00:01It's easy to find fault with Birmingham. Bins, broken fountains, half-finished
00:06train stations but behind the headlines and neglected budgets there are still
00:10places, people and pockets of brilliance that don't get their fair share of
00:14attention. We're not talking about sponsored attractions or the glossy
00:18stuff on brochures. We're asking Brummies what's real, what's local, what still
00:23matters. Maybe it's a hidden cafe, an old library or just a stretch of canal no one
00:28walks down anymore because if you want to know what's underrated, don't ask a
00:32guidebook, ask the people who actually live here.
00:36Custom factory. Getting back down to Digbeth into the older areas, unfortunately
00:43it's been stripped back but there's some really nice golden nuggets around
00:47there which is all the underground stuff. Brumgib's missing a lot of the stuff it
00:51had back in the 80s where it's all subterranean, all those different little
00:55parts and it's nice to see a bit of an emergence back there as well and
00:58some of the independents coming back. As a Birmingham person I think, I think all
01:02the good places are rated, I think everyone likes them. I think, I think for
01:07people outside of Birmingham, I think all the Birmingham's underrated. I don't
01:12know really, I mean this is a beautiful area and I've been taking photos of the
01:15old and the new buildings and things. So whether a lot of people come here and
01:20visit, whether it's advertised enough as a place to come, there's a lot of people
01:23tend to spend their time in the ball ring and shops. They don't come and look up at
01:27these beautiful buildings. So yeah, maybe places like this need to be pushed a bit
01:31more and say if you come to Birmingham, come here.
01:33The people, I'd have to say. I don't always know that like communities get the credit that
01:38they deserve, especially in big cities like this. Yeah, I'd say Digberth is pretty underrated,
01:43but at the same time, it's not as accessible. I think with the plans to put the tram system
01:49towards the area would make that. For me personally, there's loads of places I want to go to Digberth,
01:54but because of where it is and how to get there, I think I find it difficult.
01:58While some answers might be sentimental, others are more practical. Green spices,
02:03local markets, cultural heritage, things slowly falling off the radar in a city obsessed with
02:09skyscrapers and student flats. For many, what's underrated isn't just physical,
02:13it's the atmosphere, the people, the sense of identity. It raises the question,
02:18has Birmingham lost its character in the chase for redevelopment, or is it simply evolving,
02:24and these overlooked gems are reminders of what we risk forgetting? I don't know. I mean,
02:29I think the Commonwealth Games is brilliant. I really enjoyed that, I think. But there's people
02:34like iTunes Birmingham and stuff on Twitter and stuff, I think that does try to sort of promote
02:43a really positive image and sort of not an over-sterilised one either. I think like a good
02:51a good view of what Birmingham is. But yeah, I think in general, yeah, it's all right.
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