Do you prefer Birmingham or Manchester

[Clarro]

DH and I are moving out of London.

We are considering both cities. Which city itself do you prefer?

28 mins direct Warwick to Moor Street...

We have decided we would live in Stratford/Warwick/Leamington Spa if we moved to Birmingham

Surely you would need to live in Birmingham? Otherwise, you are moving to Stratford, Warwick or Leamington Spa.

Lots of people commute from there to Birmingham. Sutton Coldfield also popular for Birmingham with good schools. Also the areas between Birmingham and Coventry some are nice.

There is the gated community.

I think the countryside is more interesting near manchester than Birmingham. And yes, birmingham is skint. I enjoy a night out in Manchester but it's very young!

I live halwayish between Leeds and Manchester and can easily access both.
Would that be an idea so you could enjoy both cities? I can also get to Sheffield quite easily, which is apparently a foodie hotspot these days

Manchester - the Cheshire towns you mention are all rather lovely places to live, there are loads of stately homes/galleries/gardens in the surrounding countryside, Manchester has enough fun stuff to do and it's easy to get to Liverpool and do the art/culture/shopping there if you fancy a change!

On a few trains, yes. But more like 40-45 on average. And it's not like London where you rock up at the station and a train will be there - 2 an hour is pretty normal. And you have to get to the station. And then whatever you needed to get to at the other end. There's not much within 10 mins walk of Moor St that OP will want to do on repeat.

Warwick is lovely. But if frequent (leisure) access to Birmingham is top of OP's list, I'd live somewhere closer.

(Yes, I know people commute there every day, but it's still not something I'd recommend as the best way to spend precious leisure time).

I'd choose Manchester. Culturally, the only downside comes about 20 times a year when the 'plastics' come to Old Trafford, whom you can avoid.

That's also going to be true of many of the areas she's looking at in Greater Manchester. It's true of basically every city and their surrounding areas outside of London.

If London style access is what OP wants, she needs to stay in London. I presume as she's looking to move out of London she's considered that?

@IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos It definitely would be the case, yes! Which is why plenty of people are suggesting that if OP wants frequent access to things in Birmingham that she'd be better off living in Birmingham, or in places which are much better connected (Solihull for example) than Warwick.

But I think most posters have hit the nail on the head in saying that I'd OP is trying to replicate life in Zone 4, then she probably needs to stay in Zone 4!

Many of the towns and suburbs mentioned (Warwick very much included) are lovely places to live... but they won't give OP the pseudo-London experience.

I moved from a small NE village to a similar area outside of Birmingham as OP is looking at. Everything was bigger, faster, more frequent, open longer etc.

OP would essentially be doing the opposite, even if she moved to where I now live. From a million miles an hour to a thousand (I went from one to a thousand!).

I love going home, but after over a decade here I do find it strange (in a good way) that things are slower and quieter.

There's not much within 10 mins walk of Moor St that OP will want to do on repeat.

That's bonkers. There is SO much with in a few minutes walk of Moor Street, and it's never 45 mins on a train from Warwick. It's around 30. It's a perfect distance for hopping on a train and spending the day in Birmingham.

Manchester area. The places you have suggested to live are great, plus you'll have Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and only a short trek to Leeds if you so desired. Lake district not too far also.

I live near Birmingham.

I would recommend visiting Manchester over Birmingham as there is more to do in the city centre as Birmingham City Centre isn’t as geared for tourists as Manchester. Birmingham has lots to do however it’s spread around the suburbs.

To live, I would say Birmingham.

I went to uni in Manchester but it’s changed since then. The atmosphere is now quite unpleasant and I’ve never come across a city so up its own arse.
Oh come on. Bristol, surely?
I do know what you mean, but I still vote Manchester. Last time I went to Altrincham it was absolutely dead though. Has it got better again?

I would just bear in mind that whilst doing all of this stuff is lovely now, in 2-3 years, your DS will have his own social life and will probably want to spend more time with his friends from school at weekends rather than walking round museums with his parents (no offence) so I personally wouldn't choose to relocate to a completely new area purely based on what you do now.

Very much this.

I appreciate that. But dh and I are now also in the habit of being out of house at weekends. We have the occasional movie day but both get cabin fever quickly since having ds

But will your activities remain the same when he's no longer interested? Or might they change to slower, more leisurely type things like a nice walk to a good pub for lunch?

Or more local, community based things?

Likewise, Knutsford, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Altrincham are in Cheshire, not Manchester

I appreciate that. But dh and I are now also in the habit of being out of house at weekends. We have the occasional movie day but both get cabin fever quickly since having ds
I understand that you want to be out of the house but why are you only thinking about museums and other such metropolitan-type entertainments.
You are doing the equivalent of going on holiday to Spain but insisting on eating British-style fish and chips.

Yeah they’re right shit holes 😂

C’mon really?? Compared with where? Belgravia?

You may want to think again, if you think £950k will get you anything decent in
Wilmslow, Aderley Edge.
Knutsford, Altrincham, probably a 3-4 bedroom detached in a moderate area.

Between Birmingham and Manchester I'd pick Manchester, although the centre has some grotty bits.

Altrincham and Hale are lovely, a 20 minute tram ride into Manchester but close to lots of National Trust properties. The local schools are good. We have a Grammar system but the High schools are sought after too.

Leamington / Warwick / Stratford all have direct train routes to Birmingham.
Birmingham is great for shopping and eating. It is not so great for museums but in Warwickshire, you would be near enough for days out in Oxford which is full of great museums. Stratford is also great for a day out and come to think of it so is Leamington (decent shops, rivers, parks).
My vote is Birmingham but it will feel very small compared to London.