In the past few years, Birmingham has spent millions of dollars renovating their city into a hot bed for tourism. New stores, restaurants, and attractions have been added or renovated turning the city into an exciting location for tourists to visit. Birmingham and Leeds are neck and neck for the status of the second largest city in England. When Birmingham's suburbs are considered, Birmingham takes the lead with over one million residents. Located northwest of London, Birmingham is in the heart of England with Scotland, Wales, and London a similar distance away. Tourists should note that as of July 1, 2007, Birmingham will become a smoke-free city meaning that smoking in public places will no longer be allowed. This is occurring in many cities throughout the United States, and now England is making an effort to reduce second-hand smoke for the majority.

	Top rated hotels
	1. Birmingham Marriott Hotel 12 Hagley Road, Five Ways 4. Norwood Hotel 87 89 Bunbury Road 2. The Macdonald Burlington Hotel Burlington Arcade 5. Hotel du Vin Birmingham 1 Church Street 3. Hyatt Regency Birmingham 2 Bridge Street 6. City Thistle St chads, queensway. View more Birmingham hotel info »«

	Top rated attractions
	In Birmingham 1. Thinktank Museum Thinktank Museum is a must for families with young children. The museum is geared towards the exploration of science and the world that we live in. Ten different exhibits allow adults and children to use all five senses as they explore how engines work, the role of medicine in today's world, Birmingham's history, and much more. Children can experience the life of a doctor, how to repair a car, the work involved in food preparation, and even how animals and humans adapt in a changing world. An IMAX theater and planetarium are also available for an additional price.  « hide 2. Cadbury World Birmingham is home to one of the world's largest chocolate producers, Cadbury Chocolate. Guests are welcome to come take a three-hour tour of the manufacturing plant where they can learn how chocolate is produced from start to finish. The tour includes a number of samples along the way. The self-guided tour also takes guests through the chocolate museum, a self-service restaurant, and ends at the huge chocolate shop where people can purchase goodies products following the tour's completion. Cadbury World can get extremely busy during the school year; therefore, advanced reservations are encouraged.  « hide 3. Bullring Market The Bullring Market opened in the 12th century. The establishment of this small market helped transform Birmingham into a thriving market town. Today, the Bullring is the area where many shoppers congregate to search for inexpensive merchandise and clothing. Bullring is packed with over 150 stores, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques to please shoppers of all ages. Located in the heart of the city, Bullring Market is easy accessible by car, rail, bus, or taxi.  « hide 4. Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses In the southwestern section of Birmingham is a lovely fifteen-acre botanical garden park that has been a major attraction for more than 100 years. Tourists and locals are welcome to stroll through the park's main garden featuring a pristine bandstand. A number of gardens await including an English cottage garden, a pine grove, Tudor gardens, rock gardens, a stunning English herb garden, and even a garden where children are welcome to touch and explore all of the plants and flowers. Glasshouses create different climates from a desert to a rain forest.  « hide 5. Blakesley Hall Tourists will find that Blakesley Hall is an excellent addition to their itinerary as it provides a glimpse into times long past without tying up hours of a day. Blakesley Hall is a 16th century house surrounded by gorgeous herb and flower gardens. The house and surrounding buildings have been renovated in the past few years with a new tourist center and the 17th century barn is also open. Furnishings include a number of 17th century antiques that appeals to many adults. Tourists are well advised to check the schedule first because on certain days Teddy Bear Picnics and Elizabethan garden parties are held. Falconry demonstrations are also held regularly to the fascination of many bird lovers.  « hide 6. Victoria Square In 1993, the late Princess Diana cut the ribbon opening the renovated Victoria Square, home of Birmingham's city hall and many sculptures and water features. One of the key highlights is the often talked about fountain “The Floozie in the Jacuzzi.” Victoria Square is a huge paved square, named for the large statue of Queen Victoria, where the locals enjoy sitting and people watching. In nice weather, Victoria Square is an excellent location for soaking up the sun and viewing works of art that are scattered throughout.  « hide 7. Bournville After moving their famous chocolate factory to the suburbs of Birmingham, Richard and George Cadbury were disheartened by the crime and slums surrounding the area. Realizing that their cherished employees needing safe housing, the established a small village around their factory where important employees could live and easily walk to work. Bournville is a popular attraction with the locals and tourists who enjoy touring a number of pristine Victorian houses, churches, schools, and Quaker meetinghouses.  « hide 8. Ackers Ackers is a seventy-acre rural park that offers a range of outdoor activities year round. In winter months, skiing, sledding, and snowboarding are popular activities. During the warmer months, tourists and locals flock to the area for hiking, kayaking, boating, archery, rock climbing and more. Experienced trainers who are all skilled in CPR and first aid lead all programs. The activities' schedule varies, so tourists are advised to call first and see if there are programs that suit their desires first.  « hide View more Birmingham attractions » « View less Birmingham attractions

	Top rated restaurants
	1. Beau Thai Beau Thai is under new management but locals still give the restaurant high praise. Lunch is served during the week only, but dinners are the main attraction. For a set price, diners can enjoy a four-course meal and sample some incredible Thai cuisine. The Tempura King Prawns and Calamari served with a Thai Fish Cake are highly recommended.  « hide 6. Rajdoot Rajdoot is an older establishment that moved a to a new, busier area a few years ago. The food is fantastic, so locals were happily to follow the chef to his new location. Tourists should try the full dinners, a little more expensive, but a large selection of appetizers, curries, breads, rice dishes, and dipping sauces are offered for one set price.  « hide 2. Café Soya Café Soya won Birmingham Plus’s Restaurant of the Year award a few years ago. The menu offers some unique Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. Unlike other area restaurants, the menu offers a number of vegetarian meals making it one of the better choices for vegetarian fare. The Papaya Salad Vermicelli is exceptional. Tourists should also try the Vietnamese Spicy Fried Rice. The restaurant is BYOB, so diners wanting a glass of wine or beer with their meal must carry it into the restaurant with them.  « hide 7. Jessica’s Jessica’s has held a Michelin Star rating for the past three years and was named Restaurant Of The Year in 2006. Food here at Jessica’s is prepared with care and precision and contains a delightful blend of tastes and aromas. Meals are prix fixed and diners should expect to enjoy an appetizer, main course, and dessert for the set price. Tourists are well advised to save room for the decadent dessert. Vegetarian meals are available, and an a la carte menu is available for light eaters. Reports are that Jessica’s will close in the summer of 2007 when Chef Glynn Purnell opens his own Birmingham restaurant, Purnell’s, this July. If this does happen, Chef Purnell promises fantastic cuisine at his own restaurant.  « hide 3. Chung Ying Garden Chung Ying Garden serves Cantonese fare. Recommended by the AA and the Good Food Guide, diners are assured to receive delightful food for a reasonable price. The restaurant is the largest in Birmingham with more than 350 seats and a huge menu that is the largest Cantonese menu in all of England. The chances are high that Chung Ying will have many selections that appeal to visitors.  « hide 8. Newhall’s Newhall’s new chef has held Michelin Stars, so there is a strong chance that Newhall might become the third Michelin Star rated restaurant in Manchester. Newhall is located in a stunning 12th century inn/hotel. Meals range from a smoked salmon and crab salad to spring lamb casserole. Those diners who wish to pay slightly more for a prix fixed meal are welcome to order the three-course meal that includes coffee.  « hide 4. Itihaas Itihaas is a gorgeous restaurant that displays many Indian antiques throughout the restaurant’s décor. Chef Amardeep Saka spent years training at the Sheraton Delhi, where the establishment held a five-star rating. The cuisine at Itihaas is exceptionally succulent with fresh produce and hand-ground spice blends seasoning all dishes. Children are more than welcome to dine at Itihaas.  « hide 9. Simpsons Simpsons is an upscale restaurant, but it caters well to families thanks to an inventive children’s menu. The menu is prix fixed and contains three or four courses for a set price. Diners choose their appetizer, entrée, and dessert from a small list of offerings.  « hide 5. Peppers Peppers is going to lead the team involved in 2007’s “Curry Capital” competition. Peppers is known by locals as being the best spot in town for both take-out and eat-in curry. A lavish “Bollywood” themed bar also draws in a large crowd. With dedicated chefs who use only the freshest produce, herbs, and meats, tourists will find that the Indian cuisine at Peppers is amazing.  « hide 10. The Anchor Perhaps the favorite pub in all of Birmingham, The Anchor serves traditional pub fare (fish and chips, sandwiches, hamburgers, Scampi, roast chicken and more.) In 2003, The Anchor received high praise when being named Pub of the Year by CAMRA’s Campaign for Real Ale. Beer selections vary regularly, so tourists should expect a nice range of choices. The establishment draws a mixed crowd of both ages and nationalities allowing tourists to feel quite at home.  « hide

	Birmingham Insider tips
	1. Areas to Avoid Despite local efforts to clean up drugs and crimes, the neighborhood of Aston remains unsafe, especially at night. Aston lost face a year ago after a random shooting left two young women dead. Shootings and stabbings continue to be a problem in this area. In general, there is not a lot in Aston that will appeal to tourists, however, so it should not be much of a problem. Lozells and Handsworth are two areas where the crime rate increases late at night. Tourists seeking a night out should call a cab rather than try to walk back to their hotel or inn. Staying in well-lit areas and/or traveling in large groups also helps keep purse snatchings and assaults from occurring in these areas.  « hide 2. Buses Smoking on the public buses is illegal and carries a fine of approximately $2,000. Though tourists may see the locals smoking anyway, it is best to refrain from smoking on the buses to avoid this hefty fine. Additionally, tourists should be aware that the buses only take exact change. Failure to have the exact change will lead to the driver refusing to let a passenger ride. Those who plan to use buses to get from one area of town to another should keep a pocketful of change on hand.  « hide 3. Driving Is Different Tourists must remember that in Great Britain, not only is the steering wheel on the opposite side (passenger side by U.S. standards) of the car, but cars drive on the opposite side of the road as well. Drivers will shift gears with their left hand instead of their right. Some rentals come with plaques on the dashboard to remind drivers to remain in the left lane. If not, tourists may want to put a sticky note on the dashboard so that they do not forget. Tourists may want to practice driving in a quieter town or suburb before tackling city traffic.  « hide

	Birmingham nightlife
	In Birmingham 1. Miss Moneypennys Founded in 1986, Miss Moneypennys is a hip dance club in the heart of Birmingham. Since its inception, Miss Moneypennys has expanded to include world tours, online stores, and more. In the spring/summer, tourists and locals will enjoy a number of Hawaiian themed nights where drink specials will be plentiful and the music will fit in perfectly with the warmer weather. The crowd at Miss Moneypennys is very eclectic and varies from show to show.  « hide 2. Godskitchen Godskitchen is in the heart of Birmingham and it is the locals’ first choice for music most any night. Live performances occur regularly and sell out quickly. Therefore, tourists should head online and purchase tickets before traveling if they plan to visit Godskitchen. Music styles vary at Godskitchen so most music fans will find performances that suit their tastes every week. There is a dress code in place, so patrons must not wear hoodies, hats, sports, or leisure wear. Godskitchen draws in the late teens and twenty-something crowd, so some older people may not enjoy this establishment.  « hide

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