Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shopping
In addition to the
Jewellery Quarter
(see above), Birmingham is a great town for
shopping. There are hundreds of retail stores, and many people in the Midlands come
here just to shop, especially along
Cannon Street
and
New Street,
with numerous
top-brand designer stores.
The city's
Mailbox
complex, at Wharfside Street (
&
0121/632-1000;
www.
mailboxlife.com), is a gargantuan shopping center, with such stores as Harvey Nich-
ols, Emporio Armani, Fat Face, Hugo Boss, Jaeger, and Crabtree & Evelyn, along with
restaurants and a spa. For a touch of Victorian elegance, head to the
Great Western
Arcade
(www.greatwesternarcade.co.uk), just opposite Snow Hill railway station,
which houses smaller, independent stores. And in addition to fine Indian food, the
Balti Triangle
(see above and www.balti-birmingham.co.uk) is crammed with stores
selling all manner of textiles, food, and jewelry from the Indian subcontinent.
In the heart of town, the shiny new
Bullring,
near St. Martin's Square (
&
0121/
632-1500;
www.bullring.co.uk), has been developed into Europe's largest city-cen-
ter retail area. It's more affordable and less classy than the Mailbox, with such main-
stays as H&M, Gap, FCUK, and Skechers. Here also is the iconic
Selfridges
building (see above). A short walk from the Bullring is the
Custard Factory
(
&
0121/224-7777;
www.custardfactory.co.uk), built 100 years ago and now home
to galleries, artists, independent shops, and restaurants.
Art lovers should head farther into the
Eastside
district, where galleries such as
VIVID,
140 Heath Mill Lane (
&
0121/766-7876;
www.vivid.org.uk; Thurs-Sat
noon-5pm), and
Eastside Projects,
86 Heath Mill Lane (
&
0121/771-1778;
www.eastsideprojects.org; usually Thurs noon-6:30pm, Fri-Sat noon-5pm), organize
a variety of mixed-media contemporary art exhibitions.
Entertainment & Nightlife
THE PERFORMING ARTS
Connected to the Convention Centre,
Symphony Hall,
Broad Street (
&
0121/780-
3333;
www.thsh.co.uk.), has been hailed as an acoustical gem since its completion
in 1990. Home to the
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra,
it also hosts
special classical music events.
The restored
Birmingham Hippodrome,
Hurst Street (
&
0844/338-5000;
www.birminghamhippodrome.com), is home to the
Birmingham Royal Ballet
and
visiting companies from around the world. It hosts a variety of events, from the Welsh
National Opera to musicals to dance. The box office is open Monday to Saturday
9:30am to 8:30pm.
The
National Indoor Arena (NIA),
King Edward's Road (
&
0844/338-8000;
www.necgroup.co.uk), seats 13,000 and is a favorite site for jazz, pop, and rock con-
certs, as well as sporting events and conventions. The same group manages the
LG
Arena
(
&
0121/780-4141;
www.lgarena.co.uk) at the National Exhibition Centre,
the venue for the biggest concerts and events.
The
Birmingham Repertory Theatre,
Broad Street, at Centenary Square
(
&
0121/236-4455;
www.birmingham-rep.co.uk), houses one of the top compa-
nies in England. The widely known “Rep” comprises the Main House, which seats
800 theatregoers, and the Door, a more intimate 120-seat venue that often stages new
and innovative works. The box office is open Monday through Saturday 10am to 8pm
on performance days, 10am to 6pm on nonperformance days. Tickets usually range
from £11 to £20.
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