Issue 151

Birmingham: Better Than You Think

29th January 2007

Birmingham has a reputation as a dirty old industrial city awash with concrete monstrosities and slowspeaking dimwits… well yes, BUT there's more. The city boasts more canals than Venice, the brand spanking new Bullring shopping complex and, as the home of the Balti, it's curry central.

Birminghamitsnotshit.co.uk is the site that's set out to turn the tide of public opinion. Set up by proud brummie Jon Bounds it's full of forums to, quote, "discuss brums lack of shittiness", as well as articles touting up and coming events. In this revisionist spirit Front headed to the heart of the midlands to check out what the city offers the student visitor.

On arrival in the centre of Birmingham you're confronted with the now uniform British high street with all the standard chain retailers, banks and coffee houses. Yet dart down some of the side roads and you'll find all sorts of original little shops. With these, the market and the newly redesigned Bull Ring, offering everything from TK Maxx to Harvey Nicks, there is more than enough to fulfill your every shopping desire.

When you're all shopped out then check out the futuristic Millennium Point development, just ten minutes walk from the central shopping area and home to the Thinktank science museum and an impressive 3D Imax theatre, both great alternative afternoon activities. This is just one of many new developments in Birmingham helping the city forge a new reputation for itself.

The Millennium Point and most attractions in central Birmingham are easily within walking distance of each other, but if you want to venture further afield then all day bus tickets can be bought for £3. So hop on the bus to Bournville and you can soon be in chocoholic heaven – Cadbury World! There you can see various exhibits and take a tour of the factory where you can see, smell and (most importantly) taste the legendary chocolate.

With the appetite what some more nutritional grub can be found at Brindley Place, the stylishly redeveloped canalside is a great place to grab a leisurely lunch. Many of the restaurants here are on the expensive side but Pitcher & Piano do good quality, reasonably priced food overlooking the waterside. Big Wok in the Arcadia is also an inexpensive favourite in particular for its oriental buffet - it's eat as much you like, not eat as much as you can, so there's no competitive element implied, but at £4.99 we all know who's winning!

Gigwise the Birmingham Academy is a regular on the circuit of most top acts, alternatively the Sunflower Lounge is a fantastic intimate venue hosting live music most nights of the week. Broad Street is the irrefutable hub of Brum nightlife, with over forty bars, clubs & restaurants it's a hedonist's Mecca. Trekking down the street you're guaranteed to find something to your taste, be it rock, dance, cheese, comedy or casinos.

My own top tip for a night out in Brum is to head to Digbeth and the Custard Factory: a labyrinth of stylish bars, clubs and arty spaces, at the centre of which is the uber cool Medicine Bar regularly hosting top DJs. Also in Digbeth is Air; one of the best clubs in the city especially on the Planet Funk student night.

Jack Yuille