| Hurst Street | |
|---|---|
Birmingham Back to Backs on Hurst Street |
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| Postal code: | B5 |
| Location: | Birmingham, England |
Hurst Street is a street located in Birmingham City Centre, England.
Hurst Street is the location of the Birmingham Hippodrome, a theatre specialising in ballet, opera, and musicals. It is the home of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Adjacent to the Hippodrome, across and on the corner of Inge Street, are the restored back-to-back houses - high density houses built in the 1820s. These are now open as a museum.
The gay scene of Birmingham is mainly centred on and around Hurst Street; the number of gay bars and clubs on the street is significant.
During the weekend immediately prior to the Spring bank holiday (last Monday in May), Hurst Street is host to Birmingham Pride when the gay population of the Midlands and often further afield descends on the area. At the end of May 2009, the City Council approved plans for a £530,000 environmental improvement scheme at the heart of the city’s Gay Village area. The proposals include extending the avenue of street trees to the full length of Hurst Street and parts of Kent Street; widening pavements to create space for café bars to provide outdoor seating and brighter street lighting with decorative lanterns. Every few years the regulars of Hurst street elect the 'Queen of Queens' which is an honorary title. This means that the person crowned is head gay. The current Queen of hurst street is Sherelle Browne, who was crowned in may earlier this year. [1]