Shopping
Coventry now boasts a whole range of shopping centres including the first ever pedestrianised shopping precinct. All of the big high street names and department stores are present plus a whole lot more. In fact Coventry is tailor made for shopaholics.
And don't forget Coventry's Indoor Market. It is one of the largest in Europe and was recently voted the UK's best indoor market. Coventry's latest addition comes in the shape of the UK's first city-centre Ikea.
Restaurants & Cafe Bars
Top places to eat in Coventry; there's too many to mention all of them but if you want good atmosphere and good food then the places to start are Browns near to the Cathedral and Inspire. Quite literally Inspire is located in-the-spire of the old 13th Century Christchurch Spire. They always stock a good range of beers and spirits.
If you want to get away from the city then there's The Bear at Berkswell Village just a few miles to the west of Coventry. For something a little more formal then you won't go wrong at the Garden Restaurant, situated at the beautiful Coombe Abbey Hotel.
Sports & Entertainment
Coventry is home to several major sports clubs. The obvious one to mention of course is Coventry City Football Club who now reside at the Ricoh Arena on the north side of town. Once a Premier League side but struggling in the Championship nowadays, their most famous moment came in 1987 when they lifted the FA Cup.
Coventry now boasts one of the top Ice Hockey teams in the country, Coventry Blaze who are based in the Arena at Coventry Skydome. And don't forget the Coventry Bees who for years have dominated the world of Speedway.
Historical Coventry
Coventry has a huge amount of heritage and history going back hundreds of years. The city's appearance has changed dramatically during the last century, having to be rebuilt after much of the town was reduced to rubble during the second world war. Prior to the 1940 Blitz, Coventry had been a beautiful example of medieval architecture but incendiary bombs put paid to much of that. A few good examples still survive though and provide tourist attractions to both visitors and to inhabitants of Coventry.
Highlights of the places to visit include both the Old and the New Cathedrals, the medieval buildings that still stand in Spon Street, Coventry Transport Museum in Hales Street, and don't forget the Midland Air Museum at Coventry Airport. Here you can see the history of the jet engine invented by Coventry born Sir Frank Whittle.
Theatre and The Arts
The famous Coventry Belgrade Theatre has now been revamped, is arguably better than ever, and now represents a stylish addition to the area's cultural landscape.
The Criterion Theatre in Earlsdon has been one of the premier amateur theatres in Coventry since the 1950's. Each year it provides a wide variety of live drama to a high production standard, in the intimate setting of it's own theatre in Berkeley Road South.
And Warwickshire is of course famous for being the birthplace of Shakespeare with Stratford-upon-Avon being the headquaters of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The new Royal Shakespeare Theatre, due to be completed in 2010, will house a new 1000-seat thrust stage auditorium in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, the largest thrust stage with a tiered auditorium in the world.
Music Scene
The glory days of The Specials are a distant memory nowadays but there is still a healthy and vibrant music circuit in Coventry and the surrounding areas. Jazz fans can find regular events going on at the Biggin Hall Pub on Binley Road and also at the Arts Centre, University of Warwick.
If pop music is your thing then some of the biggest acts in the world come to town regularly playing at the Ricoh Arena to sell-out crowds. In recent years the acts on offer have included Oasis, Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, The Specials and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The Warwick Arts Centre also hosts live music in this category.
Town-centre venues that host live music include The Coventry Mint (formerly The Golden Cross) which has live bands every Saturday and also selected Thursdays and Sundays.
Elizabeth Davenport Estate Agents
3 The Quadrant, Warwick Road, Coventry CV1 2DY ~ Tel 02476 010105