Approaching it from the top, it appears to be a road into the abyss.
From the bottom, a gruelling ascent not for the faint-hearted.
In a city where hills are rare, the sloping and cobbled Jutland Street is an intriguing anomaly.
Tucked away in the shadow of Piccadilly Station, it comes as a surprise to those who stumble across Manchester city centre's steepest street for the first time.
READ MORE: Manchester city centre's steepest street closed after big sinkhole appears
A gathering place for fitness fanatics, a nightmare for truck drivers and the subject of a Lowry painting, the 33 per cent gradient road is a part of the city's rich heritage.
Mark Whalley lives in Wharf Close, half way up Jutland Street, and has his own nickname for the slope - "Heart Attack Hill".
"You want to see it just after work is out," said the 70-year-old.
"You see them all huffing up the hill.
"Loads of people use it for running training because there aren't many hills round here."
Mr Whalley moved into his apartment 15 years ago, and has witnessed the city's centre rapid transformation firsthand.
But while skyscrapers have shot up all around his home, the street outside has not changed much.
Yet the slope has proved a constant source of entertainment.
Last year, Jutland Street had to be closed after part of the road collapsed. The cavity was believed to have been caused by a water leak.
At the time, residents who lived nearby said they believed the road surface had been weakened by heavy vehicles using it as a cut-through between Store Street and Ducie Street.
Meanwhile, a car transporter got stuck after taking on the big hill in 2015.
The vehicle ground to a halt after the bottom of the truck became wedged on the brow of the hill.
The driver called a tow truck - and was freed from the humiliation in around 30 minutes.
"We've had a couple of coaches stuck on it," Mr Whalley explained.
"Just as you come over, there's a bump. They've hit the top and the back wheels have gone up in the air.
"One winter, someone decided to roll a snowball down it. We ended up with a great big snowball in the middle of the road.
"I know it's an older road and it's part of Manchester's heritage but the top of it does need looking at."
Before being renamed Jutland Street in 1939, the street was called Junction Street and was the subject of an LS Lowry painting.
In fact, it was the first of the artist's work to be acquired by Manchester City Art Gallery.
For Ivan Moss, the road also has a special connection.
As a child, he would accompany his father on work trips to the factories that once populated this part of town.
For young Ivan, the highlights of the trip was always the drive him down the Jutland Street slope.
"It was the excitement and anticipation of going over the hill in the car," explained the 39-year-old Tai chi instructor.
"It would be a treat coming to this hill.
"When I was young, it looked like the hill was steep that the car would topple over.
"When you come in a car from the top, you can't see the hill until you start to go over.
"People who haven't been down before can be a bit cautious. We've had taxis drivers park up because they don't know whether they can go down.
"I love living on here. It's always had a place in my heart, so it just felt right.
"The hill is special and I hope it stays like this."
When gyms were shut during lockdown, the slope became a popular spot for keeping fit.
"It's a Mecca for fitness people," said Ivan. "Sometimes we have about 30 lads running up from a boxing club.
"You get running groups and personal trainers, especially during Covid.
"Sometimes we have people skateboarding, but because it's cobbled it's hard for them to pick up speed."
Mr Moss rides a motorbike but says that beyond being a bumpy ride, the hill has never been an issue.
"It's fine on the bike but I won't be risking it in the ice," he added.
For those who use the hill on a daily basis, it is simply a part of life.
Yet rather than an annoyance, they see it as a feature worth cherishing.
"The hill does make it easy to describe where you live to people," said Chris Allsop.
The 39-year-old moved into his apartment in Wharf Close about six years ago.
"It's not a problem unless you are old or have ailments," he said.
"It's always been fine in the winter.
"You get used to it. It's just part of life."
