Coventry city centre

[Nick]

That's it Book Farm not Barn but yeah great little place to go and chill out for a few hours.

Carrot cake was fucking huge as well!!!

They are costco ones the portions are massive.

Millions of books to look through.decent prices too. Some real random stuff though.

I'd driven past it hundreds of times and never really realised.

 

[LastGarrison]

I took a mosey into town on my lunch today and it was buzzing up there! Nice sunny, warm Autumn day and town was packed!

There is a fun fair in the city centre and with it being half term it was full of kids, people everywhere, shops busy, restaurants busy, pubs busy it had a great atmosphere up there today and something we should be striving for more.

Anyone else go up there today?

 

[Otis]

I took a mosey into town on my lunch today and it was buzzing up there! Nice sunny, warm Autumn day and town was packed!

There is a fun fair in the city centre and with it being half term it was full of kids, people everywhere, shops busy, restaurants busy, pubs busy it had a great atmosphere up there today and something we should be striving for more.

Anyone else go up there today?

Nope. Was there yesterday and it was busy. Sundays lately have been very busy too.

Things should get a whole lot better soon too with new eating establishments coming. We have The Botanist, Zizzi, Basement Browns (I am especially looking forwards to that one) and JamJar.

Once the new water park thing is finished that should draw more visitors as well.

 

[LastGarrison]

Nope. Was there yesterday and it was busy. Sundays lately have been very busy too.

Things should get a whole lot better soon too with new eating establishments coming. We have The Botanist, Zizzi, Basement Browns (I am especially looking forwards to that one) and JamJar.

Once the new water park thing is finished that should draw more visitors as well.

I’m beginning to think we should apply for jobs on the Back The Bid team!!

 

[Otis]

I’m beginning to think we should apply for jobs on the Back The Bid team!!

Dale's bid, or the City's of Culture one?

 

[Nick]

Had to use the bus, just gone through earlsdon. It's a pretty sorry sight in the day.

 

[Otis]

Had to use the bus, just gone through earlsdon. It's a pretty sorry sight in the day.

The high street?

 

[wingy]

Still sees it's fair share of violence according to this week's CT,

 

[Grendel]

It’s still a dump

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Had to use the bus, just gone through earlsdon. It's a pretty sorry sight in the day.

Erm, excuse me!?

 

[Nick]

Erm, excuse me!?

Empty shops, so many for sale signs. Was dire down the main Street

 

[Otis]

Empty shops, so many for sale signs. Was dire down the main Street

Not been for a few months, but used to be there every week. Have a number of businesses closed down then? All the bars and cafes still there?

 

[clint van damme]

Empty shops, so many for sale signs. Was dire down the main Street

Fairly sure the only empty premises is the old bank which had been taken over, they're working on it now. Think it's going to be a kitchen and bathroom shop which is a little bit disappointing.

Are the for sale signs outside the Albany road flats? I think there's actually only one of them for sale but the estate agent has decided to put a dozen signs up including a few sold ones because there was another one up but it's gone now.

 

[Otis]

I am always one to defend Coventry when I feel it needs defending, but this is indefensible.

This is the wasteland next the Premier Inn, with the Belgrade Plaza car park behind it. Artist's impression of the new hotel and student accommodation.



That is hideous. Absolutely awful, ugly and uninspiring. And that's it new. Imagine what it will be like when it gets a bit grubby.

 

[Otis]

This was the original artist's impression, but the Radisson hotel thing fell through.

 

[fernandopartridge]

I am always one to defend Coventry when I feel it needs defending, but this is indefensible.

This is the wasteland next the Premier Inn, with the Belgrade Plaza car park behind it. Artist's impression of the new hotel and student accommodation.

View attachment 8389

That is hideous. Absolutely awful, ugly and uninspiring. And that's it new. Imagine what it will be like when it gets a bit grubby.

I don't think it's the best artists impression, it's a reasonable building, the textured brick looks much better than the early plans you've shown below.

The worst thing about it is the ground floor level, it looks a bit blank.

 

[Otis]

I don't think it's the best artists impression, it's a reasonable building, the textured brick looks much better than the early plans you've shown below.

The worst thing about it is the ground floor level, it looks a bit blank.

I hate those concrete pillars.

Really don't like the building at all. Lacks style and shape for me.

 

[fernandopartridge]

I hate those concrete pillars.

Really don't like the building at all. Lacks style and shape for me.

I agree about the pillars tbh!

 

[Otis]

Anyone been to Let Bistro Pierre in Leamington? Any good?

Saw a sign up today at Cathedral Lanes that they are opening a new restaurant here soon in Coventry.

 

[clint van damme]

Anyone been to Let Bistro Pierre in Leamington? Any good?

Saw a sign up today at Cathedral Lanes that they are opening a new restaurant here soon in Coventry.

never heard of them and don't really go for French food but just looked at their website and it looks decent. Good to have another know name moving into the City centre.

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Why do they keep building such high rise buildings?

I think they look bloody awful.

Yes, develop, but don't make everything so high and ugly.

 

[ajsccfc]

Anyone been to Let Bistro Pierre in Leamington? Any good?

Saw a sign up today at Cathedral Lanes that they are opening a new restaurant here soon in Coventry.

I've been a few times, really like it. The tarte flambee is my favourite, an Alsace version of pizza.

 

[shmmeee]

Why do they keep building such high rise buildings?

I think they look bloody awful.

Yes, develop, but don't make everything so high and ugly.

Bang for your buck innit? Especially with room based services like student accomodation and hotels. I agree though, you aren’t going to turn Coventry into NYC. I saw a really good video about how if you build twice s many buildings half the size you get all these benefits like proper street scapes, lower crime, etc etc.

To be honest the council are probably just glad anything actually gets built. The city centre is turning into one of my old school books: just full of half finished stuff.

 

[Otis]

I've been a few times, really like it. The tarte flambee is my favourite, an Alsace version of pizza.

Did someone say PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm in!

 

[Otis]

Bid to speed up £200m project to revamp Coventry city centre

 

[Covstu]

Bid to speed up £200m project to revamp Coventry city centre

Just missing a shit load more student accommodation!

It looks like the same artist representation that did our magical ground a few years back

 

[Otis]

Can't find the thread, but the old Telegraph offices had an art exhibition and you could have one final look around before it started to be renovated. Comments from a few, including myself who went, was that of it being like the TARDIS inside. Well it must be, as it is now going to be a hotel AND student accommodation AND a five screen cinema.

 

[Covstu]

Can't find the thread, but the old Telegraph offices had an art exhibition and you could have one final look around before it started to be renovated. Comments from a few, including myself who went, was that of it being like the TARDIS inside. Well it must be, as it is now going to be a hotel AND student accommodation AND a five screen cinema.

Didn't they have some VR representation of the blitz or something also???

 

[Gazolba]

I am always one to defend Coventry when I feel it needs defending, but this is indefensible.

This is the wasteland next the Premier Inn, with the Belgrade Plaza car park behind it. Artist's impression of the new hotel and student accommodation.

That is hideous. Absolutely awful, ugly and uninspiring. And that's it new. Imagine what it will be like when it gets a bit grubby.

I like the fact that it has an overhang to protect you from the sun or rain when walking along. In my opinion that should be mandated for every building.
The design does leave a lot to be desired, but that is modern architecture for you.
I wonder if a terrorist crashed a car into one of those pillars, the whole building would fall down. The pillars should probably have bastions at the bottom.

 

[Otis]

Anyone tried Basement Browns yet in the high street?

Went today (3rd time in total now) and found it really good value for money. 4 of us.

We had:

A small margherita pizza (still a decent enough size) plus a free topping of mushrooms and a side order of sweet potato fries.

A mozzarella, sun dried tomato and rocket toastie with and a side order of goats cheese and onion flat bread

A mozzarella, sun dried tomato and rocket toastie with a side order of chicken crunchies (like popcorn chicken)

A ham a cheese toastie

Plus you get free individual sauces of your choice

A cup of tea
A orange and pomegranate drink

A carrot cake
One strawberry ice cream
One salted caramel ice cream

And it all came to just over £30.


We loved it today especially and went up to thank the chefs.

 

[fernandopartridge]

That's really good. I walked past last week but I'd eaten in the excellent coffee house 'Finneys' on Greyfriars Green already.

 

[Otis]

That's really good. I walked past last week but I'd eaten in the excellent coffee house 'Finneys' on Greyfriars Green already.

Yeah, heard good things about that place. Is it more for coffee, cakes and snacks, or do they do more substantial food too?

 

[wingy]

I agree about the pillars tbh!

It's hard to tell from that image and No doubt cost would come into it but why not cantilever or inflate the Columns dress them and reduce the number?

 

[fernandopartridge]

Yeah, heard good things about that place. Is it more for coffee, cakes and snacks, or do they do more substantial food too?

I had a toastie, I don't think they do anything particularly substantial though. The coffee is the Union Coffee stuff and is really good. The toastie menu is CCFC themed, I had a West Terrace toastie I think it was called.

 

[Travs]

A good place for something more substantial than your standard coffee shop stuff, but still the same kind of atmosphere, is a little cafe type place on that road where the Golden Cross/Newt & Cucumber are (Bayley Lane?)

If you turn down from the courtyard end it's about halfway down on the left. I went there on a Saturday morning before a city game, had a perfectly reasonable omelette and chips, and the lady I was with had vegetarian breakfast, but there was loads of choice, along with coffees/teas/etc. It may well possibly have been licensed as well, although it was only around 10am so I didn't really pay much notice to that....

Also around there, just about opposite the Courtyard, on the High Street, is a little Chinese cafe/restaurant. They do some awesome stuff, very no-frills, but good food and portions.

Edit: it's on Hay Lane, not Bayley Lane, sorry, and it's called Playwrights. The Chinese place is called Chi Bar.