The city is the right place if you don’t want peace and quiet above all else. The city has everything for going out, socializing, eating or just relaxing. Nottingham is no exception – in fact it has to be one of the leading cities in Britain for the reasons listed below and more. Some make the city a great place to live, while others are the rewards and innovations that make it amazing. So, put London and New York aside, here are nine reasons why Nottingham is the best city in the world.
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Nottingham is young and carefree
Nottingham has a student population of over 60,000, making it one of the youngest cities in the UK. According to reports, there are more under-30s here than in any other city apart from Manchester. As a result, it’s a great space to hang out with friends day or night. Climb the Clip ‘n’ Climb, play mini-golf and sip cocktails at The Lost City, then catch a show at Rock City. Nottingham offers an exceptional range of pubs and bars – TripAdvisor lists 137, including England’s oldest pub, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem – if you prefer a quieter night out. For the seventh year in a row, the city received the Purple Flag Award, which recognizes excellence in the management of downtown nightlife.
Shopping
Nottingham is hard to beat when it comes to treating yourself or a friend.
High-end stores such as Pandora and Superdry, as well as cafes and restaurants, can be found in the Victoria Centre. The Flying Horse Walk Arcade is a Georgian covered mall with a mix of national corporations and independent shops, named after a local historic bar. ‘The Exchange’, a mix of alternative boutiques, fine art and fine wines, has been in Nottingham’s shopping center since 1929.
Old but new
If you’re interested in the latter, visit Hockley, a time machine that transports you back to the cobblestoned Victorian era. It has been dubbed “Nottingham’s Soho” for its treasures of vintage clothing and antiques. Cow, Wild Clothing and White Rose have you covered for classic evening wear, while Hopkinson offers unique homeware and artwork for even the most lavish apartment.
Innovation In Spades
Nottingham has spawned some of the most influential ideas and inventions of our time, many of which we take for granted.
Did you know that the Nottingham Electronic Valve Company invented the world’s first VCR, the Telcan, in 1963?
Nottingham High School student John Peake Knight, who was born in 1866, designed the life-saving traffic lights. The first high-pressure water supply, developed by local engineer Thomas Hawksley at Trend Bridge in 1831, is the source of running water in every residence. If you’re enjoying a leg of bacon on a Sunday afternoon, you’ll need HP brown sauce, a condiment developed by Nottingham merchant Frederick Gibson Garton.
‘Home of Sports’
Visit England named Nottingham the ‘Home of Sport’ in 2015, highlighting the city’s contribution to British sport. There is more sports content per person in Europe than anywhere else, and many opportunities to watch or participate. Whatever sport you’re into, you’ll find it in this city, which is home to two professional football teams, a test cricket ground and national centers for ice and water sports. Several Team GB teams are based here, including the world speed skating champions. Since the 1960s, the city has held its annual urban cycling event, the Milk Race. The Jesse Boot Wildcats Arena is a £2m multi-purpose sports complex located just outside the city centre. It is home to the Nottingham Hoods basketball team, which competes in England’s two-team National Basketball League. If you’re into more traditional sports, there’s no better location to try your hand at archery than one of the clubs dotted around Robin Hood’s homeland.
In touch with the past
Despite the fact that the city is alive and thriving, there is plenty of history to discover. In the Middle Ages, the city had its own castle, which served as a temporary royal palace. There are museums to suit virtually every historical interest, from the family-friendly Robin Hood Experience to the terrifying Museum of the Haunted, which has a cinema of horror films from the 1920s. Meanwhile, Wollaton Hall is a 16th-century country house that has been called “an architectural sensation of its time”. Furthermore, it is located in a beautiful park full of deer.
It’s green
Nottingham is one of the greenest cities in the UK, with plenty of parks, public gardens and recreational areas. It features a 19th-century arboretum with over 800 trees, a rose garden and boating lake, as well as acres of picnic, walking and play space. Attenborough Nature Reserve, just outside the city limits, is home to thousands of birds and a unique nature center that has earned accolades for eco-tourism. Bestwood, Broxtowe and Shipley Country Parks are also nearby, providing plenty of options for anyone looking to get away from it all.
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