Now the second largest city in Britain BIRMINGHAM may not be the prettiest city in the United Kingdom, but it has an amazing industrial legacy. It also is home to a thoroughly multiracial population that makes this one of Britain's most cosmopolitan cities. The central area of the city is undergoing a facelift and the civic scene is changing. Canalside developments are giving the city a chic cafe society while its bold cultural initiatives have engaged a division of the Royal Ballet to reside here and the city is also building a fabulous new concert hall for the City's Symphony Orchestra.