Cov city centre (1 Viewer)

Alan Dugdales Moustache

Well-Known Member
It's all opinions, of course, but mine is that the city centre is an architectural monstrosity that started to go wrong at the point they put that ridiculous escalator through the middle of the upper precinct. From that day onwards it just went further backwards, at least in appearance, with the planners having no clear idea of what they wanted the city centre to be.

There are some nice bits still, of course, if you can dodge the deliveroo riders, but a lot of it just feels desolate and in desperate need of repurposing.

I doubt the current council have either the ability or funds to do it properly, so I don't see it improving any time soon, except perhaps in terms of student accommodation.
Birmingham spend big when they develop. Cov goes for unambitious mishmash of half baked ideas like West orchards, Cathedral lanes rather than a 20 year plan of redevelopment that bulldozes the whole lot and builds something that sucks people in from a 15 mile radius.
Rugby , for all its limitations, has built a huge retail park a mile and a half from it's town centre called Junction 1 and Elliots field, which gets people coming over from Northampton, Leicester, lutterworth and Coventry. True, it's not a city centre development and it has damaged trade in the town centre but I'd rather go there than broadgate.
 

Ashdown

Well-Known Member
I was talking to traders being forced out to accommodate the CCS project and they were dubious about whether the finances are really in place to complete the project 🤷‍♂️
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
The problem with Coventry is it doesn’t really have an out of town retail park either
 

David O'Day

Well-Known Member
I was talking to traders being forced out to accommodate the CCS project and they were dubious about whether the finances are really in place to complete the project 🤷‍♂️
The finances are there, I know someone who works on that team.
 

San Francisco

Well-Known Member
The new cathedral would be a lot better served if they did away with the awful green student accommodation building and decrepit Britannia Hotel. Both did a pretty big disservice to the old Cov Baths nearby.

In fact, I remember reading a long time ago that the new cathedral "spire" was built to be seen by residents in all directions directly outside the city centre and that green building blocked the view for those in the north essentially breaking that promise.
 
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shmmeee

Well-Known Member
The new cathedral would be a lot better served if they did away with the awful green student accommodation building and decrepit Britannia Hotel. Both did a pretty big disservice to the old Cov Baths nearby.

In fact, I remember reading a long time ago that the new cathedral "spire" was built to be seen by residents in all directions directly outside the city centre and that green building blocked the view for those in the north essentially breaking that promise.

Think the green building is due to go as part of the Uni Masterplan.

Fucking Britannia, like Sainsbury’s and Iceland just won’t fuck off though and there’s not a lot anyone can do.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Think the green building is due to go as part of the Uni Masterplan.

Fucking Britannia, like Sainsbury’s and Iceland just won’t fuck off though and there’s not a lot anyone can do.
I am sure at one point they promised to clean it and paint the outside walls. Never happened. Guess it was all down to cost.

I would have suggested cladding, but after Grenfell, I think that has made people a bit edgy.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
I am sure at one point they promised to clean it and paint the outside walls. Never happened. Guess it was all down to cost.

I would have suggested cladding, but after Grenfell, I think that has made people a bit edgy.

I remember them constantly being arseholes back in the 90s about just cleaning the place. Having stayed in there once as a dare, I reckon fumigating the place would probably knock it down. I’m sure the bedbugs are structural.
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
The precinct was a brilliant piece of post-war planning, and personally I don't think many of the subsequent "improvements" ever added to it.

The escalator, in particular, was an abomination, again imho.
It could have been, but as with everything was flawed.

Moving the route to east-west rather than maintain Smithford St means one end of the precinct doesn't really lead anywhere. Should have had it lead into Spon St and had a view of St Johns at the other end, just as there was meant to be a view of the cathedral at the other.

Other error was how they laid out the levels. It should have been one level at Broadgate level, a second at Corp St level. At Broadgate you have the slope down into the precinct and the ramp up to the upper level which has never seen footfall.

Concept was good, execution was poor IMO.
 

LastGarrison

Well-Known Member
I can’t get over how poor the nightlife is. Every time I go out I end up at the Yard because it’s the only place with any atmosphere. I’ll walk into clubs and literally be the only person there. There’s just nowhere to go and what there is is dire.
You need to get yourself to Down Town!

It is lacking and it definitely needs some more pubs. I'd even go as far as saying some chain pubs like All Bar One, Pitcher and Piano etc.
 

Saddlebrains

Well-Known Member
I can’t get over how poor the nightlife is. Every time I go out I end up at the Yard because it’s the only place with any atmosphere. I’ll walk into clubs and literally be the only person there. There’s just nowhere to go and what there is is dire.


All the nightclubs have fucked off. when I was out and about there was a lot to choose from, around 2007 - 2017, Colly, Scholars, Jaks, Ikon, Mortimers, Careys, Rainbows, Glasshouse, Club M, Rosie Malones, S7ven Yates's, Courtyard, all not so long ago.

For me its because the city centre is so student centric now that since students habits have changed, they all like coffe houses and smashed avacados and craft beer now, not a skinful a kebab and some fanny after clubbing till 4am, there just isn't the call for it in Town anymore

And lets be honest those of us over 30 either go to the pub till close if we want a skinful, or go to Leam, Kenilworth or Brum because its just better

By 2030 town will be just a student village i feel
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
All the nightclubs have fucked off. when I was out and about there was a lot to choose from, around 2007 - 2017, Colly, Scholars, Jaks, Ikon, Mortimers, Careys, Rainbows, Glasshouse, Club M, Rosie Malones, S7ven Yates's, Courtyard, all not so long ago.

For me its because the city centre is so student centric now that since students habits have changed, they all like coffe houses and smashed avacados and craft beer now, not a skinful a kebab and some fanny after clubbing till 4am, there just isn't the call for it in Town anymore

And lets be honest those of us over 30 either go to the pub till close if we want a skinful, or go to Leam, Kenilworth or Brum because its just better

By 2030 town will be just a student village i feel

When I was a lad you had choices: Gs or Colly for cheese and questionably aged ladies. Carey’s for questionably aged ladies the other way. The Dog or Campbell for some rock. Ikon for shitty dance music and agressive teenagers on amphetamines, before that the Planet. Pink Parrot for whatever that was I never went. Even Platform 5 at 2am for those still on said amphetamines.

Surely people still want to go out and meet each other?
 

ccfctommy

Well-Known Member
All the nightclubs have fucked off. when I was out and about there was a lot to choose from, around 2007 - 2017, Colly, Scholars, Jaks, Ikon, Mortimers, Careys, Rainbows, Glasshouse, Club M, Rosie Malones, S7ven Yates's, Courtyard, all not so long ago.

For me its because the city centre is so student centric now that since students habits have changed, they all like coffe houses and smashed avacados and craft beer now, not a skinful a kebab and some fanny after clubbing till 4am, there just isn't the call for it in Town anymore

And lets be honest those of us over 30 either go to the pub till close if we want a skinful, or go to Leam, Kenilworth or Brum because its just better

By 2030 town will be just a student village i feel

Students go out drinking as much as they have. They go out on weeknights though.

I'm 35 so i'm probably too old for town, but there are still some decent places. Downtown is good for cheap beer and people watching!

What i've noticed its that peoples drinking habits have changed. Especially women. It's cocktails and bottomless brunch now. Loads go to that Turtle Bay for the cocktails. Same with Cosy Club etc.
 

Saddlebrains

Well-Known Member
When I was a lad you had choices: Gs or Colly for cheese and questionably aged ladies. Carey’s for questionably aged ladies the other way. The Dog or Campbell for some rock. Ikon for shitty dance music and agressive teenagers on amphetamines, before that the Planet. Pink Parrot for whatever that was I never went. Even Platform 5 at 2am for those still on said amphetamines.

Surely people still want to go out and meet each other?


Honestly mate, i work at the uni and students nowadays just arent interested in that kind of thing anymore

They like iced coffees, meal plans, craft ales, Wagamamas all that stuff.

The stereotypical student of the 80s to say the late noughties just obsessed with going out, getting steaming, shagging anyone, wasting your loan on topman clobber etc is long gone im afraid
 

Saddlebrains

Well-Known Member
Students go out drinking as much as they have. They go out on weeknights though.

I'm 35 so i'm probably too old for town, but there are still some decent places. Downtown is good for cheap beer and people watching!

What i've noticed its that peoples drinking habits have changed. Especially women. It's cocktails and bottomless brunch now. Loads go to that Turtle Bay for the cocktails. Same with Cosy Club etc.


Deffo agree with the last paragraph

All the girls im mates with love that kind of thing, day drink and go to bed early to crack on with life the next day
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
Students go out drinking as much as they have. They go out on weeknights though.

I'm 35 so i'm probably too old for town, but there are still some decent places. Downtown is good for cheap beer and people watching!

What i've noticed its that peoples drinking habits have changed. Especially women. It's cocktails and bottomless brunch now. Loads go to that Turtle Bay for the cocktails. Same with Cosy Club etc.

TBF I do Turtle Bay with my female best mate and the place is full of women.

Isn’t Down Town the alcoholic pub in Burges?
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
TBF I do Turtle Bay with my female best mate and the place is full of women.

Isn’t Down Town the alcoholic pub in Burges?
It's not an alcoholic pub, just a very locals pub in town really. I like it.

I think Tom's post is right though in that habits have changed and not so many people do nights out anymore. I prefer an afternoon into evening drink myself as do a lot of others I know.


Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
 

Saddlebrains

Well-Known Member
It's not an alcoholic pub, just a very locals pub in town really. I like it.

I think Tom's post is right though in that habits have changed and not so many people do nights out anymore. I prefer an afternoon into evening drink myself as do a lot of others I know.


Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk


Same here, dont know if its age or what but i can have 6 or 7 pints from about 2ish through to 8 and thats me done, curry, efl Highlights, bed
 

LastGarrison

Well-Known Member
You have got 147, Kasbah, The Yard, Samoan Joes, Cobra Club (Old Fratelli's) and Catch 22 so there are definitely late night drinking places/clubs in Cov.

Obviously, outside of the town centre you have Earlsdon and Craven Street as well.
 

David O'Day

Well-Known Member
It's not an alcoholic pub, just a very locals pub in town really. I like it.

I think Tom's post is right though in that habits have changed and not so many people do nights out anymore. I prefer an afternoon into evening drink myself as do a lot of others I know.


Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
Yeah, the city centre has like 2 shifts these days. There is the afternoon to evening drinkers and then the kids who seem to appear around 10.

It's not bad, it's just different and most places have this "issue". Big meat market clubs and Saturday nights aren't as popular as they used to be.
 

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