An insider’s guide to Birmingham

Whether you are drawn to Birmingham for its buzzing bars and restaurant scene, the city’s amazing art and culture or spectacular shopping, the one thing every visitor to the region takes away, is the sense of pride from its inhabitants.
Birmingham is the heart of the nation, but it takes lots of souls to give it its magic. For an insight into what makes it so special, we asked some of the many expats who have made the city their home, to share their insights.

“I love Birmingham’s effortless diversity”
Fiona Allan, CEO Opera Australia

“I lived in Birmingham for six years and when I first arrived, I rented the most amazing loft-style apartment in the Jewellery Quarter. I loved the neighbourhood - the heritage, huge number of independent cafes, restaurants and bars, and of course all the silver and jewellery stores. Afterwards, I bought a house in Bournville, the model village built by the Cadbury family, to house their chocolate factory and all its workers. Even today, it is a separate quirky village in the middle of the city. 

“I love Birmingham’s effortless diversity - how so many cultures, faiths and language groups all come together in one place. It is like the whole globe is represented in one city. This is really reflected by how great the food is - you can find cuisine from all the world, and every sort of dining experience from incredible street food at Digbeth Dining Club to Michelin-starred restaurants.

“For anyone visiting, I’d recommend going to the Black Country Living Museum, to get a great understanding of Britain's industrial heritage, which started in the West Midlands; Stratford-upon-Avon to catch up on your Shakespearean history and a walk through Digbeth to see some fantastic street art. And try to catch a show at Birmingham Hippodrome - everything from the best West End musicals to opera and ballet performs there.

“On my bucket list is a return visit to Warwick Castle, Gas Street Basin in Birmingham for brunch, followed by a walk exploring the canal system and a weekend away in the beautiful Shropshire Hills.” 

“I spend a lot of time in cafes”
Adam Schembri, Professor in Linguistics at the University of Birmingham

“I’m originally a Sydney boy and it will come as a shock to many Sydneysiders, but I actually prefer the climate in Birmingham! 

“I live in the Jewellery Quarter and have a very easy lifestyle. My office is only two stops away on the train and having such a short commute is something I never experienced living in Sydney or Melbourne. 

“I like living in a city that played such an important role in history, but is always reinventing itself. Birmingham is very well-connected - I love the fact I can get on a train and visit lots of other places in the UK in a couple of hours, or connect to the Eurostar in London easily and end up relatively quickly in Paris or Amsterdam.

“I spend a lot of time in the city’s cafes - my top picks are Faculty Coffee, Yorks Café and Coffee Roasters, Wayland’s Yard, Saint Kitchen and 200 Degrees.”

“My must-dos for anyone visiting, would be walking along the canals from the Mailbox to the Jewellery Quarter, seeing the art at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, exploring Sutton Park and visiting Bournville. In the city, take a stroll down Colmore Row to Victoria Square and Chamberlain Square, then over to Centenary Square and check out Birmingham Library.” 

“The atmosphere at Edgbaston is electric”
Katie Mack and Erin Burns, cricketers

“We stayed in central Birmingham for six weeks while we played for Birmingham Phoenix and although it was during the pandemic, the best thing about Birmingham was there was still so much to see and do,” says Katie.

“I loved the canal system and spent a lot of time cycling along it and visiting nearby pubs and cafes, always on the look-out for a good tea and scone,” says Katie. “I brought my bike over with me so did plenty of sight-seeing by bike,” says Erin. “There were so many great bike paths taking you out of the city and into the nearby countryside.”

“The Canal House was one of my favourite places to get a bite to eat,” says Katie. “I’m a bit of a coffee fanatic and my favourite places were Quarter Horse, Faculty and Medicine Bakery for their epic baked goods,” says Erin. “Try the savoury croissant, you won’t be disappointed.” 

“A must-do while you are in Birmingham is to watch a game at Edgbaston Cricket Ground - it was surreal to play at such a historic ground and the crowd was always electric. You are up for a good day, being a part of that,” says Katie. 

“Birmingham is also centrally-located for great day trips to some surrounding towns and counties,” says Erin. “Our favourites were Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick Castle.”

“There’s so much great art here”
Corey Baker, choreographer

“I’m originally from Christchurch, New Zealand and relocated to Birmingham in 2011. I got my first-ever professional choreographic commission in Birmingham, as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. A decade later, I'm making my first stadium show here in Birmingham, for the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“What I love about Birmingham is its sense of community – you can walk down the street and bump into people you know. I also love its great cafes – Quarter Horse is one of my staples.

“It’s a Birmingham cliché, but I love the canals. I love to see water every day – I stroll along them to work, to get my creative juices going. 

“There’s so much great art here, from dance to music, theatre and art. Go to Digbeth and wander around the Custard Factory. There are lots of festivals in Birmingham, there’s always something on. My favourite theatres are the Rep in Birmingham and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.”