Spotted in Birmingham...

Do you lot do drinks?

I'm here for a few weeks now.

In any case could do with some pointers with

• what to do
  
• what to see
  
• where to eat etc.
  
  

I'm working near the NEC on a contract but at the moment staying in the city centre and getting the 900 bus out to Coventry Road.

If anyone has a spare room they want to let short term i'd be interested - be here till mid june.

BTW - how the hell do you cycle here - where I am it just seems like dual-carriage nightmare!

The NEC/Airport out in the stix near the motorway for best access for people travelling there.

Nearest suburb is Hay Mills, then Tyseley, Then Small Heath before you get to inner City Birmingham.

The "Dual Carriageway" type road, is probably Coventry Road (A45) which puts you right between Coventry & Birmingham. You can totally cycle on it, there is even a cycle lane on parts of it. But for the busy part which is 60mph limit, it is pretty fucking sketchy.

When it turns in coventry road as you come into the suburbs of Birmingham it turns into a regular 30mph shopping high street. The Tyseley/Hay Mills end is pretty run down & shabby. Small heath has a lot of south asian supermarkets and fast food shops. With a strange mix of super islamic stuff like a Madrasa, Mosque, islamic conference centre, islamic book shops etc with a Massage Parlour Plonked right in amidst it all.

By the time you get to the end of Coventry road you will pass the Birmingham City Football ground, then face a mighty difficult roundabout setup as watery lane which is part of the ring road which surrounds the city centre.

Once you get across it you will be on Digbeth High St and it will be plain sailing from there. You will pass hip brummie locations like the Custard Factory, scummy club/pubs like the Rainbow (most people actually really like it) before getting into the city centre.

You will pass both "on your bike" and "sprocket cycles" on your way to the city centre, but you wont see them as they are on back streets.