In many ways, Birmingham feels a bit like the UK’s forgotten city. Everyone’s always raving about Manchester, Leeds, London, Bristol…but where’s the love for Birmingham?!
I’ll admit that before I went to Birmingham for the first time last week, I didn’t really know that to expect. I’d mentioned to so many people in the weeks leading up to my trip that I was going, and virtually no one had ever been before! So, in all honestly (and please don’t hate me, anyone from Brum…) I wasn’t expecting that much. At all.
And then I got there. After a night at the easyHotel by Birmingham’s New Street station (click here to read my full review), I got up early for an entire day of exploring. I had a vague idea of things I wanted to see and things I wanted to do, but mostly I just let myself wander. And I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been to a city that’s so multi-faceted. It shocked me at just how much there is to actually do, and I left feeling like I needed to book a return trip as soon as possible just to see everything I missed! Here are just a few ways in which Birmingham surprised me…
1. Its cultural hub is seriously cool
I’d heard a little bit about Digbeth – an area of Birmingham just a 5-minute walk away from the city centre – before, but I didn’t realise just how exciting it is! It’s undergoing a huge redevelopment to help regenerate its old buildings, but it hasn’t lost its charm. From street art to quirky bars, locally owned shops and market stalls, I could imagine myself spending many a day pottering around. The Custard Factory is at the heart of everything; it’s an independent shopping destination where you’ll find a load of cafes, bars and independent shops.
It’s also home to some rather Instagrammable walls if you’re ever in need of a colourful backdrop!
2. And it’s also got its fair share of culture
The one thing that Soph and I had planned for our day was a tour of the city’s last remaining Back to Backs houses (£8.65 per person, or £9.55 if you throw Gift Aid in). Run by the National Trust, this tour takes in a small courtyard filled with original Back to Backs houses – 19th century houses that were owned by working people. Over almost two hours, our guide took us through the houses, introducing us to five different families that lived in them from the 19th century up until the 1970s. The carefully restored rooms had me absorbed from the moment I stepped in. You could actually imagine how it would have felt to have lived there with an extended family, and limited resources to boot. For instance, in one house they had a room with two beds: one was for the family’s kids, and the other was for two lodgers!
We also wandered over to the library which is like nothing I’ve ever seen – and I’m a bonafide nerd. It’s a fairly recent addition to the city (Malala Yousafzai officially opened it in 2013), and it brings its fair share of tourists as well as locals, families and students. Inside, its bookshelves are situated in a round, and the entire structure is sliced in half by two mammoth escalators. I can definitely see why it’s divided opinion with locals, but I absolutely loved it!
3. It’s a forward-thinking city
Even though it’s got a lot of history, you can tell Birmingham is constantly looking to the future. This is evident in its juxtaposition of modern and historic buildings, but also in the way it’s embracing new technology. Whim, a revolutionary transport service that’s already in place in Helsinki, was launched earlier this year. It’s a cool little app that allows travellers to use just one card/app for all public transport, from rental cars to taxis via buses.
4. And it has a lot of energy!
You know you visit some cities that just seem to be completely lifeless? I had none of that with Birmingham. We even stumbled upon a rehearsal for the handover of the Commonwealth games over in Victoria Square (the city will host the games in 2022, so prepare to hear a LOT more about it in the coming years!).
5. There are So. Many. Shops.
Everywhere we went there were shops to be found – it definitely made me wish I had a little more dollar in my bank account! There’s the Bullring in the heart of the city for your usual high street shops, and then there’s The Mailbox which boasts the slightly more upmarket stores. Just walking around the giant Selfridges and gawping at all the various sections was enough excitement for me!
6. But it’s still got its pretty side
It’s not all concrete buildings and shops. Walk over towards the Symphony Hall, and you’ll come across a criss-cross of canals. You can even take a boat tour along the canals if you have the time, but if not there are plenty of restaurants to chill in while making the most of those river views.
7. The free entertainment is pretty awesome
There are plenty of free activities to keep the whole family entertained, from Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to the Tolkien Trail (JRR Tolkien grew up in the city, and so you’ll find various places that inspired his works dotted around the city). By pure coincidence, Soph and I stumbled upon the BBC Birmingham Visitor Centre inside The Mailbox. It’s completely free to look around its two floors, which kept us entertained for probably longer than it should have a little while. There are loads of props from BBC shows such as Doctor Who, Strictly Come Dancing and Peaky Blinders, as well as a few interactive exhibitions.
Ever wondered what you’d look like as The Doctor? Now you can find out for sure.
I don’t how we kept missing each other (apart from the fact we’ve never met and I’m just some random bloke reading your blog) because I was in pretty much all those places last weekend.
Custard Factory – check. (Kanteen, the café out of shot to left in your flamingo picture, do a superb brunch)
Back-to-Backs. – nope. National Trust. You have to book weeks ahead; we didn’t.
Library – closed on Sunday.
Victoria Square – check. Restricted access while they did the rehearsal. They’d escort you across in small groups, but we just walked round the outside. BTW, just off Vic Square, opposite the Post Office is a cellar bar called the Post Office Vaults. It’s a bit of an old man’s pub in the daytime, but they have a massive range of German and Belgium lagers, and English real ales. You won’t find Carling in there!
Shops – hello cocktail bar upstairs in Selfridges (didn’t do much actual shopping). At the other end of the scale, The Oasis on Corporation street is your go to place for the alternative scene (bit like a small Camden or Afflecks in Manchester).
Canals – check. So different to the rest of the city. There’s a lot of nightlife around here. That red boat in your picture is a café. We had breakfast there. Also check out the Ikon Gallery, just up the steps there. You can literally follow the canal back to the…
Mailbox – didn’t go in this time. Hadn’t realised there was Beeb stuff to play with.
Thank you so much for this! Us Brummies have been trying to convince everyone we’re ace for a while, and although there’s a long way to go it definitely is improving! Let me know if you decide to come back for another visit, I’m sure I can make some more recommendations for you!
Birmingham is only an hour from me, so we tend to go there rather than London if we want a big shopping day. The jewellery quarter is a cool area if you want to get some, well you guessed it, jewellery! We had our engagement, wedding and eternity rings all made there for a fraction of the highstreet prices.
Definitely going to look that Digbeth area up next time. Can’t resist an Insta backdrop! xx