Birmingham

We think Birmingham is an absolutely amazing city to be a student in. We are sure you have heard for the umpteenth time from marketeers that it has more canals than Venice. However let's take a look at some of the things you may not know about:

Birmingham is a powerhouse of innovation and is well known for its industrial heritage. The birthplace of the steam engine, custard and heavy metal has had a global impact and influenced humanity as a whole.

Birmingham is the second most populous city in the UK, with over 3.8 million residents and was granted city status in 1889 and played a major part in the industrial revolution, both through new innovative manufacturing techniques, automation through machines and improvements to supply chains..

To this day Birmingham is constantly redeveloping itself with renovations taking place in Brindleyplace, The Mailbox and The Pavilions over the last few years.

Birmingham offers a wide range of arts and cultural activities:

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is home to the largest collection of pre-Raphaelite artwork in the world.
Ikon Gallery is an internationally acclaimed contemporary art venue, recognised for its individuality.
Jewellery Quarter is home to Europe’s largest school of jewellery.
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) is the UK’s second oldest independent art gallery.

Digbeth is a burgeoning creative area in Birmingham, truly feeding into the idea of an independent Birmingham. It houses a number of bars, coffee shops, clothing outlets, record stores and creative spaces for business.

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Digbeth is also home to the City of Colours festival, where every year over 100 artists turn the city into an outdoor art gallery.

Birmingham is packed with festivals and events all year long, most of which are free.

Food and drink:

Music:

Screen:

Brindleyplace Film Festival (every July)
Shock & Gore (annual horror and fantasy film festival)

Nightlife in Birmingham is fairly diverse and there should be something for everyone, whether you're into pubs or clubs. Both the Gosta Green and Sack of Potatoes are situated on campus for a quiet pub night.

For those of you who fuel your night with chart music Broad Street is going to be your first port of call. For the indie types Horsefair Road is the home of Propaganda at the O2 Academy Birmingham and the newly relocated Snobs.

If you're into the slightly heavier side of things you will find both Eddies and Uprawr in Hockley for all your rock club needs. Digbeth also has a number of venues catering to house music.

Other great student nights:

Birmingham has a fantastic live music scene, both on a local level and attracting international touring acts. The following venues regularly host live music:

Being an Aston student you'll have a large amount of sports facilities available to you on campus, whether that be the Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Center or joining one of the many sports clubs ran by the Students' Union.

Birmingham is also renowned across the world as a venue for competitive sport. The city has some of the most greatest settings in the UK, including the Barclaycard Arena, Alexander Stadium, Villa Park and the Genting Arena. It is also home to more European and World events than any other city in the UK, so there's always something to cheer for.

See here the amateur and professional sport events Birmingham is hosting every year.

Birmingham is fantastically well connected with an expansive bus network, newly redeveloped Grand Central Train Station and an international airport just outside the city.

You can also get around the city by boat along the canals (not the fastest way to travel, but definitely the most picturesque) or by bike. There are cycle lanes on most of the major routes with some of the city’s most beautiful parks and waterways along the route. More information can be found here.

Did you know Aston University is the Official UK University Partner of Aston Villa Football Club? Read more here.

@IGersBirmingham is the official Instagram account for the city. Around 100 images are posted to their hashtag (#IGersBirmingham) every day. Each evening they chose their favourite shot which they repost as the Photo of the Day. Here’s just a sample of past POTDs – follow them for more.