Living in Birmingham
Explore what the city of Birmingham has to offer
Our cosmopolitan city has a unique history and so much to see and do. It’s no wonder our students fall in love with the city and almost half decide to stay in the region after they graduate. Birmingham is more than somewhere to study. It’s a place to get future ready.
Your City
The Library of Birmingham provides a showcase for Birmingham's internationally important collections of archives, photography and rare books.
Birmingham's waterways make the ideal escape to unwind in the middle of the busy city. There are plenty of green spaces, vibrant waterfront bars and restaurants, and historic architecture to explore.
Cannon Hill Park is only a couple of miles from campus and includes 80 acres of formal parks and 120 acres of conservation and woodland. It’s a brilliant place to enjoy a walk, run or cycle, or just to sit and relax in the Midlands Art Centre.
Our ever-changing city offers everything you need from independent shops to famous brands in the city centre. You’ll be spoilt for choice. As well as major shopping centres like the Bullring, Selfridges, Mailbox and Grand Central, you can find vintage clothing stores and artisan workshops in the world-famous Jewellery Quarter.
Explore your accommodation options
We have almost 7,000 rooms available so you'll have no trouble finding your home from home
Birmingham is such a great place to live, spend a day getting to know it and you'll fall in love
Music and nightlife
When the sun goes down, Birmingham doesn’t sleep. From worldwide superstars at Resorts World Arena to indie nights at The Sunflower Lounge, and from classical performances at the Symphony Hall through to Northern soul at the Night Owl, whatever your tastes there is something here to suit you.
Birmingham is home to a vibrant cultural scene. As well as world-leading museums and art galleries, there are urban festivals such as Birmingham Pride and the Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival. You can also explore the industrial district of Digbeth, where the city’s history is brought to life.
History and culture
Once famous for being the ‘city of a thousand trades’ Birmingham was a world-leading powerhouse for jewellery, toys and buckles, and the legacy of these trades carries on today – 40% of all of the UK’s handmade jewellery is still produced in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Since the industrial revolution, Birmingham has undergone a major transformation, with former industrial properties converted into some of Birmingham’s most exciting arts and nightlife spaces.
If you’re a culture vulture, Birmingham offers a fantastic range of galleries, museums, theatres and cultural assets to suit all tastes and to rival any major city. The Birmingham Hippodrome is the UK’s most popular single auditorium theatre, whilst Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery has over 40 galleries and Ikon is an internationally acclaimed contemporary art venue. The Electric is the UK’s oldest working cinema showing cult classics and independent films, whilst the University has its very own fine art gallery on campus, the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.
Food and drink
With new restaurants and food festivals always springing up across the city, you’re bound to find something to your taste. Digbeth Dining Club has won many awards for hosting independent food stalls and pop-ups across the city. While on campus we have our very own farmers’ market, offering local, environmentally friendly produce. With so many independent events, collaborations, and day and night markets, you’ll soon discover new favourite foods and places to eat.
Out and about
The shopping experience in Birmingham is one of the best in the country, with people travelling far and wide to visit the famous Bullring. If you dig a little deeper you will find an amazing selection of independent boutiques and vintage clothing stores too. The best place to discover Birmingham’s independents is via Independent Birmingham, a great organisation dedicated to unearthing Birmingham’s hidden gems and best-kept secrets.
At the centre of the UK, Birmingham benefits from being a major cosmopolitan city with the beautiful countryside just a stone’s throw away. Most people travelling to the city land at Birmingham New Street train station, part of the Grand Central development. From New Street, you can reach all corners of the UK easily, including London in 90 minutes, and Stratford-Upon-Avon in under an hour - and most importantly, you can get to the University itself (which has its own train station helpfully called ‘University’) in just 7 minutes.
With more parks than Paris and more miles of canal than Venice, there are lots of cycling and walking routes throughout the city, including a cycle route from the city centre straight through to the University. Home to a major international airport and surrounded by the UK’s network of motorways, no weekend trip is far away from Birmingham.
Discover all of Birmingham's vibrant areas
Moseley is just 2 miles from campus and is full of independent cafes, bars and restaurants. Moseley’s independent scene is popular with creatives and students alike, and with monthly farmer’s and arts markets it’s easy to see why.
Selly Oak is the student village where most of our second and third year students choose to live when they move out of Halls after first year. It's an inclusive student community for all with plenty of pubs, cafes and restaurants to choose from, as well as hairdressers, chemists and stationery stores, so you don’t have to venture too far for any of your needs.
Harborne is just on the edge of campus and here you'll find supermarkets, fresh vegetable markets, pubs, restaurants and some of Birmingham’s most-loved independent establishments. Many students who prefer a relaxed village environment choose to live here in the labyrinth of side streets surrounding the main high street.
Digbeth was named ‘the coolest neighbourhood in Britain’ by The Sunday Times, and this former industrial quarter is now a hub of culture and creativity. Home to creative and digital businesses; mini golf experience with a difference, Ghetto Golf; bar experiences with arcade games, ping pong, curling, baseball, and even a giant adult ballpit; vintage clothes shops; and Digbeth’s newest indie cinema, the Mockingbird Cinema and Kitchen.
The Jewellery Quarter is described by English Heritage as 'a national treasure' and remains a hub of industry, producing 40% of British jewellery to this day. If you explore the Jewellery Quarter you’ll find the Georgian streets littered with indie stores, trendy bars, art galleries and the much loved live music venue, the Jam House.
Keep exploring!
Here are some other websites you can use to explore what else Birmingham has to offer: