Now, going back to your question - depends what you're looking for I suppose. We gave the world heavy metal for one. Our skyline is probably the best in the UK after London and we have a fair few crazy boldly designed buildings like Selfridges and the new library, I would also say the city is extremely green in parts, especially the southside of the city. The city centre is pretty huge if you know where you're going. The walk from the top of broad street (the main nightlife bit) past the new library and through victoria square/new street (where there is currently a large german xmas market) to the Bullring alone will take a good 20-30 mins and thats without even stopping at the shops and excluding places that turn off from the route such as the beautiful Gas St Basin area with the Mailbox and the Cube, the NIA or Corporation Street that also has lots of shopping. Then near to the Bullring a bit further along theres indoor and outdoor markets and the Arcadian/Chinatown/gay village bit, then theres Digbeth nearby which is a kind of an Irish quarter with lots of bohemian artsy type stuff such as the Custard Factory, theres also the rainbow venues there which host some of the best nightlife in the city. Basically, the centre has you sorted for whatever you want, shopping of all kinds, pubs, clubs, restuarants etc.
Going outside of the city Centre, Brum is a pretty big sprawl of over a million people with some pretty diverse neighbourhoods. You've got places like the Balti Triangle, centred on Stratford Road and Ladypool Rd, which is an area with a huge concentration of Asian shops and for my money offers some of the best curries you will find in the whole of Europe. Then at the other end of the spectrum theres Edgbaston which is nowhere near as lively but is basically a large beautiful green affluent suburb thats very peaceful to walk through and is home to the lovely Cannon Hill Park and the best Cricket ground outside of London. Then theres the Kings Heath/Moseley area which is another bohemian/artsy place (Moseley more so than Kings Heath) with some great pubs. The Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath and The Bulls Head in Moseley are two of the best music venues in the city.
In short, theres plenty to do here. Couldnt pick just one thing thats the best.
The Birmingham Royal Ballet - got tickets for tomorrow night for the Nutcracker - ACE!
Jasper Carrot
The trains that run out of it
The road out
The roads out of it...
