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@n3il
upsides: See some of the best 60's architecture in the country, the library (my fave building ever, see it before its knocked down), the natwest tower, see the old industrial buildings of digbeth and the jewellery quarter, see corporation street, the facades above street level are the same as when the road was set out in the 1800's, loads of amazing buildings from all eras. See ruined mansion houses in soho, back to back slums in digbeth, awesome schools and other such victorian public buildings[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birmingham-Pevsner-Architectural-Guides-City/dp/0300107315"], get an architecture book[/ame] like the one by andy foster.
Go to the library and find out about birminghams past, its raping and pillaging in the civil war, why we're definately not royalists, birmingham in the 2nd world war, the bombing, the vision for the new city built after, people living in graveyards during the war, etc. the industrial revolution.
Eat in the chinese quarter at anywhere small, eat in moseley (italian: ponte de legno) or kings heath (tapas: byzantium), kings heath has an new cheese shop too! goat curry in the market, the best curry in britain on ladypool road (its official), there is loads of good food around.
Drink in the victoria, the rainbow, the old contemptibles, the wellington, the fighting cocks, the hare and hounds, that jazz place by the library. there are thousands of old pubs in the city, before you get out to the ring road, in places like digbeth,the gun quarter, handsworth, soho, edgbaston.
Birmingham has more parkland than anyother city in europe. Mainly due to sutton park, presented to the people by henry VIII, also loads of leafy suburbs lovely for cycling though, acocks green, hall green, kings heath etc. Lickey hills, cofton park, clent hills.
Artwise there is a lot going on, the ikon, the pre-raphaelites in the big gallery and at the barber, the custard factory, musicwise there's all sorts everywhere, pick up some flyers in the custard factory.