Jobs in Coventry | Pictures of Coventry

England 's ninth largest city, Coventry , has ambitious aspirations to become a world-class city.

With more than £9bn being invested in a number of redevelopment projects throughout the city, including a scheme that will double the current size of city centre's retail offering, Coventry is not only cementing its position as one of the most preferred business locations in the UK but, also as one of the most promising and appealing places to live.

Getting around Coventry
It's a shame that the city's post-war planners didn't make at least some effort to retain some of the aesthetical appeal that Coventry had in abundance before the Luftwaffe has their way. Surrounding the city is the grim looking – but efficient - concrete ring road that links Coventry with direct routes from nearby towns and cities. Once you are in the centre, there are a number of public car parks which are all operated by the local council. But if driving into the centre isn't your cup of tea, there are plenty of Park & Ride schemes in operation.

There is a good bus service with Pool Meadow bus station set back behind the Cathedral – in a more central position than the train station. Improvements are being made to the city's bus network with a number of bus-only routes, new stops and bus bye-passes which will reduce congestion and quicken the morning commute into the city centre.

Coventry is very easy to reach by train. There is the main Coventry station and two local stations in Canley and Tile Hill .

Eating, drinking and shopping in Coventry
Coventry , dominated by its stunning state of the art Cathedral, has wide pedestranised streets and good shopping facilities both in the city centre and on the fringes. The West Orchards and Lower Precinct shopping centres are home to all the usual high street names, whilst the Market sells everything from the everyday to the extraordinary, from fresh meat and fish to Chinese herbs and Indian spices, from ethnic rugs to silk flowers, from vegetables to collectables.

Coventry also boasts the UK 's first IKEA city centre store. Elsewhere, out-of-town shopping is provided at the Central Six and Arena retail parks. Specialist and independent shops can be found on medieval Spon Street , Hertford Street and in the City Arcade.

For your customary Friday lunchtime pint or to relax at the weekend weekend, the Cathedral Quarter links old and new Coventry and has been revived with a range of pubs, cafés and restaurants.

The Inspire Café in particular offers a great range of international beers and food day and night. Despite the somewhat sacrilegious fact that the only thing left standing of the bombed-out Christchurch Cathedral is the spire that now shelters this bar, it is forgivable purely on account that this place really is that good.

Over the other side of the city centre lies part of the old town which still has a number of medieval buildings, most of which have been converted into bars and restaurants that borders. And this is also home to a major club complex with the refurnished Lava & Ignite, Coventry 's newest and biggest club. Hales Street is another area in Coventry boasting many bars and restaurants that range from traditional pubs to the usual chain bars.

For a more sober evening, cinema lovers are well catered for between the city centre Odeon complex and the Showcase Cinema on the outskirts of the city. The newly expanded Belgrade Theatre and Warwick Arts Centre play host to contemporary and classical music concerts, dance and operatic performances.

During the day, there's the free-to-enter Coventry Transport Museum , which has the largest collection of British-made road vehicles in the world, while the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, nearing the end of a multi-million revamp, is also worth a visit.

Without exception, the evocative ruins of St. Michael's Cathedral, destroyed by the German bombing campaign on 14 th November 1940, remains Coventry 's best-known landmark and somewhere that is always worth a visit as a poignant reminder of what this city endured during the Second World War. You can still climb the 180 steps to the top of the Gothic spire for some panoramic views.

Coventry City Football Club play home games at the Ricoh Arena, a 32,500 capacity stadium in Foleshill in north Coventry . The stadium also doubles as a large concert facility, conference space and banqueting hall.

The city has a basketball team, the Coventry Crusaders and a very successful ice-hockey team: the Coventry Blaze.  Coventry Rugby Club has also moved into new surroundings at the Butts Arena. For aqua lovers, Coventry Sports Centre includes a 50-meter Olympic standard pool.

Main Residential Areas
Whether you are looking to rent or buy, property prices in Coventry are reasonable. For city centre living, Priory Place is the pick of the bunch as a new urban square featuring shops, bars, cafes and apartments.

But if your preference is for somewhere a little quieter, then Stivichall is a popular and mainly residential area a few miles south of the city centre with a number of traditional semi-detached houses or bungalows with two or three bedrooms. West of here lies Syvechale Grange, an equally popular suburban area that sprang up throughout the 60s and 70s to cater for Coventry 's then-rapidly growing population (which peaked at 340,000 in 1971).

Elsewhere, Earlsdon, birthplace of Frank Whittle - the inventor of the jet engine, is arguably the most sought after location in Coventry . Just over a mile from the city centre, Earlsdon retains its village feel, complete with a number of shops, restaurants, rail station and even its own theatre.

If you're thinking of moving to the area, take a look at some of the current property available to buy or let in Coventry.

Take a closer look
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can see some images from in and around Coventry below.

Looking for local vacancies? See all current jobs in Coventry or find out more information on the local area.