Five reasons to love working in Birmingham, UK
For anyone who might be interested in relocating to this fantastic city
By Ian Cadman, Director of Engineering at Sidetrade
Birmingham has been placed in the world’s spotlight over the last couple of weeks as the Commonwealth Games descended on the city.
For those of you that don’t know, the city is the largest one in the West Midlands, can be found right in the centre of the UK, and of course, is home to those infamous Peaky Blinders.
But there’s much more to the city than just this.
Two years ago, Sidetrade officially opened up the Sidetrade Birmingham Tech Hub, and since then has grown a team of over 80 software developers, data scientists, engineers and many more tech pros, all based in this glorious city.
As the Commonwealth Games draws to a close, here at Sidetrade, we’ve been reflecting on what makes Birmingham a fantastic place to live and work.
- No need to go Round the Wrekin (AKA the long way around) when you’re in Birmingham
…because everything is so quick and easy to get to in and around the city! Thanks to great public transport links and the fact that most things are near each other, there’s no such thing as “taking the long way round”. Here you’ll find:
🚗 Cheaper-than-London city centre parking
🚎 Frequent and reliable bus and tram services
🛴 Easy scooter and bike hire
👣 Pedestrian-friendly zones at every turn
And it’s not just the city itself, which is incredibly accessible, but the world beyond Birmingham too what with:
🚆 Three train stations in the city centre alone (Grand Central, Snow Hill, Moor Street)
🛤️ HS2 on Curzon Street which is currently being built
✈️ And of course, Birmingham International Airport, which is just one stop by train, and means you don’t have to make the trek to London to go on your holidays
The Sidetrade office is right in the heart of the city; it’s short hop to any shop you need with The Bullring Shopping Centre and Mailbox just a 10-minute walk away. And it’s easy to get to our Sidetrade London and Paris offices too.
2. Live music, sports, or theatre… the options are endless!
In Birmingham, you’re spoilt for choice for live sports events, music, comedy, theatre and much more. That goes for up-and-coming talents as well as world-renowned superstars.
In addition to being Host of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham is home to big league sports teams with Aston Villa and Birmingham City football stadiums, and Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
And the music scene… well there’s something for everyone, as international musicians come to play here all the time… perhaps it’s thanks to the incredible talents that hail from Brum… from Ozzy Osbourne and Mike Skinner, to Duran Duran and UB40.
3. Speaking of UB40, there’s plenty of spots to get some Red Red Wine…
… or any other food or beverage you fancy for that matter.
One of Sidetraders’ favourite drinking spots in the city is The Alchemist where we’ve had some very memorable times indeed.
And when it comes to food, did you know that Brum has the most MICHELIN restaurants outside of London? Sidetraders are working their way through the list of these as quick as we can!
Did you also know it’s the birthplace of the ‘balti’, with The Balti Triangle where you can eat curries to your heart’s content? We’d love to know if you have a favourite spot in the comments, because we can’t agree between us which one is best!
And during the festive period, The Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market (AKA the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of central Europe) comes to town … so plenty of spots to grab a Glühwein (AKA mulled wine), Knoblauchbrot (Garlic Bread), or Bratwurst.
4. That’s there’s something for everyone…
The city has one of the most multi-cultural and diverse populations in Europe. Because of this there are plenty of interest groups and meetups in the area catering to all kinds of hobbies, so you’ll never be short of things to do.
For all you techies out there, groups like Fusion and BrumJS regularly host some fantastic meet ups.
5. And finally, the lingo…
The Brummie accent is truly the best and most recognisable accent in the UK with our rounded vowels and melodic sounds.
And it’s not just the accent either… we could write a whole new dictionary with Brummie slang and phrases, many of which get thrown around the office on a daily basis.
So, for anyone who doesn’t live and work in Brum already, in the words of Mike Skinner — Dry Your Eyes Mate, and in the meantime, take comfort in the fact that if you’re interested in living and working in Birmingham, there’s plenty of great companies that are hiring… Sidetrade included! Check out our careers page here to see our job openings.
Tara-a-bit!
