Experience in Birmingham, United Kingdom by Bradley

What is it like to live in Birmingham? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

I've lived here for 2 and a half years now, and I love it! The city centre itself is relatively small, so it's very easy to get around and there is a plethora of shops, restaurants and bars to try out, as well as entertainment staples such as cinemas (including an old style high-street cinema on the main stretch), bowling alleys, theatres and even a back-to-back housing museum showing the way people lived in Birmingham years and years ago.

What is the student lifestyle like in Birmingham?

It may sound like a cliché but Birmingham is a typical student city. There are 3 main universities near the city centre, all of which descend on Broad Street throughout the week for a night on the town. It's a famous road to do a bar crawl along, with plenty of takeaways for those post-night out munchies. Many of the shops here offer student discounts, so it's never too difficult to snap up a bargain, and students are welcomed at a lower rate to many of the city's attractions, museum and art galleries.

How much does it cost to live in Birmingham?

I've found Birmingham to be relatively cheap, food and drink wise. Compared to Cardiff where I am from, the local Wetherspoon (well, 5 within 10 minutes walk of each other) are noticeably cheaper than Cardiff, and so probably cheaper than a lot of other cities. Accommodation wise, it's not too expensive. I live right in the city centre and my flatmate and I share a cost of £825 per month for a top floor, 2 bedroom apartment with great views across the city, but for students generally, Selly Oak is the place to live, as houses come as cheap as £70 per person per week with all your bills included, and the high street through Selly Oak is home to many cheap eateries and shops, perfect for students.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Birmingham? Is there any advice you can give?

Not at all. Through whichever university you attend, there are accommodation services that will help you find the ideal place for you. As I am renting privately owned accommodation, I couldn't go through my university, but it was easy enough to find via your typical rental websites such as Zoopla or FindAProperty. Advice would be not to pay over the odds and watch out for any hidden costs like agency fees and read your terms and conditions!

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

The food is very mixed here as it is a very multicultural city. There's typical chain restaurants such as Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia, TGIs etc, all offering a different cuisine, but there's also the famous Balti Triangle situated just outside the city centre; home to numerous Indian restaurants, as well as Indian fashion outlets.

What places would you recommend visiting in Birmingham?

The back-to-back houses are definitely an experience, as they give an insight into how people used to live here. Also, the Edgbaston area of Birmingham is beautiful with its sprawling green parks and resevoirs to stroll around, as well as Cadbury World of course, situated in Bournville. The Black Country museum is also a very interesting day out, a little further out of the city centre, but definitely worth the 20-ish minute train journey.

Is it good to eat out in Birmingham? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

It's one of my favourite things to do! There's so many places to choose from, it's hard enough deciding where to go. Personally, I really like places such as Yo! Sushi, Bella Italia, Cote Brasserie, to name but a few. The Mailbox is home to several restaurants and bars and is the ideal place to have a lovely meal with views over the canal in a more upmarket restaurant.

Is the nightlife good in Birmingham? Where is good to go?

Birmingham nightlife must be infamous by now. Broad Street is home to all the major clubs and bars, but you will still find some dotted around the city. Lloyds Bar is situated at the very beginning of Broad Street, and because it's a Wetherspoon, it is of course cheap, and a good place to start. Working your way up, you come to Walkabout, O Bar, Risa superclub and so on, until you come to Revolution and the one and only Gatecrasher. Birmingham's biggest nightclub, it hosts many famous acts, including Drake, Nicki Minaj, Professor Green, as well as house DJs such as Hardwell, Laidback Luke, Tommy Trash, to name but a few.

What advice would you give future students heading to Birmingham?

Enjoy your time here and make the most out of everything that's on offer. Student life is second to none, but keep your wits about you, as you know, it's still a major UK city and things can happen wherever you go. But make sure to explore outside the city too and gain a full feel of what Birmingham is really like.