All recommendations gratefully received.
Today - The Stranglers at the O2 - see you there?
Great Art Gallery / Museum in City Centre. The Staffordshire Hoard is a highlight.
Loads of pubs in centre, mostly within a 20 minute walk. It isnt a huge centre, so all walkable.
Good Gallery at the Uni - The Barber.
Shopping, it's all in a mile square area.
The Wellington for choice of beer, just off New St, 2 mins from Town Hall/Museum.
The Shakespeare near to New St. Stn, just off New St has good food, and is always packed, but wait 5 minutes and you get a seat.
Jewellery Quarter for jewellery, some smaller Makers there, so unique designs available.
Apart from the usual generic stuff that all cities have (museum, cinema, franchise restaurants/bars) it's worth IMHO checking out the curious attractions surrounding the city. Growing up west of Birmingham I'd definitely recommend the Black Country Museum, The Batham's Bull And Bladder pub, and cycling the massive network of canals.
In fact Birmingham has changed so much since I was a kid that I no longer recognise much of it, all the curios, little streets etc. Used to hang out in the Row Market and find all manner of vintage gear and odd stuff, gigs at the Institute in Digneth, that may still be there. Costers bar my staple beer hole. But was carpeted with sticky old brown ale and the jukebox was so loud with metL and punk that you had to shout or go in the bogs to hear yourselves talk. Different times!
Chinatown for Chinese food, and you are completely spoiled for curryhouses. Last I had recently was at Akbars, Hagley Rd. Was great, bit others will recommend more small-scale intimate venues, it was a bit like a giant warehouse in there.
The Old Joint Stock is worth dropping in for a beer just to see the roof.
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As mentioned up there The Welly for good beer and The Purity Bar just for their Brooks saddle coat hangers.
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7487/16301660602_060417479d_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7487/16301660602_060417479d_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/qQwgKQ ]Brooks Saddle Coat Hooks.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/18504429@N00/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
Sorry can't help with shopping or culture. 😆
Thinktank science museum
Symphony Hall
Fresh fish market at the Bull Ring
Ikon Gallery (contemporary art)
Actress & Bishop pub for small gigs
If you like throwing shapes/packing invisible sandwiches all night then the Q club has been resurrected. Many a happy night there off my face on trance, overpriced water and endorphins. It is a spectacular building too.
I forgot [url= http://www.custardfactory.co.uk/whats-on/ ]The Custard Factory![/url]
Ah, the Custard Factory brings back some memories. Also the canals are interesting especially the touristy area around Broad St. The art museum is also really nice. Used to spend hours in there. Balti district for evening. 🙂
If you like Whiskey, check out Hard to find Whiskey in the Jewelry Quarter, just leave your credit car in your pocket 😉
[url= http://www.htfw.com/about-our-store ]http://www.htfw.com/about-our-store[/url]
Heading in tonight, jekyll and Hyde pub,bachus bar,jointstock, fumo,it's a great place now for a night out.
By 'eck that brings back some memories that does, spent many a happy hour in Costers in the '80's & early '90's.Costers bar my staple beer hole. But was carpeted with sticky old brown ale and the jukebox was so loud with metL and punk that you had to shout or go in the bogs to hear yourselves talk
Saturday afternoon wandering around the original Oasis (before they had the fire), into Costers for a few beers then maybe the Golden Eagle, No.7's or down to the Hummingbird to catch a band.
York's bakery cafe for the best coffee in Brum, top of newhall st
RIP Eddie's nightclub
Birmingham eh.
Most of the places I worked no longer exist: Longbridge, Permoglaze paints, Lucas group research, the sorting office... .
Most of the night clubs/venues have gone: Barbarella's, The Barn, The Dome, The old Bingley Hall.
They've built a supermarket on the park, and almost every other piece of free land.
The traffic jams have joined up. The M42 which I rode before it opened now moves slower than I rode it on my bike.
I was pleased to find the Lickey Hills were still there on my last visit so that's my suggestion - walk the Lickeys from end to end.
Post Office Vaults near the town hall if you like your beer Belgian
Brewdog bar on John Bright Sreet.Turtle Bay for Caribbean food next door.
Bacchus bar in basement of Burlington Hotel for wingback-chair-suits-of-armour-decadence.
Errrr, culture.....hmm...new library is worth a look
Oh, and visit the Old Contemptibles next to Snow Hill station if you come in by train.
Burlington Hotel - you mean the Midland Hotel?
I'm following the thread because I'm planning on a trip to Brum in the Spring. Even Sparkhill swimming baths has closed. 🙁
[i]Even Sparkhill swimming baths has closed. [/i]
Nooooooooooo! 🙁 Used to live just down the road from the baths.
The Wellington for choice of beer, just off New St, 2 mins from Town Hall/Museum.
I'd forgotten all about the the welly - used to be my second home. I doubt they still sell Dogs Dinners - one big pot of stew / chilli or whatever served up to the art students in big ceramic dog bowls for £2. Dished up at just at the point where you thought you should probably go home.
There used to be a secret happy hour for us too from time to time- if you were scruffy and callow you'd get a wink and twice as much of whatever you asked for whenever you went to the bar. They looked after us because although the office folk were bigger spenders at lunch and at 5.30, by 8pm they'd pretty much all gone.
Most of the night clubs/venues have gone: Barbarella's, The Barn, The Dome, The old Bingley Hall.
There's a very good reason for that.
All the best "clubs" were after hours around the Hockley area...
Saturday afternoon wandering around the original Oasis
+1
Us teen lads used to go to [s]check out all the goth/punk girls who used to run the stalls[/s] buy krazycolour hair dye, leather tat, wristbands, records and budgie-smuggling trews 🙂
Seem to remember small record stores on every street. And the massive musical instrument shop at the back of Snowhill (guitar city?). Good times.
OP, forgot to say there's the visit to Cadbury factory and Bournville village.
My niece puts this night on:
[url= http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/site-office-nightclub---secret-8709211 ]The Site Office[/url]
Although I don't think I'm cool enough.
The Vaults is nice, and great to hear that the mighty que club is back up and running. Wonder if they still do the morning thing underneath the Royal Angus
I too remember fondly days up Brum, catching the no. 9 up and spending the day round Reddingtons, Plastic Factory, Tempest, Swordfish, Second City Sounds, Oasis, the Rag Market..clubs like Edwards, Goldwyns, hummingbird etc 🙁
great to hear that the mighty que club is back up and running
We've been thinking about going to the Carl Cox thing there in May.
Not sure how i'd cope with an allnighter or the stuff that goes with it anymore though. 😳
Seem to remember small record stores on every street. And the massive musical instrument shop at the back of Snowhill (guitar city?)
Under the rail arches? Moved over by millennium point. Guitar Guitar on Hagley road is good though, was in there today
If you like Indian food, try the Viceroy in the Jewellery quarter.
Cheaper than La San or Ithiaas and IMO much much better.