Birmingham

Birmingham is a culturally diverse city of over one million people located in the West Midlands county. It was the centre of the Industrial Revolution, and has reinvented itself as a national commercial. It is also extremely popular with tourists, who flock to Birmingham to experience its dense covering of old oak trees, remnants of the ancient Forest of Arden, and hills overlooking the city, as well as its rich history in numerous cultural traditions.

The works of J.R.R. Tolkien were inspired in part by Birmingham, specifically Sarehole Mill. The author lived only 300 yards from the water mill. The nearby grasslands and grounds of Sarehole mill play host to an annual event, Tolkien weekend, celebrating the life and works of this great author.

Other places of interest in Birmingham include a large number of museums, and art galleries. One notable museum is the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery which has world-renowned collections by the Pre-Raphealite Brotherhood and Edward Burne-Jones.

For people who love the outdoors, Birmingham offers over 8000 acres of parks to enjoy. These include Sutton Park and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, amongst others.

For students, Birmingham is a mecca of diversity in program offerings. It has three universities, two university colleges, a technology institute, and The Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham School of Acting. Renting In Birmingham.com can assist you in finding great student accommodations.

The city of Birmingham is very sports-oriented as well, most notably in cricket, football, rugby, basketball, boxing, hockey, and racing.

Birmingham holds a permanent place in musical history with the bands Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Electric Light Orchestra, UB40, The Beat, and Duran Duran hailing from this storied city.