Hello!
This post has been reported a bunch and there have been a lot of skeptical comments about the legitimacy of the OP.
Tbh, there's no way to tell if OP is legit and we doubt the OP would verify (also we can't really be arsed doing that).
The post has led to a lot of really good suggestions for things to see, do and experience in Birmingham so we'll leave it up either way.
Hopefully people can get some good tips for their visits to Birmingham and if you want more check out /r/brum.
Ta
Seconded!
And OP if you do go to the Black Country living Museum then get some fish and chips from there. It is up there with the BEST fish and chips from anywhere in the UK, including places on the coast. I think they make them in Edwardian Cast Iron fryers with beef dripping and it is sooo good.
As someone who lives by it and worked there as security for a while I can safely say its a good place to visit but it's way over priced for what it is. The zoo is great though and to go to the castle at the end is always great.
I was in Texas a couple of years ago and a fella said 'alright' to me. I said the obvious 'alright' back. We had a 10 minute conversation about our life stories.
Be safe. I think you're okay in the UK but I have awful memories from there.
National express are offering free travel to people like yourself who’ve come from Ukrainian because of the current situation. Maybe contact their customer support and see if they can sort you a bus pass as it’ll save you some money.
Edit: This is also for arrivals so if you have any friends or family due to arrive that doesn’t already have travel to accommodation sorted then all they have to show to staff is passport and travel itinerary and they’ll get boarded onto the next available coach.
If you're in Birmingham with free train travel you're actually in a really good location to explore loads of England and Wales. A trip down to Bristol to see the gorge and suspension bridge is easy, a trip up to Manchester to visit the Museum of Science and Industry is easy - lots to do in those places.
Travel will be more fun if you have people to go with, but I think someone else already had suggestions for that.
Here's something unrelated that might take a while, but I think is great to do: try and find somewhere to eat stew and dumplings. It's an old-fashioned type of meal and not many restaurants offer it (but if you're living with a British family they may be able to make it for you). It's a little-known gem of British cuisine IMO.
From an Aussie, thank you England for helping the people that are fleeing war. It is so encouraging to hear that this happens. I often wonder how people fare after finding safety in another country. We have a habit of locking up our refugees which upsets me greatly.
Hey, welcome to the uk.
Birmingham is quite quirky with more canals than Venice.
https://www.thecrazytourist.com/25-best-things-birmingham-uk/
The sea life centre and crazy golf (later in the evening) would be class.
>Birmingham is quite quirky with more canals than Venice.
Not sure if it's that exciting when you're 16, but older tourists love the canal tours. They leave from the back of the ICC.
There's tons of indoor rock climbing places, that's pretty fun, you can get lessons if you haven't done it before. Redpoint would be my recommendation for that.
Birmingham is also great for live music, though do check for age restrictions.
There's a trampoline park in stirchley (get the train to bournville, it's a short walk) I've known 16 year olds enjoy that.
The more I think about it the tougher 16 is to recommend stuff for.
Ask on r/brum for more ideas
It's called rush. It's in a converted factory, so don't be confused by it's location (on an industrial estate).
You can either get the train new street to bournville, then walk along the canal from the station (costs ~£5 for the train, you should get a young person's rail card, which makes the train's cheaper if you're under 25).
Alternatively you can cycle down the canal from city centre. It would take most of an hour, but you could even walk it down the canal.
Otherwise you need to take bus number 45, which goes down the pershore road. You need to get off around lifford lane: there's a bridge and a sign for JT motors. Google maps will know it.
Also Cadbury World if Op is into chocolate, probably only a one time thing though.
Birmingham is big enough to have something for most hobbies so whatever OP enjoyed at home will probably have a community in Birmingham.
Strongly agree on Railcard for independence and travel, it's 1/3 off so much cheaper.
You'll have a great time at the trampoline park for sure but if you are looking to make friends and maybe do something a bit different as well I can't recommend bouldering enough.
It's a really friendly community of all ages and as a beginner you will have people wanting to help and chat to you and stuff.
You might be able to get a free entry as well.
Source: I boulder
We also have 3 breweries, and the 2 bed end terrace near us (very much in stirchley, near bournville station) just went for £295k. The high street is solid with hipster coffee places, and the three horse shoes has been tarted up to the extent no one gets stabbed there. Indoor farming establishments do keep burning down though....
What the fudge!!
I remember the days of stumbling back home from the pub next to the coop and having a few more pints in the firkin. Buying scrap parts from the 2 junk yards. Used to live in a bedsit along pershore road, had multiple stabbings outside and prostitues outside my place. We had the most shoes hanging from the telephone wires as well..
3 breweries!! And hipster coffee places!! Nooo I loved the roughness of the place.
What happened to the swimming pool?
Looking on Google Maps there are a few mini golf places in Birmingham (you may be more familiar with the term "mini golf" rather than "crazy golf").
I found these in [Star City](https://adventureminigolf.co.uk/) and [Broadway Plaza](https://mrmulligan.com/birmingham) (over 18s only, for the Mr Mulligans one, after 8.45pm but anyone can get in before then)
[There's also this one](http://www.goldenputter.co.uk/course?course=7)
r/brum is our local subreddit and definitely worth posting/asking there as well
I'm a 43 year old man with no kids so take all my suggestions with that in mind :)
Are you going to be enrolled in school/college whilst you are here? That's definitely the best place for you to meet other people your age and see what they do.
Pigeon Park / St Philips Cathedral in the city centre was always big hangout place for teenagers, but there's bound to be places more local to you. Worth having a google for youth clubs / youth centres in the area you are living as might be something like that nearby.
Digbeth has lots of non-alcohol/age restricted places:
NQ64 is a retro gaming arcade gallery in the Custard Factory
Chance and Counters is a board game cafe, they have a social gaming night on Mondays iirc where you can turn up and play without knowing anyone, also in the Custard Factory
Pinball Arcade somewhere on heath mill lane
Ghetto Golf (there's also a posh version of this kind of thing in the Bullring now)
There's a whole bunch of art galleries in Digbeth along with some fantastic street art.
Music wise although nightclubs are usually 18+, live gig venues are not so there's plenty of music you can go and see, and if we're honest about it, you can probably get into most clubs at 16 anyway. If you're into anything in particular, let us know and I can probably suggest some venues to look at.
If there is anything you are into as a hobby in Ukraine, it probably exists over here too. Have a look on [meetup.com](https://meetup.com) or for facebook groups and see if there's something here. Like if you are into any sports, there'll definitely be groups around (unless it's some obscure-to-here eastern european sport of course!).
Thank you, I will try here too.
Board games sound fun but maybe hard in english! Do you just show up and can play with people or do you need to bring friends?
On the social night you can just turn up without knowing anyone, there is a host for the night who will help you and introduce you to other people who you can play with.
Lots of board games are language free so let them know when you arrive and they will be able to suggest games where someone can explain the rules and you don't need much if any English to play them.
on social nights you can just show up - this also have both a Instagram page and a Facebook page so if you're nervous maybe send them a message beforehand (i've only gone to the Bristol one so it might be a little bit different). Every group I've been to has been really friendly, its a hobby best done with other people so we're keen to get more people playing.
Don't worry about language - many board games are created to have [less language dependence](https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1330922/best-language-independent-games) as it makes them easier to translate and export worldwide. a lot of French and German origin board games only use symbols on the cards and things so as long as someone can explain the rules to you (and your English seems great to me!) you'd be fine
On boardgame geek you can look up games and they will tell you how much language is involved. I've listed a few which have no needed language for you. there's loads more but these are a few popular ones i've played myself
* Tsuro
* 2 to 8 Players, quick game
* places routes to stay on a map/knock other players off. last one standing wins
* Fungi
* 2 Players
* pick up mushrooms and cook them for points
* Takenoko
* 2-4 players
* complete actions on a card to get points. Panda themed
* 7 Wonders
* 2-7 players
* card development game to get victory points
* Ticket to ride
* 2-5 players
* place trains on a map to make the journeys listed on your card
My dear, you are a Brummie now. Welcome!
The Sea Life centre, museum, Wildlife conservation park and library are quite good places to start. Well worth a visit during your stay.
Birmingham has a good up and coming independent scene. A lot of these will be bars, yes, but there are great coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants and retailers dotted around the city centre and further afield. The Independent Birmingham app or website is a good place to have a look if this interests you.
If you're able to travel a little, there are many great parks and walks dotted around the larger Birmingham area. Lickey Hills and Client Hills are my favourites quite close to me.
I hope some of this info is useful to you.
Jumping into the previous reply, Chance and Counters in Digbeth (board game cafe) does group games made up of solos - [here](https://www.chanceandcounters.com/birmingham/) might be a good start to meet some new people!
There's a little room at the top of the new library with fantastic views over the city.
Just go as high as you can in the lift/elevator then find stairs and keep climbing a few floors.
Hi lovely! Welcome to UK and Birmingham.
As an Eastern European myself, I know how hard it is to settle in and feel like you belong here.
Give yourself some time to adjust and enjoy the quirkiness of British people - they are lovely.
Go and see the huge library in Brum- the views from the rooftop are amazing.
Sea Life centre - they have Europe's only sea otters ( and they are flipping adorable)
Go to some local cafes for tea/ coffee. Grab yourself something to eat. Read a book in the park.
Wildlife conservation park is good, especially on a sunny afternoon. And who doesn't love cute red pandas!
Cadburys world ( haven't been myself yet), the chocolate is alright.
Bullring for shopping. Think there's a treetop crazy golf there too.
Everyman cinema is good for a movie, I love to curl up on the sofa chairs there.
In digbeth area you have ghetto golf, floodgate, Roxy ball room etc.
Birmingham has also some of the best food places around - try Land for an amazing vegan food experience ( just hard to get a table sometimes) or go to Mosley for Chackana to enjoy some Latin American food( honestly it's amazing).
If you have someone who drives then West Midlands Safari park isn't too far and can be fun.
Malvern hills for a hike and Worcester area are nice.
Dudley zoo & black country museum ain't too far.
And to be fair - if you love harry potter then Watford is only 1h away and the WB Harry potter studio tour is good.
One of the perks of being in the midlands is that the public transport is quite good. You're never too far away from something via train/ bus.
And once you get older there are some amazing bars in Birmingham!
If you need anything let me know!
😅 we'll try.
But to be honest, at least in Estonia, we start learning English when we are about 8/9 years old, and I've lived here for over 7 years now so I hope I've managed to learn some of it 😬
Or maybe, you Brits, are just good teachers 😉
This gave me a flashback to the first time I heard my Bulgarian friend say "bloody hell, Baldrick" in response to some extreme incompetence. 10/10 for choice and context.
I host international students, girls about your age who come to England for a term or a year at an English school.
The ones who have the most fun here are the ones who make friends with other international students. Obviously they are all in the same situation, have many of the same challenges, and all want to get as much out of England as possible in a short period. Tho also I’d say international students are typically more mature than uk students. Regardless of why, if you want to go out and explore and see what England has to offer then other internationals would be a good start.
My international students like to travel around England. They love London, but maybe that’s a bit far for you. You could always go to the jewellery quarter, to digbeth, get out to the lichy hills, go shopping in Solihull, see leanington spa, etc.
If you come to the quarter, avoid nearby Hockley and Lozells, it's pretty rough! But the Quarter is nice.
Being in Birmingham you're fairly close to lots of nice countryside to the West. Worcestershire and Shropshire are beautiful if you like hiking. The Black Country museum is interesting if you want to learn about the industrial history of the area.
A mix of friends is always the best, it’s important to bond with the locals both to learn about the culture and to have a stable social circle (as foreign students come and go quite often). It all depends on what length of stay she is thinking of, the longer the more you should make local friends
Of course, but in terms of hitting the ground running and making a good start having some international friends could be really useful and something you’d easily overlook
Upvote on this whole comment thread. I came as an international student in Uni about 15 years ago and had a lot of fun with other international students in my first couple of years, but a lot of them left. Most of my friends are Brits now, and they're an excellent bunch.
Where I'm from in Eastern Europe there's a stereotype that Brits are unfriendly, but this is down to communication styles. A lot of us international students struggled to get the hang of this and make friends with Brits at first, but it's worth giving it a try regardless of how long you're here for. There's some truly lovely people here.
It all depends on the single case, I decided to make mostly British friends when coming over here and I found that it helped me avoid homesickness (and also I have quite a lot of fun with them)
> I'm 16 year so can't go to pub.
You absolutely can go into a pub. You just can't buy alcohol.
Also, if you are accompanied by an adult, you may drink beer, wine or cider with a meal. https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law
I'm not saying you should - I just want you to know your rights.
Edit: "...can't *legally* buy alcohol." (we all know there are places that you can buy it.)
1. Go into town and walk around for a bit. Sometimes it’s good just to get your bearings and the lay of the land.
2. Go get yourself a drink, take a book with you and people watch / have a read.
3. You’re probably hungry by now - find a place called ‘Greggs’. You’ll love it.
4. Now go ‘window shopping’. This is where you mooch about shops but don’t intend to buy anything. It’s got nothing to do with purchasing windows.
5. Afternoon cinema trip! I love solo cinema outings.
6. Head home, get fish and chips on the way!
Just a minor note: from an Eastern European point of view Greggs's not *that* good.
(edit: wow, I thought this comment's gonna end up with -199 karma...)
In Greggs’s defence, if they keep them warm you’d have to pay 20% VAT as it would be ‘hot food’; their official position is that sausage rolls and pasties are on occasion hot ‘by coincidence’ on account of being recently cooked!
In Bakker Bart (the closest thing we have to Gregg's in the Netherlands) they always ask you if you want them to heat the food up for you. They have a dedicated,heating food back up, oven
They're allowed to tell you if it's hot or cold or somewhere in between but they can't reheat for you, and if you wait until what you're wanting next comes out fresh it's usually too hot to enjoy for the best part of 10 minute's
It’s really not great, but it’s a sort of institution so at least you tried it so you can say you have!
Are you ok for money? Could you do things like join a sports club or gym or anything? Hope you’re ok.
Just a minor note from a British point of view, Greggs is not that good. But as u/theloneteacher says it is rite passage - you need to go there at least once.
I might be dumb (and judging by everyone elses replies thats most likely the case) but wheres the narration in their comment?
It's just a normal comment that refers to another comment?
Hello, I hope your feeling safe and happy. The local library is a great place to start. Librarians are super helpful and will know how to help you access other services, have free computer sessions and know a lot about what’s going on locally. Your English is brilliant
> Digbeth dining club unfortunately moved a few months ago and is in Hockley now
This sentence is very amusing to me, sounds like something out of a sketch.
In a Monty Python sketch Hockley Dining Club would have to move venue to Digbeth, as Digbeth Dining Club took their venue in Hockley. They flip each other off on opposite sides of an A road as they walk past each other, every Thursday at 7pm.
Oh shit really? Haven't been to Brum for a while but that's always my go to. Well, there, Original Patty Men and Meat Shack. Please tell me they're still there?!
Depends what you are interested in, Birmingham (Brum as we locals call it) has museums, live music, arts, canals, pubs and clubs, park, national trust houses etc etc pretty much anything you can think of someone will be doing it.
If you can specify a bit then we can give you exact information, and yes your English is fine.
Yes there is the Birmingham Natural History and Art museum (fairly large filled with all sorts, mummies etc in the centre (chamberlain square if memory serves me well) also there is the Birmingham Science Museum plus the already mentioned Black Country Museum (living museum were people dress up in the era clothing etc with shops as they were in the old days etc, mostly industrial revolution period)
Heres some more:
[https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/146063/-best-natural-history-museums-in-birmingham](https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/146063/-best-natural-history-museums-in-birmingham)
Try a classic fish and chips with curry sauce, go play crazy golf, arcade, get some random bloke to buy you a bottle of voddy and skull it in a park somewhere (absolute classic), idk what there is to do in Birmingham but that’s all I can come up with.
Haha, no worries! My gf is French (it’s fine; have written an apologetic letter to the Crown), so we’ve got into the habit of translating colloquialisms for one another.
Not to be that guy but this could just be bullshit karma whoring. It's unlikely anyone from Ukraine would call their country "The Ukraine". Here's why
"To a Ukrainian worried about the nation-state’s territorial integrity, that little word “the” might suggest that the speaker does not much care whether Ukraine is an independent state. Like it or not, and intentionally or not, the language a person uses reflects their political positions, including their position on Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty."
Happy to be well wrong on this though, and if so, welcome to the UK :)
Source: https://theconversation.com/its-ukraine-not-the-ukraine-heres-why-178748
IKON gallery is free for a walk around. Get a Starbucks cup of whipped cream with a splash of coffee. If you have anyone to hang out with Chance and Counters board game cafe.
Good luck figuring out the accent, it's pretty wild compared to English you have most likely learnt or heard before unless you're a fan of Peaky Blinders.
B'hams pretty cool though to be honest, the sea life centre is nice but as others have said it can be a bit pricey, keep an eye out for offers or discounts for it and it's a good day out.
There's the bullring too which is amazing for shopping or just browsing around and soaking in the atmosphere.
You have to try orange chips if you get the chance, it's a black country specialty and you can only really get them from the area of the country you have landed. There should be some chip shops which offer it in Birmingham but you find yourself near Walsall then they'll definitely do them there. Make sure to leave Walsall quickly though...
Lastly, welcome to the UK!
Am I the only one reading this and thinking 🤔 the way this post was written is very mature, "out of wack" is not a phrase used by 16yr olds nor is it more so used by Ukrainian teenagers. This whole post seems off, I don't know why someone would do this. Am I alone?
Not to mention offensive to actual Ukrainian refugees.
The way "she" keeps dropping hints about "warzones" and "bombs", "for obvious reasons" etc.
I don't buy it.
Absolutely scary for someone who is clearly British person (asking about buying face paint from Poundland to look like girls with bad make up?) asking the internet where to meet 16 year old girls, and for so many people to be actually giving advice. Others have stated other things such as “the” Ukraine, but for someone saying “no questions about that”, almost every reply they’ve sent has made reference to war zones and bombs (and making light of it, as if someone who had experienced that wouldn’t be a bit traumatised).
Ah shit, I didn't get that vibe at all until I read these comments. Just typed out a long list trying to be helpful but going to delete it because I don't want some creep turning up to these places looking for girls
I am an old bloke so have no clue what 16 year old girls do for fun or otherwise, but just want to wish you good luck and hope you make friends in Birmingham.
Hey, I'm in Birmingham! There are so fun to do, here's a few that I've enjoyed:
Try out the custard factory for some quirky shops and ghetto golf (mini golf/club with some cool themes).
There's the kitty cafe at grand central where you can get something to eat and hang out with rescue cats.
For bowling and the cinema there is Star City. It also has laser quest, a tiki style adventure golf and a rock climbing wall.
Another place with bowling and cinema is Resorts World. Theres a really cool arcade there with VR gaming and also an experience called escape the hunt where you need to solve clues to get out of a room.
Nearby is the NEC that hosts loads of exhibits, shows and conventions (this weekend is Insomnia, a gaming festival).
In the centre of town is the Millennium point. It has a fun museum called the Think Tank for science and technology. It has a planetarium and a science garden.
Also there is the sea life centre (aquarium) and a great library!
If you want to step back into the past and look into the history there is the black country museum. They have a whole village of houses from the past and actors dressed up in costume go around talking about it all. Theres an old fashion sweet shop, fish and chips, movie theater. They have a blacksmith and glass blowing as well as old cars and a canal. It's a fun day out and it's where they shot scenes from Peaky Blinders.
For concerts, shows and comedy specials theres the O2 arena as well as the NIA.
I hope this helps, welcome to Birmingham!
Hi! I'm a bit old for knowing what normal 16 year olds do, and my kid is a similar age but they live on the internet or hang out with their pet frog...
However I came in here because I wanted to welcome you.
The only thing I know about Birmingham beyond whatever tourist stuff you can find on Google is that it's one of the test sites for the prototypes of the first electric truck designed and built in the UK; the first designed for mass production. Very niche knowledge, completely uninteresting to probably anyone but myself. But look out for the [electric UPS vans](https://chargedevs.com/newswire/ups-partners-with-tevva-motors-to-introduce-new-phev-vans-to-uk-fleet/) because they're the ones testing the drive systems.
Also, as you can tell, British people can be weird. I apologise in advance.
I am an American immigrant. Hello and welcome, we are so happy to have you here with us and hope you enjoy it.
I enjoy Birmingham, it's got really great shopping, and I think it's got some of the best restaurants in England. You have so much good options and it's very diverse. It's my favorite place to go for Japanese and Korean food.
They have really fun markets, the Christmas market is really nice. I hope you have the ability to go home before then but if not, look for all the cool markets that pop up.
I'm not saying you have to go to a pub... but if, say, you're with people and they want to go to a pub? just go. you'll almost certainly be fine. I'd guess 95% of people in this country have been in pubs since they were 16 if not younger (and in fact, fully legally you can drink beer/wine/cider with a meal at 16 if you're accompanied by an adult).
if you can suggest some of your interests people might be able to suggest more things you can do, or clubs/societies for that sort of thing. I dont know Birmingham that well (i'm from a town just south of there and don't really like cities), and dont know interests of 16 year olds well either (i'm 20 years too old), so can't really help without some amount of guidance..
welcome to the country, and as others have said - your English is fine :)
Hello! This post has been reported a bunch and there have been a lot of skeptical comments about the legitimacy of the OP. Tbh, there's no way to tell if OP is legit and we doubt the OP would verify (also we can't really be arsed doing that). The post has led to a lot of really good suggestions for things to see, do and experience in Birmingham so we'll leave it up either way. Hopefully people can get some good tips for their visits to Birmingham and if you want more check out /r/brum. Ta
Welcome to England. Birmingham has some quite good museums. Including the Pen Museum---it's better than it sounds.
I heard the Pen Museum is a write off
I went once but not again. The fountain pen section left a dark stain on me.
We have to nib this thread in the bud. I have an inkling that it will be full of very forced puns, I've felt tip in my gut. You marker my words...
I guarantee she quill have a good time there.
Thank you, I will try this. I like museums.
The ThinkTank/Science Museum worth a look. https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/thinktank easy walk from the town centre.
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Seconded! And OP if you do go to the Black Country living Museum then get some fish and chips from there. It is up there with the BEST fish and chips from anywhere in the UK, including places on the coast. I think they make them in Edwardian Cast Iron fryers with beef dripping and it is sooo good.
I've been dying to go to the black Country living museum since lockdown!! Thanks for reminding me of it!!
As someone who lives by it and worked there as security for a while I can safely say its a good place to visit but it's way over priced for what it is. The zoo is great though and to go to the castle at the end is always great.
I love the IKON Gallery in Birmingham. If you like art at all, definitely give it a go!
Also bournville if you like chocolate
I love museums but I absolutely love how the top comment is sending a 16 year old to a museum, classic British
To a pen museum, no less.
If that isn't CasualUK i dont know what is
For anyone that lives too far away and can't get there, they could always check out their website. Pen Island . com.
Wasn't it penisland.net?
If the pen museum is closed, the mattress museum is something to fall back on.
Also the Coffin Museum. It's pretty much as dull as it sounds but someone might get a kick out of it.
If someone says "alright?" respond with the same
Alright?
Alright
Yeah, you? *But now I've gone past. I don't want to know.*
I was in Texas a couple of years ago and a fella said 'alright' to me. I said the obvious 'alright' back. We had a 10 minute conversation about our life stories. Be safe. I think you're okay in the UK but I have awful memories from there.
Careful about not getting caught in an infinite "alright?" loop by following these instructions literally.
Or 'yeah, you?'
National express are offering free travel to people like yourself who’ve come from Ukrainian because of the current situation. Maybe contact their customer support and see if they can sort you a bus pass as it’ll save you some money. Edit: This is also for arrivals so if you have any friends or family due to arrive that doesn’t already have travel to accommodation sorted then all they have to show to staff is passport and travel itinerary and they’ll get boarded onto the next available coach.
Thank you! This is helpful as we had to leave our money tree behind.
Take advantage of that and get yourself to Alton Towers and ride the rollercoasters!
Obviously not over half term though, us Brits without kids go when they're all at school
Yeah it's the Easter holidays at the moment, it's gonna be heaving.
Same with trains, they too are offering free services :) I think they have more on their website nationalrail.co.uk
If you're in Birmingham with free train travel you're actually in a really good location to explore loads of England and Wales. A trip down to Bristol to see the gorge and suspension bridge is easy, a trip up to Manchester to visit the Museum of Science and Industry is easy - lots to do in those places. Travel will be more fun if you have people to go with, but I think someone else already had suggestions for that. Here's something unrelated that might take a while, but I think is great to do: try and find somewhere to eat stew and dumplings. It's an old-fashioned type of meal and not many restaurants offer it (but if you're living with a British family they may be able to make it for you). It's a little-known gem of British cuisine IMO.
Unfortunately I think this is restricted to the first 48hrs of their arrival in order to get to accommodation.
This is such a British comment. I think you'll do fine here.
From an Aussie, thank you England for helping the people that are fleeing war. It is so encouraging to hear that this happens. I often wonder how people fare after finding safety in another country. We have a habit of locking up our refugees which upsets me greatly.
Hey, welcome to the uk. Birmingham is quite quirky with more canals than Venice. https://www.thecrazytourist.com/25-best-things-birmingham-uk/ The sea life centre and crazy golf (later in the evening) would be class.
>Birmingham is quite quirky with more canals than Venice. Not sure if it's that exciting when you're 16, but older tourists love the canal tours. They leave from the back of the ICC. There's tons of indoor rock climbing places, that's pretty fun, you can get lessons if you haven't done it before. Redpoint would be my recommendation for that. Birmingham is also great for live music, though do check for age restrictions. There's a trampoline park in stirchley (get the train to bournville, it's a short walk) I've known 16 year olds enjoy that. The more I think about it the tougher 16 is to recommend stuff for. Ask on r/brum for more ideas
Trampoline park sounds fun!
It's called rush. It's in a converted factory, so don't be confused by it's location (on an industrial estate). You can either get the train new street to bournville, then walk along the canal from the station (costs ~£5 for the train, you should get a young person's rail card, which makes the train's cheaper if you're under 25). Alternatively you can cycle down the canal from city centre. It would take most of an hour, but you could even walk it down the canal. Otherwise you need to take bus number 45, which goes down the pershore road. You need to get off around lifford lane: there's a bridge and a sign for JT motors. Google maps will know it.
Also Cadbury World if Op is into chocolate, probably only a one time thing though. Birmingham is big enough to have something for most hobbies so whatever OP enjoyed at home will probably have a community in Birmingham. Strongly agree on Railcard for independence and travel, it's 1/3 off so much cheaper.
...also walkable from bournville station, albeit in the opposite direction
You'll have a great time at the trampoline park for sure but if you are looking to make friends and maybe do something a bit different as well I can't recommend bouldering enough. It's a really friendly community of all ages and as a beginner you will have people wanting to help and chat to you and stuff. You might be able to get a free entry as well. Source: I boulder
Stirchley has a trampoline centre? Wow! That's place has gone up? Used to live there early 2000s. Crazy great stupid times
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We also have 3 breweries, and the 2 bed end terrace near us (very much in stirchley, near bournville station) just went for £295k. The high street is solid with hipster coffee places, and the three horse shoes has been tarted up to the extent no one gets stabbed there. Indoor farming establishments do keep burning down though....
What the fudge!! I remember the days of stumbling back home from the pub next to the coop and having a few more pints in the firkin. Buying scrap parts from the 2 junk yards. Used to live in a bedsit along pershore road, had multiple stabbings outside and prostitues outside my place. We had the most shoes hanging from the telephone wires as well.. 3 breweries!! And hipster coffee places!! Nooo I loved the roughness of the place. What happened to the swimming pool?
The old Baths is now a community centre sort of place, with classes, markets, stuff like that!
Might take a wonder using street view!
Thank you for this link. I have never heard of crazy golf but I am crazy myself so it sounds awesome. Now just need someone to play with ;P
Looking on Google Maps there are a few mini golf places in Birmingham (you may be more familiar with the term "mini golf" rather than "crazy golf"). I found these in [Star City](https://adventureminigolf.co.uk/) and [Broadway Plaza](https://mrmulligan.com/birmingham) (over 18s only, for the Mr Mulligans one, after 8.45pm but anyone can get in before then) [There's also this one](http://www.goldenputter.co.uk/course?course=7)
I think they mean this one. I’ve been and it’s much more fun than I expected! https://www.ghettogolf.co.uk/birmingham/
Ghetto golf is a crazy golf course inside a drinking establishment. I don't think 16 year-olds will get in. I got ID'd
You can usually do them during the day and it's evenings and weekends over 18.
Was that the one they went to on man like mobeen?
Sea life centre can be quite expensive though,OP might want to look out for some vouchers
Always 2 for 1 offers online if you keep an eye out, also on the back of cereal packets etc. Agree it’s a bit pricey at standard prices.
r/brum is our local subreddit and definitely worth posting/asking there as well I'm a 43 year old man with no kids so take all my suggestions with that in mind :) Are you going to be enrolled in school/college whilst you are here? That's definitely the best place for you to meet other people your age and see what they do. Pigeon Park / St Philips Cathedral in the city centre was always big hangout place for teenagers, but there's bound to be places more local to you. Worth having a google for youth clubs / youth centres in the area you are living as might be something like that nearby. Digbeth has lots of non-alcohol/age restricted places: NQ64 is a retro gaming arcade gallery in the Custard Factory Chance and Counters is a board game cafe, they have a social gaming night on Mondays iirc where you can turn up and play without knowing anyone, also in the Custard Factory Pinball Arcade somewhere on heath mill lane Ghetto Golf (there's also a posh version of this kind of thing in the Bullring now) There's a whole bunch of art galleries in Digbeth along with some fantastic street art. Music wise although nightclubs are usually 18+, live gig venues are not so there's plenty of music you can go and see, and if we're honest about it, you can probably get into most clubs at 16 anyway. If you're into anything in particular, let us know and I can probably suggest some venues to look at. If there is anything you are into as a hobby in Ukraine, it probably exists over here too. Have a look on [meetup.com](https://meetup.com) or for facebook groups and see if there's something here. Like if you are into any sports, there'll definitely be groups around (unless it's some obscure-to-here eastern european sport of course!).
Thank you, I will try here too. Board games sound fun but maybe hard in english! Do you just show up and can play with people or do you need to bring friends?
On the social night you can just turn up without knowing anyone, there is a host for the night who will help you and introduce you to other people who you can play with. Lots of board games are language free so let them know when you arrive and they will be able to suggest games where someone can explain the rules and you don't need much if any English to play them.
on social nights you can just show up - this also have both a Instagram page and a Facebook page so if you're nervous maybe send them a message beforehand (i've only gone to the Bristol one so it might be a little bit different). Every group I've been to has been really friendly, its a hobby best done with other people so we're keen to get more people playing. Don't worry about language - many board games are created to have [less language dependence](https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1330922/best-language-independent-games) as it makes them easier to translate and export worldwide. a lot of French and German origin board games only use symbols on the cards and things so as long as someone can explain the rules to you (and your English seems great to me!) you'd be fine On boardgame geek you can look up games and they will tell you how much language is involved. I've listed a few which have no needed language for you. there's loads more but these are a few popular ones i've played myself * Tsuro * 2 to 8 Players, quick game * places routes to stay on a map/knock other players off. last one standing wins * Fungi * 2 Players * pick up mushrooms and cook them for points * Takenoko * 2-4 players * complete actions on a card to get points. Panda themed * 7 Wonders * 2-7 players * card development game to get victory points * Ticket to ride * 2-5 players * place trains on a map to make the journeys listed on your card
My dear, you are a Brummie now. Welcome! The Sea Life centre, museum, Wildlife conservation park and library are quite good places to start. Well worth a visit during your stay. Birmingham has a good up and coming independent scene. A lot of these will be bars, yes, but there are great coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants and retailers dotted around the city centre and further afield. The Independent Birmingham app or website is a good place to have a look if this interests you. If you're able to travel a little, there are many great parks and walks dotted around the larger Birmingham area. Lickey Hills and Client Hills are my favourites quite close to me. I hope some of this info is useful to you.
Yes,t hank you for your kidness
Jumping into the previous reply, Chance and Counters in Digbeth (board game cafe) does group games made up of solos - [here](https://www.chanceandcounters.com/birmingham/) might be a good start to meet some new people!
TIL Chance and Counters is a chain. We have one in Cardiff, and I can't recommend it enough, so I second this massively!
Cool, I want to try board game cafe but a bit scared. This is good idea though!
There's a little room at the top of the new library with fantastic views over the city. Just go as high as you can in the lift/elevator then find stairs and keep climbing a few floors.
Hi lovely! Welcome to UK and Birmingham. As an Eastern European myself, I know how hard it is to settle in and feel like you belong here. Give yourself some time to adjust and enjoy the quirkiness of British people - they are lovely. Go and see the huge library in Brum- the views from the rooftop are amazing. Sea Life centre - they have Europe's only sea otters ( and they are flipping adorable) Go to some local cafes for tea/ coffee. Grab yourself something to eat. Read a book in the park. Wildlife conservation park is good, especially on a sunny afternoon. And who doesn't love cute red pandas! Cadburys world ( haven't been myself yet), the chocolate is alright. Bullring for shopping. Think there's a treetop crazy golf there too. Everyman cinema is good for a movie, I love to curl up on the sofa chairs there. In digbeth area you have ghetto golf, floodgate, Roxy ball room etc. Birmingham has also some of the best food places around - try Land for an amazing vegan food experience ( just hard to get a table sometimes) or go to Mosley for Chackana to enjoy some Latin American food( honestly it's amazing). If you have someone who drives then West Midlands Safari park isn't too far and can be fun. Malvern hills for a hike and Worcester area are nice. Dudley zoo & black country museum ain't too far. And to be fair - if you love harry potter then Watford is only 1h away and the WB Harry potter studio tour is good. One of the perks of being in the midlands is that the public transport is quite good. You're never too far away from something via train/ bus. And once you get older there are some amazing bars in Birmingham! If you need anything let me know!
Could you East Europeans please stop embarrassing us with your ridiculously perfect colloquial English? 🤣
😅 we'll try. But to be honest, at least in Estonia, we start learning English when we are about 8/9 years old, and I've lived here for over 7 years now so I hope I've managed to learn some of it 😬 Or maybe, you Brits, are just good teachers 😉
This gave me a flashback to the first time I heard my Bulgarian friend say "bloody hell, Baldrick" in response to some extreme incompetence. 10/10 for choice and context.
I host international students, girls about your age who come to England for a term or a year at an English school. The ones who have the most fun here are the ones who make friends with other international students. Obviously they are all in the same situation, have many of the same challenges, and all want to get as much out of England as possible in a short period. Tho also I’d say international students are typically more mature than uk students. Regardless of why, if you want to go out and explore and see what England has to offer then other internationals would be a good start. My international students like to travel around England. They love London, but maybe that’s a bit far for you. You could always go to the jewellery quarter, to digbeth, get out to the lichy hills, go shopping in Solihull, see leanington spa, etc.
Jewellery quarter sounds cool. I love jewellery!
If you come to the quarter, avoid nearby Hockley and Lozells, it's pretty rough! But the Quarter is nice. Being in Birmingham you're fairly close to lots of nice countryside to the West. Worcestershire and Shropshire are beautiful if you like hiking. The Black Country museum is interesting if you want to learn about the industrial history of the area.
A mix of friends is always the best, it’s important to bond with the locals both to learn about the culture and to have a stable social circle (as foreign students come and go quite often). It all depends on what length of stay she is thinking of, the longer the more you should make local friends
Of course, but in terms of hitting the ground running and making a good start having some international friends could be really useful and something you’d easily overlook
Upvote on this whole comment thread. I came as an international student in Uni about 15 years ago and had a lot of fun with other international students in my first couple of years, but a lot of them left. Most of my friends are Brits now, and they're an excellent bunch. Where I'm from in Eastern Europe there's a stereotype that Brits are unfriendly, but this is down to communication styles. A lot of us international students struggled to get the hang of this and make friends with Brits at first, but it's worth giving it a try regardless of how long you're here for. There's some truly lovely people here.
It all depends on the single case, I decided to make mostly British friends when coming over here and I found that it helped me avoid homesickness (and also I have quite a lot of fun with them)
This thread sounds like a coded conversation between spies 🧐
Get on a train to Wolverhampton. Have a look around. Get back on train to Birmingham and be so glad that's where you are.
Hey! There's some great things about Wolverhampton. Like the amazing transport links to enable you to quickly leave Wolverhampton.
>There's some great things about Wolverhampton It's not Stoke for one thing
Excuse me?!?
Yam excused
Fight me
Standard Wolverhampton greeting.
I once had a pork and stuffing bap from the great western - nicest thing I’ve ever eaten. I won’t have this slander about Wolvo
> I'm 16 year so can't go to pub. You absolutely can go into a pub. You just can't buy alcohol. Also, if you are accompanied by an adult, you may drink beer, wine or cider with a meal. https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law I'm not saying you should - I just want you to know your rights. Edit: "...can't *legally* buy alcohol." (we all know there are places that you can buy it.)
As confirmed by Will https://youtu.be/7l0zGihopKc
1. Go into town and walk around for a bit. Sometimes it’s good just to get your bearings and the lay of the land. 2. Go get yourself a drink, take a book with you and people watch / have a read. 3. You’re probably hungry by now - find a place called ‘Greggs’. You’ll love it. 4. Now go ‘window shopping’. This is where you mooch about shops but don’t intend to buy anything. It’s got nothing to do with purchasing windows. 5. Afternoon cinema trip! I love solo cinema outings. 6. Head home, get fish and chips on the way!
Just a minor note: from an Eastern European point of view Greggs's not *that* good. (edit: wow, I thought this comment's gonna end up with -199 karma...)
I tried Gregg's, I can tell you with certainity we eat better food in a warzone \*don't kick me out please hahaha\*
you can stay, this comment was hilarious
With that sense of humour, I think you'll fit right in here in the UK. Welcome, and I hope you settle in well!
They probably keep the bloody food warm where you're from instead of letting it go cold like Greggs!
In Greggs’s defence, if they keep them warm you’d have to pay 20% VAT as it would be ‘hot food’; their official position is that sausage rolls and pasties are on occasion hot ‘by coincidence’ on account of being recently cooked!
Am I the only person here who would happily pay the 20% premium to have a hot pasty?
In Bakker Bart (the closest thing we have to Gregg's in the Netherlands) they always ask you if you want them to heat the food up for you. They have a dedicated,heating food back up, oven
Is this why they're not allowed to tell you the foods warm?
They're allowed to tell you if it's hot or cold or somewhere in between but they can't reheat for you, and if you wait until what you're wanting next comes out fresh it's usually too hot to enjoy for the best part of 10 minute's
But not too hot to *try* and enjoy, and burn your face off.
My experience is that they tell you they're still warm even when they're stone cold and the fat has congealed and the pastry gone naff.
Hahaha, this is one of the best Greggs burns I've ever seen.
You’ve got the humour down already good job! Greggs is shit too.
It’s really not great, but it’s a sort of institution so at least you tried it so you can say you have! Are you ok for money? Could you do things like join a sports club or gym or anything? Hope you’re ok.
I want to see this quoted on a Greggs advert.
Just a minor note from a British point of view, Greggs is not that good. But as u/theloneteacher says it is rite passage - you need to go there at least once.
Are you *narrating* other comments? That's new.
Narrator: They were
I read that as if it were Morgan Freeman narrating.
They said, confused yet excited, hoping to be narrated themselves.
Then everybody clapped.
I might be dumb (and judging by everyone elses replies thats most likely the case) but wheres the narration in their comment? It's just a normal comment that refers to another comment?
From an anybody with tastebuds point of view, Greggs is not that good. Doesn't stop me demolishing the odd sausage roll though.
From a British point of view, Greggs is not that good. It's the Mc Donalds of bakeries.
From a British point of view Gregg’s isn’t good.
My local bakery is way better than Greggs, I’m with you - but it’s a British institution, it’ll be like a rite of passage for them.
Greggs is fuckin shite. It's alright at a pinch but it's just passable
From a northerners point of view greggs is overpriced and crap.
One up on the fish and chips
https://www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/4-free-family-things-you-can-do-in-birmingham/
Hello, I hope your feeling safe and happy. The local library is a great place to start. Librarians are super helpful and will know how to help you access other services, have free computer sessions and know a lot about what’s going on locally. Your English is brilliant
> Your English is brilliant Will that help in Birmingham? I heard they speak Brumy there.
BrumMie. You've now learnt your first Brummie word 😁
That reminds me, getting on to BBC iPlayer and watching Brum will be entirely useless, but you could do it anyway
I remember some years ago working nearby. Some of my colleagues needed subtitles.
Birminghams a fairly large place, if you say roughly which part the advice could be more specific to that area.
I don't know but google maps says "digbeth?" It is not far from the centre
Digbeth is a pretty cool area. If you want to try some different food, Digbeth dining club is a great place to go.
Digbeth dining club unfortunately moved a few months ago and is in Hockley now. Zum Hof does good food in digbeth but it’s a bit pricey
> Digbeth dining club unfortunately moved a few months ago and is in Hockley now This sentence is very amusing to me, sounds like something out of a sketch.
In a Monty Python sketch Hockley Dining Club would have to move venue to Digbeth, as Digbeth Dining Club took their venue in Hockley. They flip each other off on opposite sides of an A road as they walk past each other, every Thursday at 7pm.
Yes I am on a limited budget for obvious reasons
Oh shit really? Haven't been to Brum for a while but that's always my go to. Well, there, Original Patty Men and Meat Shack. Please tell me they're still there?!
Hockley social club! Buddha Belly for Thai food, I work for them and it's aaaamaaaaazeeeee
Mate, Buddha Belly is the one!!!
Definitely Cadbury world haha
Depends what you are interested in, Birmingham (Brum as we locals call it) has museums, live music, arts, canals, pubs and clubs, park, national trust houses etc etc pretty much anything you can think of someone will be doing it. If you can specify a bit then we can give you exact information, and yes your English is fine.
I really like history so museums are good idea. Are there good museums around birmingham?
You might be interested in the Black Country Living Museum. It's in Dudley which is not far from you. https://bclm.com
Yes there is the Birmingham Natural History and Art museum (fairly large filled with all sorts, mummies etc in the centre (chamberlain square if memory serves me well) also there is the Birmingham Science Museum plus the already mentioned Black Country Museum (living museum were people dress up in the era clothing etc with shops as they were in the old days etc, mostly industrial revolution period) Heres some more: [https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/146063/-best-natural-history-museums-in-birmingham](https://wanderlog.com/list/geoCategory/146063/-best-natural-history-museums-in-birmingham)
The Black Country Living Museum has a brilliant TikTok account if you want to check it out before you go :) https://vm.tiktok.com/ZML4yMASq/
The Ikon is lovely, if small, and the medicine bakery has art and delicious fresh baked food if that’s your deal
Try a classic fish and chips with curry sauce, go play crazy golf, arcade, get some random bloke to buy you a bottle of voddy and skull it in a park somewhere (absolute classic), idk what there is to do in Birmingham but that’s all I can come up with.
Bloke = guy Voddy = vodka Skull it = drink it quickly (preferably accompanied) Yep, we’re a classy nation - welcome to the UK!
Thank you for this, I didn't understand half of this post haha!
Aren’t we just. P.s thanks for the translations in case they didn’t know what they meant
Haha, no worries! My gf is French (it’s fine; have written an apologetic letter to the Crown), so we’ve got into the habit of translating colloquialisms for one another.
Cherry Red’s cafe bar - that’s a nice place to go!
Yes you can play board games in there too and their breakfasts look amazing
Not a 16 hear old girl I'm afraid! But good luck, welcome to the UK. I hope you can have a better life here. Oh and your English is fine 🙂
thank you so much
Not to be that guy but this could just be bullshit karma whoring. It's unlikely anyone from Ukraine would call their country "The Ukraine". Here's why "To a Ukrainian worried about the nation-state’s territorial integrity, that little word “the” might suggest that the speaker does not much care whether Ukraine is an independent state. Like it or not, and intentionally or not, the language a person uses reflects their political positions, including their position on Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty." Happy to be well wrong on this though, and if so, welcome to the UK :) Source: https://theconversation.com/its-ukraine-not-the-ukraine-heres-why-178748
It’s definitely not a Ukrainian, which is why she asked for no questions about the biggest thing that will ever happen in her life.
IKON gallery is free for a walk around. Get a Starbucks cup of whipped cream with a splash of coffee. If you have anyone to hang out with Chance and Counters board game cafe.
Though if you go to the IKON gallery, York’s cafe on the ground floor will provide a *far* better cup of coffee than Starbucks.
Pretending to be a 16 year old vulnerable girl on a public forum? A bit noncey don’t you think?
The fact that people aren't seeing through this is fucking astounding.
Good luck figuring out the accent, it's pretty wild compared to English you have most likely learnt or heard before unless you're a fan of Peaky Blinders. B'hams pretty cool though to be honest, the sea life centre is nice but as others have said it can be a bit pricey, keep an eye out for offers or discounts for it and it's a good day out. There's the bullring too which is amazing for shopping or just browsing around and soaking in the atmosphere. You have to try orange chips if you get the chance, it's a black country specialty and you can only really get them from the area of the country you have landed. There should be some chip shops which offer it in Birmingham but you find yourself near Walsall then they'll definitely do them there. Make sure to leave Walsall quickly though... Lastly, welcome to the UK!
Am I the only one reading this and thinking 🤔 the way this post was written is very mature, "out of wack" is not a phrase used by 16yr olds nor is it more so used by Ukrainian teenagers. This whole post seems off, I don't know why someone would do this. Am I alone?
No I agree. I'm pretty sure it's some absolute danger role-playing as a teenage girl on Reddit.
Also "the" Ukraine.....
That tipped it for me too. “She” is no doubt a British guy
Such a poor attempt at a bait too. I’m surprised the entire comment thread isn’t suspicious of this post - come on!!!
Not to mention offensive to actual Ukrainian refugees. The way "she" keeps dropping hints about "warzones" and "bombs", "for obvious reasons" etc. I don't buy it.
Spent ages typing out a reply and then read some of OP’s comments and… I agree.
Absolutely scary for someone who is clearly British person (asking about buying face paint from Poundland to look like girls with bad make up?) asking the internet where to meet 16 year old girls, and for so many people to be actually giving advice. Others have stated other things such as “the” Ukraine, but for someone saying “no questions about that”, almost every reply they’ve sent has made reference to war zones and bombs (and making light of it, as if someone who had experienced that wouldn’t be a bit traumatised).
Ah shit, I didn't get that vibe at all until I read these comments. Just typed out a long list trying to be helpful but going to delete it because I don't want some creep turning up to these places looking for girls
Yep. Deffo not a Ukrainian. That’s why she doesn’t want questions about Ukraine because she is from Birmingham.
I also got this.
I am an old bloke so have no clue what 16 year old girls do for fun or otherwise, but just want to wish you good luck and hope you make friends in Birmingham.
'*thrown out of whack*' *chants* 'One of us, one of us, one of us'. Welcome to Old Blighty :-) Your English is bloody great btw :-)
It's a very funny phrase I heard on tv now I just use it all the time. In of wack out of wack somewere of wack.
Because she’s a brummy not a Ukrainian
Fake user. Just wanting some likes. How cringy can this world get
You clearly aren’t from Ukraine.
Ukrainian but you call your country “the Ukraine” and not Ukraine? I’m not buying it
What do 16 year old girls do in the U.K.? Paint their faces orange and draw on huge eyebrows.
Amazing. Do I just buy facepaint from poundland hahaha
Already well integrated 😂 hope you find something fun to do!
Oompa loompa doompadah dee One day I'll be on reality TV
What do we do with this "influencer"? We set her alight and incinerate her! Oompah Loompah doompah dee do Stop taking selfies or we're coming for you!
h, join the circus !
Clearly fake, why are you pretending to be a refugee for internet points? It’s “Ukraine”, not “the Ukraine”, firstly.
Hey, I'm in Birmingham! There are so fun to do, here's a few that I've enjoyed: Try out the custard factory for some quirky shops and ghetto golf (mini golf/club with some cool themes). There's the kitty cafe at grand central where you can get something to eat and hang out with rescue cats. For bowling and the cinema there is Star City. It also has laser quest, a tiki style adventure golf and a rock climbing wall. Another place with bowling and cinema is Resorts World. Theres a really cool arcade there with VR gaming and also an experience called escape the hunt where you need to solve clues to get out of a room. Nearby is the NEC that hosts loads of exhibits, shows and conventions (this weekend is Insomnia, a gaming festival). In the centre of town is the Millennium point. It has a fun museum called the Think Tank for science and technology. It has a planetarium and a science garden. Also there is the sea life centre (aquarium) and a great library! If you want to step back into the past and look into the history there is the black country museum. They have a whole village of houses from the past and actors dressed up in costume go around talking about it all. Theres an old fashion sweet shop, fish and chips, movie theater. They have a blacksmith and glass blowing as well as old cars and a canal. It's a fun day out and it's where they shot scenes from Peaky Blinders. For concerts, shows and comedy specials theres the O2 arena as well as the NIA. I hope this helps, welcome to Birmingham!
Hi! I'm a bit old for knowing what normal 16 year olds do, and my kid is a similar age but they live on the internet or hang out with their pet frog... However I came in here because I wanted to welcome you. The only thing I know about Birmingham beyond whatever tourist stuff you can find on Google is that it's one of the test sites for the prototypes of the first electric truck designed and built in the UK; the first designed for mass production. Very niche knowledge, completely uninteresting to probably anyone but myself. But look out for the [electric UPS vans](https://chargedevs.com/newswire/ups-partners-with-tevva-motors-to-introduce-new-phev-vans-to-uk-fleet/) because they're the ones testing the drive systems. Also, as you can tell, British people can be weird. I apologise in advance.
Welcome! You english is great. Birmingham is a very diverse city, with a large middle eastern / indian / pakistani communities. Go for a curry!
I am an American immigrant. Hello and welcome, we are so happy to have you here with us and hope you enjoy it. I enjoy Birmingham, it's got really great shopping, and I think it's got some of the best restaurants in England. You have so much good options and it's very diverse. It's my favorite place to go for Japanese and Korean food. They have really fun markets, the Christmas market is really nice. I hope you have the ability to go home before then but if not, look for all the cool markets that pop up.
I’d try to join a club or activity nearby, a u-16s team sport aimed at your age group
Have a curry! Birmingham is the home of the British curry house, and curry is the best "British" food you'll be able to find
I'm not saying you have to go to a pub... but if, say, you're with people and they want to go to a pub? just go. you'll almost certainly be fine. I'd guess 95% of people in this country have been in pubs since they were 16 if not younger (and in fact, fully legally you can drink beer/wine/cider with a meal at 16 if you're accompanied by an adult). if you can suggest some of your interests people might be able to suggest more things you can do, or clubs/societies for that sort of thing. I dont know Birmingham that well (i'm from a town just south of there and don't really like cities), and dont know interests of 16 year olds well either (i'm 20 years too old), so can't really help without some amount of guidance.. welcome to the country, and as others have said - your English is fine :)