City trip... Birmingham?
 

Hi,

Has anybody been on a city break to Birmingham? Of course, London is the obvious choice but I've been before and would like to see other cities. How is the city for shopping? Nightlife? Dining?

Also, what hotels would you recommend in this city? I am looking at http://hotel-latour.co.uk/ and it seems rather central.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Mel

I would choose Dublin over B'ham if you are looking for a city break.

I wonder if the OP is - or is advertising one.

I stay with a friend who lives near Birmingham and we rarely go into town, wouldn't at all if it was not close.

Dublin's a good idea or how about Edinburgh/Glasgow. They're close together and I think would make a nice combination for your city trip.

You might also reconsider another visit to London. I've lost count of the number of times I've been there now and have yet to run out of interesting things to do. Probably never will. I think it's one of those places that gets better the more you visit.

Let's assume for a minute that this isn't an ad for a hotel in Brum. Birmingham would not be a first or even twenty first choice for a city break for most Brits. If you genuinely want to have a change from London, then try Manchester. It has many good and some great restaurants across most world cuisines, very good hotels and fantastic nightlife.

The city has architecture, history so much to do and see that as a Mncunian of a number of years standing, there's always things that I'm still discovering.

Patrick: I'm almost certain this is an ad. But she is sharp enough to disguise it :-) Doesn't break any of the rules

Hopefully she'll come back and reassure us . . .

well, it's her first post, she doesn't say how she found fodors, she doesn't tell us where she's coming from, when, how long, who she's travelling with, what else she's looked at, what her budget is, where she's going next ...so obviously she's genuine!

:D

I'd prefer Liverpool over Birmingham.

Liverpool - I stayed at The Feathers (Best Western) in March. Nice little hotel, very centrally located, car park for a small fee. Pay £10 for breakfast and get vouchers for 3 free drinks in the bar in the evening. What's not to like about that? Plus lots to see and do in Liverpool. It's a really great city.

Birmingham - I lived there for 6 months and worked in several locations there for 3-4 years. Apart from some good theatre from time to time and reasonable shopping I really can't think of much to recommend it although I have to admit things may have changed in the past 15 years - I hope for Birmingham's sake it has!

Let us know what you decide to do, Melanie.

Julia T is absolutely right about Liverpool over Bham

But most people these days would rate the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra over the Liverpool Phil, (and Bham's Symphony Hall light years ahead of Liverpool's Philharmonic), the pre-Raphaelite collection at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery as possibly the best painting collection in Britain outside London (except when Liverpool's having its every 2 year John Moores Prize exhibition) and St Chad's Cathedral Birmingham as easily Britain's finest Victorian church (only, unlike most Victorian churches, it's got real relics of St Chad, who converted the area in the 7th century.)

Dunno about shops or nightlife (does it have any, and does anyone care anyway?). But when it comes to "dining" (I assume she means eating: does anyone, except hotel promoters, "dine"?) Birmingham DID invent the Balti - which is a great deal more popular than any of your Wienerschnitzels, cotolette alla Milanese, pommes lyonnaises or even proper Liverpool scouse.

A quick visit to http://visitbirmingham.com tells me there's 3 Michelin starred restaurants and with regards to night life I quote

"With star-filled theatres and comedy clubs, stylish bars and the hottest nightspots, Birmingham and the region is the place to party"

And there's...

Cadbury World
Back to Back Housing
The Jewllery Quarter

So put your prejudices aside and visit England's second city.

We often try to pretend we're "travellers" seeking out untoursited "real" places to meet the natives. Well this is a case in point. Most Britons live in unglamorous places: Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle. If you want to see the real United Kingdom that's where you'll find it; warts and all.

There's more to the UK than the usual suspects of London and the Cotswolds.

Let us know what you decide to do, Melanie.>>

i hate to have to be the one to break it to you, Julia, but Melanie doesn't exist. She came here simply to advertise her hotel - portents of things to come, I suspect.

come on Melanie - prove me wrong.

Still, it opened up a good discussion about a rarely visited and much maligned city.

Birmingham and its environs has much to recommend it, certainly as a place to live (I was born there). Fantastic shopping, fascinating industrial heritage, great museum, symphony orchestra and ballet company, coupla great theatres, Cadbury World, an improving dining scene. But as cities go, it's rather sprawling, so the sites perhaps aren't as easily accesible as in, say, Manchester, a much smaller city which manages to feel larger just because of its larger city centre.

oh Melanie, aren't you talking to us? please come back.

Well I would poo poo the hotel she linked to, yes it's new and yes Marcus Wearing is some how affiliated with it but for me, too near Student digs and a bit of a dodgy evening walk from anywhere remotely interesting. There are FAR better options in the city. ( and for all you doubters Bham does have quite a lot to offer now ;) )

despite [or perhaps due to] being brought up in a city no more than 30 miles from 'Brum, I couldn't tell you where anything is apart from New Street Station and the airport.

i looked at it on the map and the closest things I could find were a dogs' home and a skateboard park.

ideal then!

poor marketing from Melanie just to post and not to come back to try to win us over.

Hi

I forgot all about this - sorry for those who were eagerly awaiting my reply!

Yes, Birmingham wasn't the obvious choice but I've visited London plenty of times and would really like to visit other cities in the UK. From what I understand there is a fair bit to do in Birmingham and it's not too far Warwickshire which has plenty to see if we do get bored.

Anyways, to update - we have booked a hotel in Birmingham and will be visiting the city in a couple of weeks. Not at the hotel originally posted, found an offer elsewhere on groupon. But thanks for the input

If anybody has any actual advice on things to see, places to eat, etc whilst we are there rather than label this an advertisement that would be much appreciated

Melanie

Also - thanks for the suggestions. I am from Manchester so as much as I love it here, it was out of the question for a trip away from home!

What do you line doing/ eating and we can give you some recommendations...where are you staying?