Now in its fourth year since being renovated, the Birmingham Bull Ring Shopping Centre is a fantastic place to shop.
There are a wide range of stores - all the usual High Street favourites, as well as some smaller retailers.
Perhaps the most noticable and well known thing about the Bull Ring, is the design of the Selfridge's building. From the outside, it looks like a large, bulbous spaceship, pannelled with hundreds of silver circles. On the inside, it is a modern deparment store on four levels, with thousands of products on offer.
The Bull Ring complex spreads around St Martins Church, the statue of Lord Nelson looking out imposingly over the square. The mall's are split into two parts, one either side of St Martins, although they are joined by the lower ground floor.
The inside of the centre looks modern and clean, with marble-effect floor and a glass ceiling. There are several touch screen computerised information points situatied around the centre, which you can browse for information about the shops, job offers and a floor plan. There are also information desks with attendants who will be ready to help you.
There aren't too many places to eat inside The Bull Ring - there's a Burger King and a Pizza Hut, an Italian and several cafes. The Pavillions Food Loft is only a short walk away, and caters to several different types of food.
Travel connections aren't to be worried about - The Bull Ring is smack dab in the middle of the City Centre, with New Street station situated across from one entrance, and Moor Street opposite another entrance. Buses stop regularly outside Selfridges, and New Street also serves as a taxi rank.
If you can get here by train or bus, I would recommend doing so, because the car parks can be expensive. The Selfridges car park can get very busy, and so if you are coming by car, I would say use the Moor Street car park which is just opposite.
The shopping centre can get very busy on weekends and school holidays, and so this might be a disadvantage for some.
If you can't find what you're looking for in the Bull Ring, the other shopping areas of Birmingham are only a short walk away. The Pavillions is right next to it, and there are shops lining New Street and High Street.
For a great shopping experience, I would say Birmingham Bull Ring is definitely worth a visit.
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Feb 8th, 2007
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