester rebuilt after the 1996 IRA bombing, and perhaps it looked spiffy after it first went up, but I found the whole area depressing and offputting.

It was a pleasure, then, to get off the tram (which may be among the slowest forms of public transport ever invented) after the long ride back out to MediaCityUK, where I am staying, and where things are new and clean and shiny, and open restaurants are available.

I will see a bit more of the city before I move on. What I’ve observed so far is one depressing city, in the middle, and one impressive one, on the edge.