Londoners in Birmingham: A survival guide

Last year, more people leaving London moved to Birmingham than any other UK city. Thinking of taking the leap? Here's a survival guide to help you make a smooth transition.

Hipster hangouts

If you're a cool kid missing Shoreditch, the Jewellery Quarter is the place to go in search of handlebar moustaches and deconstructed dinners. You can play board games in our pubs and rummage through vintage clothes shops.

Boating

London might have the River Thames but we have more canals than Venice. Our cities are connected by the Grand Union canal - the longest in the UK at 137 miles. There's no more relaxing way to explore your new surroundings than on a canal boat tour.

Gas Street Basin was once a busy transport hub linking the Worcester and Birmingham Canal to the Birmingham Canal Main Line

Tube crush

Worried you'll miss standing squashed under a stranger's armpit on the Tube to work? No need - ours is the second busiest city in the country for rail commuters with 39,000 arriving in the morning peak.

And more than 6,000 passengers are forced to stand for their weekday rail journey in, according to our local paper the Birmingham Mail. You can even read the Metro if you can find the elbow room.

Casino

When invited for a spot of gambling be sure to clarify your Birmingham friend is looking to roll dice and not you. To "gambol" up here means to "forward roll".

Tourist attractions

We know Londoners never bother to go the tourist attractions and shows the capital has to offer. So when West End shows tour our theatres you can avoid them too.

Other places to give a wide berth unless relatives come to visit include Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Cadbury World.

Cadbury's owners Mondelez said Bournville was the "best place in the world" to make bars such as Dairy Milk

Picnic in the park

A capital way to while away a weekend is with a picnic in the park. We have lots of lovely green spaces for you to lay down your checked blanket and pop prosecco in. Some even have tennis courts and fishing spots.

Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham is made up of 80 acres of formal parkland and 120 acres of conservation and woodland plantation.

Buz

If you're missing the buzz of London you can jump on our buz - pronounced bus in London. There's a sightseeing buz, a ghost buz, a Shakespeare buz, a Peaky Blinders buz, a Hobbit buz..

Birmingham Big Brum Buz sightseeing tours are a great way to get to know your new city

Talking to strangers

Word of warning: In Birmingham we exchange pleasantries with strangers. Some might even call you bab. It's OK we are just being friendly.