Birmingham (England)

From MaxTravelz

The Selfridges building at the Bullring shopping centre
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The Selfridges building at the Bullring shopping centre

Birmingham, in the Midlands, is Britain's second largest city, after London.

Contents

Understand

Birmingham is Britain's 2nd city. It was at the heart of the UK's industrial revolution, and its wealth was built upon the multitude of trades that were spawned. This lead to a massive canal network, with more miles of canals than Venice (though they're very different types of canal).

Much of the city centre was destroyed during the Second World War, and the replacement buildings added little to the city. Indeed a standing joke among people is Spaghetti Junction - a mass of intersecting motorways and local roads that can send a careless driver off in completely the opposite direction to that which he intended.

However, since the 1990s, Birmingham has been undergoing a radical change and many of the post war buildings have been replaced. The majority of the city center is now pedestrianized, and the canals cleaned up to make for attractive walkways. All credit to the City Council, as the city retains its industrial heritage while now appearing modern and forward looking.

To be fair, Birmingham could not be described as a city full of tourist attractions. The near-by locations of Shropshire, Warwick, and Stratford-Upon-Avon provide more of the stereotypical images of England. However, there is an extremely lively night life, and the shopping is now the best outside of London.

Get in

By plane

Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is a major airport situated about 8 miles south-east of central Birmingham, serving the city and the rest of the West Midlands region with frequent domestic and international charter and scheduled flights. There are several direct flights a day to all major UK and European destinations, and one or two to more far-flung places such as Delhi, Dubai, Islamabad, Luxor, New York and Toronto.

Trains run from the airport site to New Street Station every 5-15 minutes from around 6:15AM (Su 8:45AM) to 11:15PM. The journey takes 10 - 20 minutes depending on whether you get an express or local (stopping) service and costs around £2 one way.

Bus service 900 runs every 20-30 minutes between Birmingham and Coventry via the airport from around 6:10AM (Sa 6:30AM, Su 7:00AM) to midnight, takes around 25 minutes and costs £1.20 one way.

A taxi from the airport to central Birmingham will take around 20 minutes and cost around £10.

By boat

Due to its industrial heritage, Birmingham has an extensive canal network and is on both the Worcester & Birmingham and Grand Union canals. Visitors travelling by narrowboat can choose from several moorings, managed privately or by the City Council.

By bus

Birmingham is served by all major coach carriers.

Intercity buses, unless clearly stated otherwise, will terminate at Digbeth Coach Station. This is a slightly dilapidated building approximately 0.5 mi south of the city centre (i.e. intercity buses do not serve the city centre) with basic facilities and a booking office. Although the station has been due for an upgrade for several years, it is unlikely to take place anytime soon.

From the coach station, it is an easy ten-minute walk to the city centre (you should be able to see the Bullring complex from the station exit). If you arrive at night (or have large amounts of luggage), consider getting a bus or taxi as the area can be a bit seedy.

By car

Birmingham is surrounded by motorways, including the orbital M42 and the infamous Spaghetti Junction (Gravelly Hill Interchange). Once in the West Midlands:

  • From the north, Birmingham is served by A-roads.
  • From the north-east, use the M1, M42 and M6.
  • From the east, use the M6.
  • From the south-east, use the M40 and M42.
  • From the south, Birmingham is served by A-roads.
  • From the south-west, use the M5 and M42.
  • From the west, Birmingham is served by A-roads.
  • From the north-west, use the M6.

By train

Birmingham is a major hub of Britain's rail network. The central station (and the one where you are most likely to arrive) is New Street, with Snow Hill and Moor Street carrying significantly fewer services. All three stations are in the city centre and within walking distance of each other.

All areas of Britain are well-served, with hourly services to and from Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield and stations inbetween. Timetables can be checked at National Rail Enquiries (+44 8457 48 49 50) and booked online through the train operator.

Get around

By bicycle

Birmingham is not a particularly cycle-friendly city (especially compared to the rest of Europe), but it is possible to get around without too much trouble. There are plenty of places to lock a bike up in the city centre, but few cycle lanes and lots of pedestrians. Unless you're touring the UK on pedal power, the best use for a bike is to explore the extensive canal network and country parks, travel to out-of-town attractions and head off to more distant places such as Warwick, Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Birmingham City Council produces an excellent cycling and walking map of the area. You can pick one up from any local library, tourist information office, leisure centre or bike shop.

Road and cycle path maintenance in the area leaves much to be desired, and it is not uncommon for trees and parked cars to obstruct rights of way. The standard of driving is similar to other cities, so exercise extreme caution on main roads and at night. The canal network can be accessed in the city centre from the Broad Street / Gas Street area, or at most road crossings elsewhere. The towpath is generally well-maintained to within a few miles of the city, and after that tends to be packed earth with plenty of mud and embedded bricks.

The Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 5 (Oxford to Derby) passes through Birmingham from the south to the north-west. This is known as the Rea Valley Route; there is also the Cole Valley Route to the east.

Bicyle hire:

  • On Your Bike, 33-40 Bradford Street, +44 121 666 6933, (birmingham@onyourbike.com, fax +44 121 666 6388), . M W F Sa 10AM-6PM, Th 10AM-7PM, Tu Su closed.

By bus

All areas of Birmingham are well-served by bus routes, operated almost exclusively by Travel West Midlands (TWM) with some competition from smaller providers such as Pete's Travel and the Birmingham Coach Company.

There is no central bus station for local services; buses depart instead from various locations in the city centre (principally Bull Street, Colmore Row, Corporation Street and Stephenson Street). Bus stop maps are available from libraries, tourist information offices and the Centro and TWM shops at New Street Station.

Route maps and timetables are available from the outlets mentioned above, and there are extensive online versions on the TWM and Centro websites. If you do not have a lot of time to spare tracking down which buses serve which areas, you can use the Traveline Midlands Journey Planner (+44 870 608 2 608).

Single fares are currently £1.20 on TWM services, and transfers are not allowed. There are no return tickets, but you can buy an all-day pass for £3.50 or a evening (after 1800) / weekend pass for £1.60. TWM buses do not give change, so make sure you have the right amount. Other operators tend to offer slightly lower fares and give change, but run far fewer services. Special tickets such as the Busmaster and Centro Daytripper allow travel across all operators and the Metro (and also local trains - but be aware that night buses tend to be excluded) - check the TWM or Centro websites for full details.

Birmingham's bus system is roughly radial, with frequent services in and out of the city centre from most locations. There are also two orbital (#8 and #11) and several linking services. This can be inconvenient, as you may find that you have to go into the city centre and back out again to travel between two places that are relatively close as the crow flies.

By car

Birmingham's city centre is partially pedestrianised and has several unintuitive one-way systems. A car is a viable (if polluting) way of getting around the city and other areas, but a good map is essential.

Birmingham City Council produces a map of city centre car parks (available from tourist information offices) - expect to pay £1-£1.50 per hour in Pay & Display areas and more on street meters. Parking attendants patrol popular areas regularly, so expect a fine if you're late back or a clamp if you're parked illegally.

Car hire is possible both in the city centre and at the airport. Major providers include:

  • Avis, St. James House, 17 Horsefair, +44 870 608 6318 or Arrivals Hall, BHX, +44 121 782 6183, .
  • Budget, Main Terminal, BHX, +44 870 240 2189, .
  • Enterprise, 9-10 Suffolk Street Queensway, +44 121 643 7743 or Terminal Link Building, BHX, +44 121 782 9030 .
  • Hertz, 7 Suffolk Street Queensway, +44 121 643 5387 or Terminal Building, BHX, +44 870 600 1014 .

By foot

Birmingham's central shopping area is partially pedestrianised, and most things to see and do can be reached on foot. To walk from Digbeth to the top of Broad Street (the longest distance likely to be covered on foot) will take around thirty minutes.

By motorcycle

Motorcycles and mopeds are becoming increasingly popular in Birmingham as a way of avoiding rush hour traffic jams, and usually enjoy free parking in city centre car parks.

By taxi

Birmingham has an abundance of taxi ranks all over the city, the best-served being New Street Station. Both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles are easy to find, but you should exercise usual caution and not get into an unmarked car or one you haven't booked.

Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest times due to clubbers going home en masse, and there can be waits of over an hour if you're somewhere busy like Broad Street.

Popular providers include:

  • Birmingham Taxi Co-Operative, Unit 1, Zair Works, 111-119, Bishop Street, +44 121 622 6694, .
  • Castle Cars, 13 Oak Tree Lane, Selly Oak, +44 121 472 2222.
  • Elite Radio Cars, Omnibus Garage, Harborne Lane, Selly Oak, +44 121 415 5000.
  • Falcon Cars, 211 Monument Road, +44 121 555 6050
  • TOA, 100 Vivian Road, Harborne, +44 121 427 8888.

By train

There is an extensive overland rail network serving most of Birmingham and the West Midlands area, operated exclusively by Central Trains.

Route maps and timetables are available from libraries, tourist information offices, railway stations and the Traveline Midlands Journey Planner (+44 870 608 2 608). You can take bicycles, pushchairs and wheelchairs on board without prior reservation, and there is usually a designated carriage.

Fares vary with distance, but you can expect to pay between £2 and £5 for a day return to a local destination. Fare-dodging is rife, and there has been a crackdown recently with ticket barriers at stations and on-board checking. The penalty for not having a valid ticket is a £20 on-the-spot fine (which can be contested in court, but is rarely worth the hassle).

From New Street station, the cross-city line runs between Lichfield Trent Valley in the north and Redditch in the south, stopping notably at Sutton Coldfield (for Sutton Park), Aston (for Aston Hall and Aston University), University (for the University of Birmingham), Bournville (for Cadbury World) and Barnt Green (for Lickey Hills). Local services also run to Hereford (via Worcester and Malvern), Leamington Spa, Northampton (via Birmingham International Airport, Coventry and Rugby), Nuneaton, Shrewsbury (via Wolverhampton), Stafford (via Walsall), Stratford-upon-Avon, Tamworth and Warwick. Additional services to these areas run from Snow Hill and Moor Street stations (they are on the same line), and you may not be able to catch a specific train from New Street.

By tram

Birmingham has a limited metro service running between Snow Hill Station and Wolverhampton, via West Bromwich, Wednesbury and Bilston. Plans are afoot to extend the service out to Five Ways along Broad Street.

The Metro runs from roughly 0630 - 2330 Monday to Saturday, and 0800 - 2300 Sundays and bank holidays. Fares vary with distance, but expect to pay around £2 for a single, £3.50 for a return and £4.50 for a day pass (combined bus / train / Metro passes are also available). Full route, timetable and fare information is listed on the Midland Metro website, and there is additional information on the Centro website.

By water bus

Water buses and taxis operate out of the canal offices in Gas Street Basin (underneath Broad Street) with tours of the area. Obviously, they are limited to the local canals and are significantly slower than other forms of transport.

See

  • National Indoor Arena (NIA), King Edwards Road (in the city center) 0870-909-4144 or 780-4444, (box office <cs.boxoffice@necgroup.co.uk>). Has hosted many national and international sporting and entertainment events such as The Eurovision Song Contest, Disney on Ice, opera and pop concerts. http://www.necgroup.co.uk/visitor/thenia/
  • International Convention Centre (ICC), Broad Street (in the city center), 780-3333 (<icc-conferences@necgroup.co.uk>). One of the country's leading conference and events centers. http://www.theicc.co.uk/home/
  • National Exhibition Centre (NEC), (a huge complex south east of the city), 0870-909-4133 or 780-4133 (box office <cs.boxoffice@necgroup.co.uk>) The seventh largest and busiest exhibition centre in Europe, staging more than 180 exhibitions each year in its 21 halls totalling 200,000 square metres, ranging from world-famous public shows such as Crufts Dog Show and the British International Motor Show to international trade exhibitions like IPEX and Spring Fair, Birmingham. http://www.necgroup.co.uk/visitor/thenec/
  • NEC Arena, (located within the NEC) 0870-909-4133 or 780-4133 (box office <cs.boxoffice@necgroup.co.uk>). Hosts many national and international sporting and entertainment events in its 12,300 seat auditorium. http://www.necgroup.co.uk/visitor/thenecarena/
  • Aston Hall A large and beautiful Jacobean house to the east of the city center. Every two years, for a week or so during the winter months, it opens its doors for candle-lit evening tours. http://www.bmag.org.uk/aston_hall/
  • Think Tank, Millenium Point, Curzon St. (in the city center), tickets 202-2222 (group tickets 202-2244). Daily 10AM-5PM, last admission 4PM. A museum of Science and Discovery for learning and fun through exploration, engagement and historic artefacts. Many of the exhibits are interactive and will appeal to younger visitors. http://www.thinktank.ac/
  • IMAX(r) Millenium Point (same location as the Think Tank), tickets 202-2222 (group tickets 202-2244, <findout@imax.ac>). http://www.imax.ac/index.htm
  • Cadbury World The famous chocolate factory's visitor centre, located in Bournville, a southern suburb of the city. Especially good for little kids, as exhibitions are bright and colourful, but the more historical and technical bits will appeal to adults as well. http://www.cadburyworld.co.uk/EN/CWORLD/Experience/

Do

Shopping

During the last few years Birmingham has developed enormously as a regional shopping centre, with the old Bull Ring complex (once a notorious architectural eyesore) being demolished to make way for a large shopping centre that includes Selfridges. There are also a number of lesser known shopping centres located near to the Bull Ring complex such as the Pavillion Shopping Centre, The Mailbox and the Pallisades (The Mall) which is located directly above New Street Train Station.

Cinema

  • the Electric Cinema , 47-49 Station Street, tel 0121 643 7879, mailto:info@theelectric.co.uk, £10 sofa seat, £6 standard ticket, £4 concessions - the oldest still-operating cinema building in the UK (opening in 1909), famous for its Art Deco interiors and bar, the cinema now features sofa seating, waiter service and the best in independent and intelligent mainstream films

Lap Dancing

Birmingham has over a dozen lap dancing clubs scattered across the city centre, including Legs Eleven (a favourite haunt of premiership football players) and two Spearmint Rhinos. In recent years the city council has opposed the proliferation of these clubs on the grounds that they are sexist and give the surrounding areas a sleazy image.

Live Music

Birmingham has a wide selection of live music venues including:

Learn

Birmingham has three universities University of Birmingham, Aston University and the University of Central England.

Work

With the vast number of shops, bars and restaurants in the city there is never a shortage of job vacancies and you are certain to see vacancies advertised in the windows of shops in the city centre. There are also a lot of 'temping' agencies in Birmingham able to find temporary office, driving and other jobs. Another source of job vacancies would be the job centre in the city.

Buy

To the north of the city center is the Jewellery Quarter, containing literally hundreds of jewellery shops, workshops and wholesale outlets. The City Centre houses numerous shopping centres, including The Bull Ring and the Pavilions shopping centre,

Eat

  • Balti Birmingham is considered the Balti Capital of England. The most popular Balti restaurants are situated on Ladypool Road in SparkBrook, about 2 miles south of the city centre. If you are unfamiliar with the area take a mini-cab to avoid getting lost. Although the area is run-down there is little street crime as the abundance of restaurants ensure the area is always busy.

You can find just about anything you're looking for in the city centre though, with Greek, Italian, and Chinese cuisines representing a few of the more popular choices. The latter can be found in abundance in the centre's Chinese quarter.

Budget

  • Mr Egg on Hurst Street. Dozens of low-priced dishes, all including egg!

Mid-range

For a good quality reasonably priced Chinese meal, there is V2 on Pershore Street by the indoor meat and fish market. It is billed as a 'Student Cafe'. It is clean and bright inside with trendy decor. A firm favourite with the local Chinese community, the menu is mostly in Chinese - but English is available. Great home-style chinese cooking at a great price.

Splurge

  • Aria Restaurant 2 Bridge Street, (In Hyatt lobby), 121 643 1234. . Breakfast 6-10am; Lunch 12-2; Dinner 5-10. 3-course pre-concert table d'hôte menu.
  • Metro Bar & Grill. 73 Cornwall Street, 0121 200 1911. . Seasonal seafood, pasta, salads and cocktails.
  • Opus Restaurant 54 Cornwall St Birmingham, 0121 200 2323. . Shellfish bar. Non-smoking.

Nightlife

General

Dress code is rather common in Birmingham, so be careful to check out each club's policy. Many clubs refuse to admit large groups of males in case of trouble, so go individually or in small groups. The usual excuse that door-staff give is that one or other of the party is wearing the wrong type of shoes/coat/trousers etc.

The general rule of thumb is no effort, no entry. This usually means shoes, not trainers, and a shirt, not a T-shirt. At the same time being dressed like that can be a hindrance, if you go to one of the cooler bars. It's best to check with someone who's been to that particular bar before. There are a number of areas in the city centre, which are defined below, but other areas to look for a night out are Moseley, Harbourne and Selly Oak.

St. Paul's Square

Many of the more up-market bars and restaurants are located on St. Paul's Square in the jewelry quarter. This is also home to Jools Holland's Jam House which is Birmingham's premier jazz club.

Broad Street

Broad Street, the No 1 party street of Birmingham, has a large range of clubs, bars and pubs. This is a good location for a decent English Friday night. However, at the same time it is one of the rougher areas, and if trouble happens it will normally on this road. The chances of this affecting you are slim. Just of to the side of this road is Brindleyplace, a slightly better area of bars, clubs and restaurants. Recommended bars are:-

Revolution - Chain vodka bar. A cut above the normal broad street crowd, though it does get crowded. Great range of Vodka's.

The Works - Big 3 room club, with a variety of music. Great for kids. Over 23's will feel ancient in here.

The Pitcher and Piano - Canal side bar with a decent range of beers. Perfect for a nice lunch time drink in the summer months, sitting outside by the canal.

The Arcadian

In the middle of Birmingham's rather small Chinatown, this is an open at the centre shopping arcade which is mostly used by Chinese super markets and restaurants. Right in the middle though, its all bars. It tends to be a bit quieter and less rowdy that broad street and has some of the better clubs in the city. The dress code around here is extremely strict in regard to logos on clothes - they are a definite no! Most of the bars are interchangeable, but recommended are:-

Sobar - Supposedly a noodle bar, as evidence by a small noodle based menu. Really this is just a pretty decent bar. It stocks the standard beers and drinks as well as a number of rarer Asian beers. Has a number of extremely comfortable sofas.

Bamboo - One of the best, but also one of the most pretentious clubs in Birmingham. Its not cheap but is still the place to be seen. The dress code here is very hard to define - they want "cool".

Gay

Birmingham has a visible gay scene centered around Hust Street. Every Spring Bank Holiday this area hosts Britain's biggest free gay-pride festival while its bars and clubs attract people from across the Midlands all year round. Hurst Street is well policed and homophobic attacks are rare.

Birmingham's gay bars are also popular with groups of heterosexual women who want to enjoy a night out without receiving unwanted male attention.

Irish

Birmingham has a large Irish community and many Irish pubs. Most of the city centre ones are spread along Digbeth High Street beginning with The Royal George near the Bullring and finishing with The Rainbow near Camp Hill. The most popular is probably The Dublinner, next to Digbeth Coach Station, which offers live music at weekends.

Other

  • Those looking for a cheap student night could do worse than check out Snobs which plays a mix of indie music.
  • Every two weeks an indie night called Panic! is held at the Sanctuary in Dibgeth
  • Every two weeks an indie night called Resurrection is held at Subway City
  • For a more eclectic mix of music and people take a look at the Medicine Bar in the Custard Factory just off the A34 in Digbeth - it's the big blue building!
  • Just around the corner is a club called Air, host to nationally recognised nights such as 'God's Kitchen'.

Pubs

There are pubs and then there are pubs. If you are looking for the average drink, virtually any pub will do. If you are a real ale aficionado, there are several nice pubs to visit:

  • City Centre
    • Bull, 1 Price Street, B5 6JU. Phone: 0121 333 6757. Situated in the Gun quarter, quiet and comfortable.
    • Figure of Eight, 236 Broad Street, B1 2HG. Phone: 0121 633 09 17. Large city centre pub belonging to the Wetherspoon chain.
    • Old Fox, 54 Hurst Street, B5 4TD. Phone: 0121 622 5080.
    • Old Joint Stock, 4 Temple Row West, B2 5NY. Phone: 0121 200 1892. Superbly decorated pub in a former bank, Grade II listed. Multi-award winning establishment.
    • Old Royal, 53 Church Street, B3 2DP. Phone: 0121 200 3841. Single bar with large-screen TV. The pub is popular with office workers.
    • Wetherspoon's, Unit 31, Paradise Place, B3 3HJ. Phone: 0121 214 8970. Close to the International Convention Centre, the central library, art gallery and museum.
  • Digbeth
    • Anchor, 308 Bradford Street, B5 6ET. Phone: 0121 622 4516. Victorian pub near Digbeth Coach Station. Grade II listed.
    • Woodman, 106 Albert Street, B5 9LS. Phone: 0121 643 1959. Grade II listed. Opposite the Thinktank at the Millenium Point.
  • Harborne
    • Bell Inn, 11 Old Church Road, B17 0BB. Phone: 0121-427 0931. Next to St Peter's Church, this cosy and quiet pub gets busy because of its attraction.

Sleep

Budget

  • There are many cheap hotels on the Hagley Road offering accomadation from around £20 per night (2006 prices). Hagley Road starts at Five Ways traffic island and heads northwest towards Wolverhampton. The hotels near the city centre are quite expensive, the cheaper ones start about two miles out.

Mid-range

  • Close to the university: Awentsbury Hotel, 15 Serpentine Road,Selly Park, offers mid-range B&B in a quiet environment within 10 minutes walk from the university.
  • Town centre: Travelodge Birmingham Central. Affordable hotel in the very heart of the city.

Splurge

Contact

The National Dialling code for the city is 0121, followed by a three digit Area code, followed by a four digit number. A fully specified Birmingham number will be in the format 0121-200-2000. The minimum requirement is 200-2000 within the National Dialling code area.

Internet

Most libraries in Birmingham provide free internet access, though this is often slow and you may have to queue for a terminal. Central Library is located on Chamberlain Square at the top of New Street, near the Town hall.

If you don't mind paying for faster internet access then there is an internet cafe on the top floor of the Pavilions shopping centre, on the High Street.

It is also possible to send emails form some BT payphones in the city centre.

Stay safe

Birmingham has its share of gun crime problems, but these shouldn't affect you unless you make yourself part of the larger drug gang problem. The city centre is well policed and is a very safe environment. Common sense should keep you safe, avoid deserted areas. Areas of the city to avoid include Aston, Newtown and Lozells. However other areas that were considered rough like Smethwick on the outskirts to the West, are becoming more and more desirable areas as they are redeveloped. The areas of Harborne, Bearwood and Warley, on the outer ring road have the highest rising house prices in the UK currently.

As in the rest of the UK, in any emergency, call 999 and ask for Ambulance, Fire or Police when connected.

Get out

By car

The M5 will take you to the South West, either the M42 then M40 or the M6 then M1 will take you to London and the South East. In the other direction the M1 will take you to Leeds and the North East. The M6 will also take you towards the North West, Manchester and Scotland, or, via the M54, to north Wales.

Within two hours driving time of Birmingham are Manchester, Liverpool and London, making it an excellent central base to visit all of the major cities in England. It is also within an hour of Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon.


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