It has long been called the city's golden mile - packed full of bars, restaurants and clubs. Many still flock to Broad Street every weekend but with the hospitality industry expanding further across the city, I'm here today to find out if it can truly still hold this illustrious title.
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00:00 Broad Street does remain the Golden Mile. I mean, where else could it be in the English Midlands?
00:06 It can only be Broad Street. Broad Street established itself as the Golden Mile many years ago
00:12 and it really got the edge on so many other places. And I guess having had that edge, it's kept it polished nicely
00:20 and we're just literally going from strength to strength. I mean, Covid was a real challenge for us.
00:26 We got through that. Yes, we lost one or two venues, but as soon as the venue closes down on here,
00:32 there's a queue of people wanting to move straight in, so we do very well.
00:36 The origins of development in this area can be traced back to the 1500s.
00:41 However, the vibrant entertainment district we now recognise only began to emerge in the 1970s.
00:48 Famed establishments like the Rum Runner attracted revellers from all over the city, setting the stage for what was to come.
00:55 Today, Broad Street stands as an iconic emblem of Birmingham's nightlife and cultural scene.
01:01 So what is it that makes Broad Street continue to lure in crowds even now?
01:07 Broad Street is just really good because it's all in one place. Like, if you're coming for a night out,
01:13 there's multiple clubs and a really good Disco Spoons and it's really cheap for the student life.
01:19 Well, there's lots of places to go, isn't there? You've got Coyote Yoghurt here and you've got all the bars
01:23 and the restaurants and you've got the canal a bit further down. It's just a really inviting place to be now.
01:29 And you can see they've spent a lot of money on it and regenerating the area.
01:35 Although Broad Street remains a renowned pillar of Birmingham's nightlife, it continues to grapple with economic decline.
01:42 Recent years have also seen a broad expansion of hospitality experiences across the wider city,
01:48 intensifying competition for this particular locale.
01:53 This, along with the closure of several offices on Broad Street, has resulted in a significant decrease in persistent custom,
02:01 according to one local patron who told us that business has decreased by around 70%.
02:07 Broad Street, however, still remains an attraction for weekend revellers, with its reputation for nightlife
02:13 and its impressive concentration of diverse venues unmatched elsewhere in the city.
02:19 An icon of Birmingham which is certain to live on for many years to come.
02:26 The future of Broad Street, well, who knows? Who knows? I could sum it up by saying it's going to be good, I know that.
02:33 But it clearly moves, it moves with the times. What doesn't move with the times?
02:37 I've been here, you could argue, too long. I've seen so much change, but it's change that is the constant for us.
02:44 And I think it's change that's going to give us a future, changing with the times that is.
02:49 So, yeah, there is a future, who knows what it is, but Broad Street will rise to whatever challenge it takes,
02:56 and we'll be delivering fun, we'll be delivering a good secure place to work for many, many years to come, I'm sure.
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