City South Campus is nestled in the leafy suburb of Edgbaston, just to the south of Birmingham city centre. But don’t think that because we aren’t in the heart of the city there isn’t much going on here.
Edgbaston is a thriving and historical area of Birmingham with plenty to offer. If 1920s art-deco restaurants, world-class sports facilities and baby sloths are your thing, then you’ll feel right at home in Edgbaston.
1. Restaurants and cafés
There are endless restaurants and cafés in Edgbaston for you to try – after all, it is one of the most affluent suburban areas of Birmingham!
From Indian to Italian, there is something to suit everyone’s tastes.
For those still seeking a coffee (or tea) fix, Boston Tea Party is a 5 minute walk back towards City South Campus and presents a variety of tea flavours, including Assam, Jasmine and even Gunpowder (we’re not sure either). Make sure you check out their food menu – we recommend their all day West Country or Veggie Breakfast.
Laghi’s Deli is a fairly new edition to the Edgbaston food scene but has recently won Italian Restaurant of the Year at the Midlands Food and Drink awards. They offer all of the Italian classics in a modern and minimalist setting. Situated on Islington Row, Laghi’s Deli is only a 15 minute walk from City South Campus.
Edgbaston is also home to one of Birmingham’s four Michelin starred restaurants, Simpsons, which is a two minute walk from campus. Unless you’re a student who really enjoys splashing out, we wouldn’t recommend visiting on every lunch break, but for a special occasion and to eat food you don’t know the name of (e.g. “Wild Halibut” and “Blythburgh Pork”) it might be worth knowing.
2. Parks and gardens
Cannon Hill Park is the ideal place for a bit of recreation, with a large grass arena and plenty of spots for picnicking and studying in the sun (in the summer anyway).
There are five tennis courts on offer (for the sport inclined) as well as a 36 hole crazy golf course. At the Pershore Road end of the park is the Birmingham Wildlife Park, home to a range of animals, including meerkats, lemurs, monkeys and a new baby sloth!
Cannon Hill Park is roughly a 30 minute walk from City South Campus or a 10 minute bike ride.
Located on the same road as City South, just a two minute walk from the main entrance, is one of Birmingham’s best attractions – The Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The gardens are home to four glasshouses containing 7,000 tropical rainforest plants. There is also a tearoom and gift shop.
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are open every day, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, from 10.00am to 5.00pm and entry costs students just £4.72.
3. Gyms and sports
Edgbaston Archery and Lawn Tennis Society is the oldest Lawn Tennis Club in the World. Situated adjacent to The Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the Club has two Astro-turf courts with floodlights, four shale and six grass courts and a clubhouse with a bar, kitchen and changing rooms. The courts may be hired at off peak times.
The Warwickshire County Cricket Club is based at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, the area historically being part of Warwickshire. As well as hosting regular county matches, the ground plays host to the England cricket team during one day internationals and test matches.
There are plenty of gyms with reasonable membership fees available around City South Campus. Anytime Fitness is based on Harborne Road to the rear of the campus and PureGym on Broad Street are both open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to all members.
You will also find a Nuffield Health gym located at the Broadway Plaza, just off the Five Ways roundabout, which offers a 20m swimming pool and is only a 10 minute walk away from City South Campus.
4. Nightlife
Located on Highfield Road about a two minute walk from City South Campus is The Edgbaston – a “cocktail lounge offering a unique refuge of timeless elegance, unwavering taste, and unrivalled care and courtesy” (according to their website). The drinks here are just as fancy as their description so we wouldn’t recommend dropping in too often.
Adjacent to The Edgbaston, based in a former 1920s office building, is The High Field. Serving quality fresh food all day and a range of drinks in a contemporary art deco bar, The High Field is a popular spot, especially in the summer thanks to its spacious garden and two sunny terraces. Expect reasonable, but not cheap, prices for food and drinks.
City South Campus is also just a 10 minute walk away from Broad Street which boasts a variety of bars and restaurants including Birmingham Bierkeller, Revolution Birmingham and Pitcher and Piano.
5. Shops and banks
You will find a Morrison’s supermarket situated at the end of Harborne Road, about a 10 minute walk from City South Campus. The campus also provides a free to use ATM but if you do ever need a bank, a NatWest is based on Greenfield Cresent just off of Calthorpe Road.
For more information about City South Campus visit the City South Facilities page.
Explore Birmingham
Why not explore your new city over the summer? Whether it's sport, festivals or food that you're after, Birmingham has it all.
