To dislike Birmingham?

[redeoof]

I’ve worked in the city maybe 4 years now .. there really isn’t much appealing about it. I once overheard a woman on the train say she does guided tours for Manc, London and Birmingham - and Bham is a hard sell.

I’ve been coming into New Street station for years and there’s always been construction and it’s never seemed to progressed to anything.

I walk down New Street and actually feel unsafe. It’s depressing and dreary .. and it should be so much more

I’m there regularly for work and it’s fine in the day - not a lover of the city centre at night though.

The re-paving is taking forever for some reason which is not helping the city centre look attractive.

It’s very handy for picking up some present bits around Christmas on my way home!

The city centre does not feel nice. It feels dirty and run down. Central London actually (in most parts) feels so much better and nicer.

And? Scary things happen in all cities from time to time. It mostly doesn't impact on most people who are in those cities for work or because they live there.

The QE is on the edge of the University of Birmingham.

There is hotel accommodation on site Here

Obviously not sure of your budget, but the University has it's own station on the Cross City Train line, so you could look near any of the stations and have a very easy route in.

I'd look at The Old Farm Hotel or the Bournbrook Inn in Bournville, or, if you want really basic - cheap but it's just to sleep in, look at The Cotteridge Village Inn (not quite as charming as it sounds) but very cheap and a short walk from there to Kings Norton Station which is 3 stops from the University Station. The 2 in Bournville are probably a tad nicer, and the Edgbaston Park nicer still, but I don't know what your budget is like.

I agree that London is nicer but Birmingham is definitely not at the bottom of the worst cities in the UK. I don't think central Birmingham is any dirtier than London.

It's a dump. There's so many stabbings and murders in Birmingham.

https://www.westmidlands.police.uk/news/west-midlands/news/news/2026/september/teenager-charged-after-birmingham-stabbing/

Were you at UoB?

According to "Crimerate", weapon possession (per 1000 people) is over 3 times the national average. Here are some rates
Possession of Weapons
3.15 CrimeRate Index
Robbery
2.42 CrimeRate Index
Vehicle Crime
2.11

In Liverpool, possession of weapons is only 1.38 times the national average. Robbery is 1.18. Vehicle crime is 1.07. So Birmingham is far worse in those areas. On the other hand, there are far more drug offences in Liverpool.

Visited for the first time recently and wouldn't run back any time soon. Strangely there seemed to be a disproportionate amount of young men whizzing round on mobility scooters and SO much litter. Weird vibes.

More than 3 times the average national rate of possession of weapons.

I am interested to know what makes you feel intimidated.

OK. I quite like it and don't feel unsafe there.

Well fair enough, that's you, isn't it?

Primark is very popular though. I was in there today, and it was full of people, seemingly having a nice time and actively choosing to be in there - despite the vast proliferation of weapons I am reading about on this thread, nobody had put a gun to their head as far as I could see. Some of them were even smiling!

So not everybody feels the same.

I mentioned it because once on holiday in Wales I met a woman, and when she recognised my diabolical accent she made me describe the Birmingham Primark to her in great detail and made her husband promise to take her there on their next mini break. (True Facts).

I don't think liking things you don't like is necessarily the definition of a low bar?

Has this thread made you feel tempted to go?

I grew up here until I left for university aged 18. Returned about 7 years ago. So that's 25 years. Never seen a stabbing.

I'm not sure how the OP can claim to dislike a City of 1.2 million people, when it seems she has gone from New Street Train Station to Colmore Row, about 1/2 a mile from the train station.
The City is vast, not a tiny route from the OP's workplace to the station.

Quite frankly, I don't think much of Euston with it's way of holding all travellers in a pen until the last minute where everyone has to rush for the platform, but I wouldn't write off the whole City of London on that one small part.

I’ve not seen any

Where was this? Not seen any young men on mobility scooters

I hoped it was a cheese market. I like cheese.

I’ve never lived in Birmingham but during the past 25 years of working, I have visited the city centre a number of times, as well as visiting other nearby towns (Solihull and Oldbury).

I count myself fortunate to have lived and worked in some of the best cities in the country: I was born in Liverpool and have lived and/or worked in London, Oxford, Windsor and Manchester, as well as making numerous business trips to cities like Edinburgh, Cardiff and Leeds.

IMO Birmingham is no different to the vast majority of UK cities - it has some nice parts and some awful parts. And whilst I’d have to admit to not being the biggest fan of the accent (yes, possibly a bit rich coming from a Scouser! 😂), the biggest plus for Birmingham is its people. All the Brummies I’ve ever met have been personable, down to earth and genuine. Plus, as an Evertonian, I do have a bit of a soft spot for Villa: a proper club, with a proud heritage and history and a decent and knowledgeable fan base.

No it’s not any city in UK expect London. It’s not like Bristol, Brighton, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Manchester, Bath, etc.

I like Birmingham,feel safe there,never seen anything untoward in all the years I have shopped and eaten there.Manchester on the other hand is dire,my daughter lived there,in the centre.Dreadful place.

@Ilovelurchers Has Primark suddenly become an aspirational place to shop? You're putting a weird amount of emphasis on what I thought was a very basic, cheapo shop?

I lived just outside Brum for 8 years and have very fomg memories of it as my ex lived there, and I had many happy times with him and also groups of friends in and around the city centre. I've just been much since I moved back home, but was there last year briefly and didn't notice it had changed much. Maybe it was always a shithole but I never noticed because it was OUR shithole? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I will say one thing though. It's a fucking pain in the arse that they only signpost things ON the junction and not before. "Dudley? Yes of course, you needed the turning 3 yards ago" 🙄 I have no idea why they do it. Manchester is the same. So fucking stupid.

The Birmingham Primark is a flagship store. So people do get quite excited about it, yes - I have spoken to lots of people in real life who really enjoy going. It's got a Greggs in it and everything. Not people on Mumsnet, obviously - I have apparently badly misjudged my audience!

But to be fair to me it was far from the only positive thing I mentioned about Birmingham!