Few people are aware that Coventry is close to being in the top 10 most populated UK cities. Its current population is over 300,000 and it also happens to be the second largest city in the Midlands behind Birmingham. Coventry is also known as the world’s first twin city. It holds this honour because of the relationship it made with Stalingrad when the latter was in the midst of chaos during World War II. It was a way of showing support for the embattled Soviet city. Coventry is a centre of motor manufacturing and was the location of the famous Massey-Ferguson tractor company until the factory was closed down in the 1990s. Also, the world famous black London taxi cabs are made in Coventry.

Prices

Like a number of UK cities, Coventry has a huge disparity in prices. Take a regular meal at an ‘inexpensive’ restaurant for example. You could enjoy a meal for anywhere between £10 and £30 and the difference in quality will be negligible. The lesson here is to make sure you shop around so to speak. Three course meals for two are in the £50 region which is rather expensive. Rent in Coventry is surprisingly cheap however. You can find one bedroom apartments in the city centre for around £400 a month with apartments outside the city centre costing just £300. Even three bedroom apartments in the city centre are well priced at £600 a month with apartments of this size outside the city centre usually on offer for £100 a month less.

Transport

The centre of the city has an efficient ring road which offers direct routes to all the nearby cities and towns. There are a huge number of parking spaces once you get into the city centre. There are even a host of Park & Ride schemes available which are normally seen in more congested cities. Certainly, Coventry is one of the UK’s best cities when it comes to travelling in the city centre. The only gripe would be that the town planners have failed to restore the aesthetic beauty that was in evidence before World War II came and the German Luftwaffe destroyed much of the city.

Public transport in the city is also excellent with the main bus station, Pool Meadow, found behind the city’s Cathedral. There are also bus-only routes within the city which improves the efficiency of the public transport system. Canley and Tile Hill are the city’s train stations and they travel to locations all over the UK.

Amenities

The city centre is not just great for drivers. Pedestrians also benefit from wide footpaths which help ease congestion from human traffic. The main shopping centres are Lower Precinct and West Orchards. You will find all the usual high street designer names in these stores. The city’s Market is home to unusual foods, goods and services with cuisine from the Orient the main specialty of the Market. You will also find exotic rugs, flowers and collectibles here. The IKEA store in the city was the UK’s first.

If you need to find somewhere great to relax, try the Cathedral Quarter which manages to fuse together the Old and New Coventry. There are a number of top class restaurants, bars and cafés on offer with the Inspire Café known for its range of international beers and other exotic alcoholic beverages. Old Coventry has a number of medieval buildings which have been converted into restaurants and clubs which offer a unique ambiance.

In terms of other entertainment, there are several huge cinemas and museums such as the Coventry Transport Museum. This is free to enter and showcases the world’s largest collections of British-made road vehicles. The ruins of St. Michael’s Cathedral are also a major tourist attraction. This old Cathedral was destroyed by German bombs on 14 November 1940.

Sports

Coventry City football club were once a Premier League stalwart. They fell to the second tier of English football several years ago and have remained there ever since. There is also basketball, rugby and a successful ice-hockey team in the city which is also a major player in speedway.

Coventry is an historic city which manages to keep its old history and traditions alive while still embracing the modern era and all the technology and entertainment which accompanies it.