Birmingham Facts

Welcome to Birmingham, the UK's second city. It's a city of mixed cultures, creeds and lifestyles and has recently become the fashionable place to set up a business or to hold a conference. But it still retains great pride in being a city built on industry. Listed below are the most important and well-known areas of Birmingham, encompassing business, baltis and entertainment.

Bournville - Chocolate, cricket and manicured lawns — is there anything else needed for a better world? The village is truly beautiful and inhabitants have to adhere to the rules of the Bournville Village Trust, eg keep a tidy, well-kept garden, in order to keep the area this way. What's more, because of the Methodist origins of the Cadbury family who founded this suburb, there is not one pub to be found here. You can find, however, Cadbury World with its history of chocolate, work reforms and idealism. It's quite a family-oriented district, although tens of thousands of visitors pass through yearly.

City Centre - The place to dine, shop, visit the theatres, go clubbing etc. The city is now widely pedestrian-friendly and has everything within easy walking distance. At the Chamberlain Square end, students, trendies and clever types sit on the steps outside the library chatting, eating or swotting for exams. The popular Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery shows its scrubbed façade and imposing doors to the world, containing works by Rodin, some major Pre-Raphaelites and a breathtaking selection of Japanese armour. The glorious Town Hall and Council House face outwards to Victoria Square where the statue fondly known by all Brummies as "the Floozie in the Jacuzzi" takes centre stage on the steps that lead down to New Street. Broad Street, with its hotels, pubs, clubs and restaurants, leads to the canals - Birmingham has more canals than Venice as any local will only too readily point out. Along with numerous theaters, the International Convention Centre and Symphony Hall can be found here, facing a square whose pavement is designed to look like a Persian carpet. Also, there are two cathedrals, both of which are beautiful, although St Philip's is probably the easiest to find.

Digbeth - Recently, cash has been invested in this district and one result has been the Custard Factory - this is a venue for younger people to eat, drink and watch/perform drama, music and dance pieces.

Edgbaston - Loads of interesting places here, including one of the excellent King Edward Schools and the BBC Pebble Mill TV and radio studios. There's a wonderful and popular reservoir near Birmingham University where you can find the Barber Institute, which also has a fine collection of Pre-Raphaelite art. Expect to find the well-heeled, the student set and young families in Edgbaston. And you'll find Cannon Hill Park too, perhaps the best-loved and most adventure/culture-packed park in the city. Edgbaston Cricket Ground, home to Warwickshire CCC is found opposite the park. Edgbaston also boasts the Botanical Gardens where you could practically spend the whole day. Hotels and pubs can be found on the Hagley Road, which stretches from Five Ways to seeming infinity.

Hall Green - This green and lush residential area has a famous Greyhound Stadium which, surprisingly enough, is quite popular with students as well as the hardened greyhound lover. Sarehole Mill is Hall Green's working, water-powered corn mill constructed in the 18th century. This was the place where The Hobbit author J.R.R. Tolkien spent much of his time as a child.

Handsworth/Aston/Lozells - Often, if a Brummie thinks about one of these areas, the other two spring to mind. Aston has a large and beautiful Jacobean house, Aston Hall, built in the early 1600s and the area is also home to premier league soccer club Aston Villa FC, as well as the popular Science Park and Aston University (with excellent scientific courses). It's also the home of one of the best-loved radio stations in Birmingham — BRMB. Handsworth Wood was once an area full of sought-after property and still retains some of its large houses. Every year in Handsworth there was a carnival to (semi) rival that of Notting Hill, now known as the Birmingham International Carnival. A large ethnic community and one of the largest Sikh temples in the city can now be found in Handsworth — in the evening the temple is lit up with neon decorations splitting the night. The Soho Road is great for Indian sweet centers, West Indian bakeries and Asian grocers.

Harborne - The beautiful Blue Coat School, for boarders and day pupils, sits on the outskirts and there are numerous other excellent schools nearby. It's also home to some great restaurants, like Valentinos and Henry Wong. Some have called the suburb the "Chelsea of Birmingham."

Hockley - Not far from the city center, this is the place to learn about Birmingham's jewelery industry at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter. Get your trinkets and treasures here at cheap prices. A carefully restored workshop that's 100 years old is now a visitor center, informing you in depth about the rise and fall of the jewelery trade. Café bars and restaurants are springing up too in order to attract the casual visitor.

Moseley - Home of UB40 and Ocean Colour Scene, Moseley is popular with students as there are quite a few bars, pubs, good cheap restaurants and areas of cheap accommodation. The Jug of Ale is a very popular pub here, where bands like Oasis, Blur and Ocean Colour Scene played before they experienced super-stardom. An area of contradictions, Moseley village has some pretty little boutiques and cake shops and some large houses which has made it a bit of a trendy place for the moneyed, younger Brummie to live.

Small Heath/Sparkbrook/Balsall Heath - Run down and not really famous for its scenery, but the baltis here are beloved by all, not just Brummies but people from far and wide. Top food critics often visit these restaurants. Popular with lots of different cultures and peoples during the evening, there was hope and some talk of the council spending a little cash to renovate and beautify these areas - this hasn't happened as yet, though. Small Heath is the home of the "Blues" aka Birmingham City FC and the Ackers Outdoor Activity Centre which has, amongst other things, its own inner city artificial ski slope.

Sutton Coldfield - Darling! The absolute height of well kept gardens, big cars and oodles of pounds. 2,500 acres of parkland are to be found in the form of Sutton Park. It's a beautiful area filled with families and retired company directors.

Yardley - Popular with locals because of the Swan shopping center. Yardley is close to the airport but here you'll also find a 16th century merchant's house hosting a stunning collection of country pottery.