Any shops/places worth visiting in Birmingham?

axisus

Might be taking a drive up there on Sunday as my daughters are desperate to visit Tokyo toys. It's a bit of a trek so I'd rather make the most of it. Any good record or instrument shops? anywhere worth a visit?

Moss

The Little Guitar Shop is awesome - loads of cool quirky stuff

Drew_TNBD

wtf is Tokyo toys?

EricTheWeary

Tokyo Toys sells anime/ manga type stuff : t shirts, plush dolls and key rings,etc,etc. Not a huge shop. It's in the city centre. There are a couple of comic and collectables shops in walking distance from it - Forbidden Planet is just around the corner and ( the larger)Nostalgia and Comics a bit further away.
There are a lot of shops in the city centre, the Bull Ring is pretty big plus all the other malls and shops. Selfridges at the one end of the Bull Ring is worth a look for the food hall. Grand Central is the new mall above New Street station and is quite an impressive space, lots of eateries of all sorts and some posh chain stores.
Instrument wise only really Fair Deal in the city centre which is a bit underwhelming, although close to Nostalgia and Comics if I have my geography correct. 
The Little Guitar Shop would be a further drive or public transport ( the metro [ the tram]would get you quite near it so you could include that as part of the adventure...) and the Birmingham branches of GuitarGuitar or PMT both quite large but not really city centre ( unless your family enjoy some vigorous walking as part of their shopping expedition). The Little Guitar Shop by the way is in the jewellery quarter which is interesting in itself although completely shut up on Sunday's. 
If you don't want all the chain shops you could walk down through the market and the rag market ( second hand clothes and the like)toward the Chinese quarter which has a few interesting places to eat. I like Cafe Soya as quite cheap but interesting, there are two branches ( it's not a vegetarian place as people seem to assume). 

EricTheWeary

Oh, interesting buildings: the museum and art gallery or walk a bit further on ( via a diversion around some building works last time I looked) to the new library which a lot of people find is an interesting space to wander around. You can go out on the roof, sit in the cafe, etc. Further on from that is the symphony hall although all you probably can do is wander through the foyer ( which is actually quite nice) and come out into Brindley Place where there are restaurants by the side of the canal like Pizza Express and Handmade Burger Co and that kind of thing. 
Or just walk past the Odeon and say to your family ' did you know that's where Eric Clapton did his racist rant?'

dchwhite

People were kind enough to give me some Birmingham advice recently:

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/79654/birmingham-guitar-shop-recommendations/p1

axisus

@Erictheweary Many thanks, loads of useful info! @dchwhite Thanks, I'll take a look

axisus

EricTheWeary said:

Tokyo Toys sells anime/ manga type stuff : t shirts, plush dolls and key rings,etc,etc. Not a huge shop.

I went to the London one and it was a pretty tiny (and expensive!) shop, but when I took my girls along they almost burst with excitement! They are massive manga/anime fans.

ToneControl

axisus said:

Might be taking a drive up there on Sunday as my daughters are desperate to visit Tokyo toys. It's a bit of a trek so I'd rather make the most of it. Any good record or instrument shops? anywhere worth a visit?

my daughter has very seriously  gotten into Anime  this year, thanks for the tip

ToneControl

you missed the ultimate record sale if you wanted vinyl
This was the store I went to  and didn't have the cash to spend when I was a kid:
http://www.reddingtonsrarerecords.co.uk/

ToneControl

Have they finished rebuilding the shopping centre and digging up the road in New street  yet?

ToneControl

visit the back-to-back  houses:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/birmingham-back-to-backs
B5 4TE
you have to book a tour, only takes 30 mins 

also the Black country outdoor museum is very good:
https://www.bclm.co.uk/
DY1 4SQ

For a memorable meal or drink, go to the subsidence-damaged pub   http://www.thecrooked-house.co.uk/
DY3 4DA
it's amazing, you feel sick when you walk in:

http://cdn.homesandhues.com/images/gallery/31/1/1031/211_11-Totally-Weird-Buildings-From-Around-the-World_0-f.jpg

Gassage

My rig is here for you. £25 per 10 mins.

richardhomer

Gassage said:

My rig is here for you. £25 per 10 mins.

And he'll make you up a badge (with Dymo tape) which reads 'I've handled @Gassage's equipment'.

Iamnobody

Gassage said:

My rig is here for you. £25 per 10 mins.

Is payment in kind no longer an option?

Flink_Poyd

Tokyo Toys is pretty small but as mentioned there's a Forbidden Planet on Bull St. If Tokyo Toys is on your left walk to the top of Corporation St following the tram tracks and Forbidden is opposite the tram stop, Nostalgia is a bit further the other way if you go through New St station but both walking distance 

IvisonGuitars

Is Oasis still open? I know there was talk of knocking it down in the redevelopment of Dale End? Great alternative shops in there.

earwighoney

MR EGG. 

EricTheWeary

Oasis is a good call. Mr Egg not what it was. 

ToneControl

EricTheWeary said:

Oasis is a good call. Mr Egg not what it was. 

wow:
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/ex-boss-of-mr-egg-jailed-148451
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/former-mr-egg-premises-given-134232
new one is much smaller:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186402-d5769886-Reviews-Mr_Egg-Birmingham_West_Midlands_England.html

bbill335

Little Guitar Shop is max 20mins walk from New Street. I should know, I live on the same street. Or, you could get the new tram to the Jewellery Quarter from the centre, but for £1 each way for a few of you, it might be worth just doing the walk. If your kids are into Tokyo Toys stuff, chances are they play Pokemon Go. Lots of good Pokemon spawns between Jewellery Quarter and the centre. 

One thing to note about LGS is, while Martin and crew are really friendly and knowledgeable, it is SMALL and intimate. If you want big, head in the other direction from the Bullring to PMT. Go past Moor Street station, past Millenium Point and just keep going. Again, it's 10-15 minutes or so from the centre proper.

Edit: Just spotted that you're coming on a Sunday. LGS won't be open.