I GUARANTEE that, after visiting Urbis in Manchester, you will view your world differently. Urbis opened in June 2002 and was labelled " a new kind of museum".

It is exactly that. It is also exciting, inspiring and extremely entertaining and allows us to explore other people's experiences of living in cities.

But let me start at the beginning and take you on my Urbis journey -- although I don't want to spill all the beans because I urge you see it for yourself.

The Urbis experience begins when you buy your visitor's ticket at the box office. Well, perhaps even before that -- because the sight of the huge glass six-floor building, designed by architect Ian Simpson, is impressive enough.

It cost a £30m to build and is based in Cathedral Gardens (opposite Victoria train station) in what is now known as Manchester's Millennium Quarter.

Urbis rises out of its island space to soar 35m over the city centre and Cathedral Gardens.

Clad entirely in glass -- 2,200 individually fashioned glazed units to be precise -- it is an impressive sight both inside and out.

I bought my ticket at the desk in the public foyer -- a wonderfully light and airy reception area.

Then it was a one-minute "sky glide" to the top floor. Once there, and with the city of Manchester as a backdrop, I was left in peace to explore -- at my own pace -- four themed floors of interactive displays and exhibits.

My first stop was Arrive and a room called First Impressions -- this recreates the shock of entering a city for the first time. An Urbis guide (discreet but always present) explained that I was to stand in the middle of a darkened closed room while film footage play around and above me.

Gusts of wind blew in my face and the noise was what I can only describe as the voices of millions of city dwellers, accompanied by millions of urban sounds -- snatches of mobile phone conversations -- all at once.

This lasted for about four minutes (there is an escape route if it all becomes too much) and it certainly made its point. Perhaps it will arm me with a bit more patience for non-city/town dwellers who find themselves in a "big smoke" for the first time!

On each floor there is a video point called City Voices where you can select a Mancunian to tell you their life story. You simply sit in front of the video screen, click the cursor on your chosen subject and listen to the story. Each one last about four minutes and I was completely drawn into the ordinary lives of these people.

A section called What Brought You Here is a series of light-box presentations exploring why people move to cities. Here, quotes from random individuals explain why they moved to Manchester and other cities.

I was also intrigued by What's In Your Bag -- an eclectic array of "junk" found in people's bags, our essentials for life in the city. Bus tickets, tram passes, shopping lists, bits of paper -- just like mine!

Down the staircase to the next floor (disabled access by lift) and into Change. This explores Manchester's evolution into a 21st century city and I became immersed in people's real lives in other cities across the world -- Paris, Los Angeles, Sao Paolo, Mumbai. Within Change is Active Timeline which brings 200 years of Manchester to life -- the city's communities and districts telling their own story in fascinating photographs. Time particularly spotlights Manchester's major ethnic groups, including the Jewish community, and the cultural influence of 19th century immigrants like Charles Halle and Hans Richter.

My favourite was Place -- a large map of the Manchester city area where you choose a district "click" the cursor onto it and watch the Gay Village, the University, Moss Side, Cheetham Hill come to life with archive images and sound recordings.

Next I met City People. Stand in front of one of the life-size pods and meet an individual from another city around the world. This human image -- projected onto the pod -- will tell you about his or her life, city and home. I found this an intense and very personal experience.

The chance to actually step into these cities became real as I sat in front of a large screen and was taken on a whistlestop tour -- through fast-moving imagery and sounds -- of Tokyo, Singapore, St Petersburg and Sao Paolo.

Down to the next level and it was Order. Here my first encounter was the identity wall -- completely covered with ID cards of previous Urbis visitors. I strolled into Urbis Court where the reality of living in close proximity to strangers -- as in all cities -- was explored. I was walking along a street of small houses, each with a glass attached to the wall. If you put your ear to the glass you can hear "living" sounds coming from each house. Really interesting.

This level also includes Fear Theatre -- our everyday worries brought to the front (adults only here please), Mean Streets and The Edge where city dwellers outside of the "norm" tell us, by means of video, how they cope with living at the edge of the city.

The final level of Urbis is Explore -- an interactive area where you can navigate life in various cities, again using imagery and sound.

Urbis has a broad appeal attracting die-hard museum attenders and the text generation.

I saw how CCTV is used to film us on average 300 times a day. Did you know the British are the most watched people on earth?

I embarked on a fascinating journey of discovery and was party to life in other cities across the world, lived by people just like you and me.

There is a conservatory cafe on the ground floor and for more special occasions, the Le Mont restaurant and Bollinger Bar are on the 5th and 6th floors.

I must point out that, in my opinion, younger children may not find Urbis too interesting. Perhaps primary school age is a good starting point.

FACTFILE:

Construction of Urbis began in 2000 and it opened to the public in June 2002

Urbis was designed by Ian Simpson Architects

The building is comprised 2,200 glazed units, has six floors and a 35m high vantage point over Manchester

Urbis is a £27m building with an additional £7m budget for the design and construction of the exhibitions

Urbis expects to welcome 200,000 vistors each year

HOW TO GET THERE: Best by train. Take the train from Bolton station to Manchester Victoria, cross the road and you're there.

Urbis is open Monday to Friday 10-6, Sunday 10-6, Saturday 10-8. Admission is £5 and £3.50 concessions.

0161 605 8200. www.urbis.org.uk