Is it nice in Birmingham UK?

1. 61

   beautyroseposted 15 years ago

   Please tell me what kind of people living in Birmingham? as they make bad joke about the people there. I'm just worried about it cause i have a special friend from there. Is there something i need to know? cause i also felt his not been honest with me.

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      Don Wposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I was in Birmingham in February last year. The experience of being in this post industrial town in winter can only be described as abysmal. The place exudes grey. Grey sky, grey rain, grey buildings.
      
      I went to the cinema one evening while I was there to cheer myself up. I chose to see Slum Dog Millionaire which was billed as a 'feel-good' movie, which it is, ten minutes before the end. The bit before is a depressingly realistic look at a life of poverty. Okay, that's not strictly related to Birmingham but the cinema did sell of beer and wee which didn't help.
      
      The people of Birmingham are another matter. Friendly, nice sense of humour, although they do all speak like Jasper Carrot (crap English comedian) which is annoying. Large, vibrant Asian community (great place to get a balti).
      
      If your friend described Birmingham as a playground for the rich and famous, then he is er . . bending the truth somewhat. If he described it as a cold, grey, bleak, wind-swept, void of a city with nice people, good currys and lots of brutalist civic architecture from the 60s, then he's telling the truth.

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   2. 58

      Mark Knowlesposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I certainly would not use the word "nice" to describe B'rum.
      
      Great people. Wonderful Indian food and as Don so aptly put it - "Grey"

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      china manposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I have to say that my experiences of Birmingham are that it is somewhere between Kephira and Trish-M - with better Indian food than India.
      
      On the last line - if he is an online friend then the chances that he is not lying to you are about as likely as two days in a row without rain in Birmingham.

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      Shinkickerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      They got a good deal on concrete

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2. 59

   kephriraposted 15 years ago

   People usually make jokes about the Brummy accent, cos it does make you sound a bit thick, but actually what ppl think of as a Birmingham accent is really from small towns like Dudley which are part of greater Birmingham but not the city itself. We call them yam yams, cos they say yam (meaning I am, you are, we are etc etc.) all the time.
   
   I guess I can't be trusted to comment on the people of Birmingham, seing as I am one of them (we are all great by the way), but the city itself is a great place to live. Lots of good pubs, clubs and restuarants, the city center has some very impressive architecture, and the city specialises in big events with the National Indoor Arena, National Exhibition Center, and so on.
   
   An interesting fact about birmingham is that the city is said to have more miles of canals than venice. Many of them haven't been touched since their old industrial days, but there are some really lovely places around the city center.

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      beautyroseposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      sounds interesting the. Do i need a visa or passport in order to be able to have a tour in Birmingham. I think you are under british government  right?

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3. 59

   kephriraposted 15 years ago

   yes, its a British city. I don't know anything about visa requirements but you'll definitely need a passport to come from outside the UK.

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      Rayalternatelyposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Birmingham; a city of 1 million people with the same speech impediment!

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4. 81

   Jon Greenposted 15 years ago

   No.

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5. 96

   CMHypnoposted 15 years ago

   Birmingham is the 2nd biggest city in the UK, so like most big places it has its good bits and its grottier bits.  There are some really nice places on the outskirts like Henley-in-Arden and there are some run-down inner-city estates.  Birmingham has a busy town centre with lots of shopping and night life, 2 universities, really bad traffic etc.
   
   Depends on what you like really?  Probably never going to be the tourist capital of the world.

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6. 61

   Trish_Mposted 15 years ago

   Birmingham is a very friendly city, with a fascinating history.
   
   Yes, like all cities it has good and bad bits, and yes, much of its history has been lost, as a result of WW2 bombing and relatively modern development, but it still has many, many fascinating buildings and a very, very interesting history.
   
   The much-maligned Brummie accent is actually quite pleasant, once one gets the prejudices out of the way ~ after all, it was probably the accent of William Shakespeare.
   
   Birmingham was a successful industrial city for many years, luring people, first, from all over the country and, latterly, from all over the world. It is truly multicultural.
   
   Products from Birmingham, and the influence of Birmingham, can be found almost everywhere. The empire may not be something that the English are now proud of, but it was once a cause for pride, and Birmingham was at its centre. It was also at the centre of the anti-Slavery movement.
   
   Who has not heard of Cadburys chocolate or Lloyds Bank? These are just two of Birmingham's claims to fame. There are many more.
   
   It has become a very popular place to visit at Christmas, owing to all the attractions, including the German market.
   
   I often meet people, who did not want to go to Birmingham, but most were glad that they did ~ and many actually stayed.

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7. 61

   fiona_33posted 15 years ago

   Birmingham has really imporved over the last ten years or so with a lot of money pumped into developments. The shopping is now awesome.

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      arobertsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Birmingham has an extensive canal system which means you can get away from the noise and fuss in the city just by walking down some steps to the quieter pace of life on the canal towpaths and bridges. Even right in the centre of Birmingham there is Gas Street Basin, a meeting point for canal people.

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8. 0

   BRIAN SLATERposted 14 years ago

   my experience of Birmingham is very friendly people, awful accent, a lot of horrid buildings, a convergence of motorways, a section of the city is well known for their curries and has quite good night life.

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9. 69

   Aiden Robertsposted 14 years ago

   Wow what a diverse description of the Uk's second city.
   
   Having spent a lot of time in Birmingham it has something for everybody and yes probably the best curry outside of India.
   To tar the population of a city with the same brush as one allegadly dubious individual is a little unreasonable to say the least.
   If you do venture to brum, make sure it is for all the right reasons and always be aware of the usual internet common sense and security!

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10. 0

    ryankettposted 14 years ago

    I have only been to Birmingham once, and it was a sh*thole. BUT, I know many people from Birmingham and they are all tops. Very nice people to know, amongst the most friendly and down to earth in the country.

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    1. 61

       Ibizabirdposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I think this is a very unfair description. There are some wildly horrid areas which I wouldn't make a dog live in but this can be said about London, New York and Paris.  While I am not saying that Birmingham is on a par with these cities it has a lot to offer if people can simply move past years old prejudices.

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11. 0

    Precious Williamsposted 14 years ago

    Birmingham is like most places - there are some good and some bad and I think it depends on what you try and make of it. But people are generally very friendly and as for their accent it is no stranger than any other accent - we all have them!

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12. 78

    Polly Cposted 14 years ago

    I know some people from Birmingham, and yes, they are so friendly, kind and down to earth.  Great sense of humour as well. However, I would not want to go as far as saying that it is a nice place, as far as actual surroundings go... I think that they are many, many places in the UK that would be preferable to visit.
    
    If you are coming from Africa, India, the Middle East, Asia or South America, or even some parts of Eastern Europe, then you are almost certainly going to need a visa.

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    LaMamaLoliposted 14 years ago

    I often visit Birmingham as my sister moved there a couple of years back. It is certainly not the grey industrial polluted place I expected. The night life is good, the people are REALLY friendly. You can go shopping - the Bullring is a great shopping centre but there are also lots of little quirky  shops in the side streets. There are often food markets and the like, where you can go sample fresh produce from different countries. You can have lunch along the canal if you want to relax, there are some absolutely gorgeous parks dotted around. You can access lots of other places for day trips if you fancy a day out. Yes there are some grotty bits, but name a city that doesn't have them. I went up there expecting to plaster a smile on my face and try and make excuses to get back home, but now find myself using any excuse I can to get up there. It's definitely worth a visit. Oh- and the sun does shine up there believe it or not!

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14. 60

    Charley Anneposted 14 years ago

    I visited Birmingham in February and it was pretty dark and rainy then -- the people were quite nice though.  I did drive from there to the Shakespeare Houses (ended up being pretty close) to do the Stratford-Upon-Avon tour -- I think that is in Warwickshire though -- definitely worth a visit if you like that sort of thing.

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15. 67

    Tenerife Islanderposted 14 years ago

    I used to spend weekends there on a fairly regular basis about 20  years ago and never had any problems with the place. It's very big and easy to get lost in although I never did. I used to go to a folk club there.

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    LeanManposted 14 years ago

    I don't agree with the person above who said that people from Birmingham are a bit thick.....
    
    I gave a chap a lift back a few years ago as I was passing through...
    As we approached Brum I asked him, where do you live..
    
    "Behind the sign" was his reply...
    "Which sign?" I asked..
    "The one outside my house" he replied again innocently
    "What does it say on the sign?"..
    "I dunno.. I can't read"
    
    We drove until he recognized a Pub, where we dropped him..
    
    We heard from a friend that he got home 3 days later...
    
    No, they are not a BIT thick.... lol
    
    But seriously I love Birmingham... but it is grey..

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17. 67

    Joy56posted 14 years ago

    Manchester is better........

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18. 68

    arthritickneeposted 14 years ago

    On my first day in Birmingham I nearly got shot. I kid you not.
    5pm, walking up the ramp into New St Station, just past McDonalds. Very crowded. Peak period for the end of the shopping day.
    Saw two blokes having a wrestle. Thought they were just mucking around 'cause no one was throwing punches. The reason was the big guy knew the little guy had a gun. Next thing you know, little guy gets his hand free and into his jeans it goes. Out comes a hand cannon, the biggest gun I'd ever seen. Cue the Hollywood style fight over the gun, big guys hands on the little guys wrist. I'm 2 metres away as shots start crashing into the pavement. I grab the girlfriend and throw her into the pub as another couple join us and slam the door shut.
    We had just past a group of Policemen around the corner and within 30 seconds they had rushed these two and were standing on their necks. Remembering that UK coppers are not armed you need to respect the madness of charging at a pair of crims fighting over a large weapon especiailly when they get paid only a couple of hundred quid a week for the privilage.
    
    My subsequent trips to Birmingham were not so exciting and obviously I witnessed a rare event. It is much nicer now than it was and they are spending a bit to improve it. It is not as bad as some areas for the type of incident I witnessed (Nottingham anyone?) and general common sense precautions would probably let you live there for 20 years without seeing something like that. I did my best to try and make sure first impressions didn't last and I would happily drop in for a pint and a curry anytime.

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       Suki Cposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I grew up in London but lived in Birmingham for five years in the early 70s - three years in Teacher training college and then two years teaching in Handsworth - at the time of the Handsworth riots!
       
       My first impression was of relentless greyness and I don't have many good memories of the city centre - in fact my OH & I narrowly missed being blown up in the what became known as the Birmingham Pub Bombings - maybe I'll write a hub about the experience!
       
       Anyway, OH came from Nottingham and that's where we ended up for the next 30 odd years and I loved it as soon as I moved there!   As  Arthriticknee says - it has its share of 'incidents'  -  but nowhere near as bad as the press made out at one time.
       
       My latest hub is about what to see there in just one day - some nice photos too

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19. 63

    ns1209posted 14 years ago

    No it is not!

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