Gay Village
Situated along Hurst Street next to the Chinese quarter and down the road from the city’s famous Hippodrome Theatre, the Gay Village boasts plenty of great night time venues to enjoy, no matter what you're after! Whether you’re looking for a relaxing drink with friends, a high-energy all-night party, an evening of fun cabaret or you just fancy grabbing a bite to eat, you're sure to find something - or should that be someone? - that takes your fancy!
The longest-established venue in the Gay Village is the Nightingale Club. ‘The Gale’, as it's lovingly known, celebrates its fortieth birthday in 2009 - and certainly looks in better shape than a lot of forty-year-olds!
Spread (but not in a middle-aged way, you understand!) over three floors, the venue presents live entertainment with top-name acts every Saturday night. It also boasts a large dance arena, an outdoor beer garden and smoking area, and a restaurant (what a lot it's got!).
Other nightclub-style venues of note in the Gay Village include Club Chic and Club DV8.
As well as the nightclubs, there are also many bars which are ideal for chilling out. The Loft Lounge, for example, is a venue that’s inspired by the 'New York City living' concept, and is noted for its relaxed atmosphere and stylish restaurant. Another place to grab a bite to eat is Equator, which serves both breakfast and brunch.
The Village Inn, Missing and Glamorous Show Bar, meanwhile, are venues which specialise in presenting some of the biggest names on the gay cabaret scene. So if you fancy seeing some rouged-up dames strutting their splendid stuff, these are the places to head for!
The new-kid-on-the-block is Eden, which opened in 2008 and provides regular live music and a great atmosphere.
The Gay Village also boasts a lesbian bar, The Fox, and a couple of venues which appeal mainly to men - Boltz and The Fountain Inn. Other venues of note in the Village are Angels Cafe Bar, Route 2 and The Wellington Hotel.
Gay Village development
Benefiting from a massive £550k injection of City Council cash, Birmingham's Gay Village is being redeveloped during 2009 to make the area an even more vibrant and attractive location. Improvements include the widening of pavements to allow venues to position tables and chairs outdoors, and the planting of trees and shrubs, all of which should help give the area a more cosmopolitan, international feel. Barcelona and its like may soon be turning green with envy!
Now, if we could just get the sun to shine a bit more often...