Living in Birmingham - is it very unsafe?

[4Laurie]

Hi, my son has a place at the acting programme of the RBC (Birmingham conservatoire), this would mean living near the BCU in the centre, he really dislikes the area and thinks it's pretty unsafe so is hesitant about taking up his place. Does anyone have experience of this or could offer comments?

It’s no more unsafe than any major city, and probably safer than London. As I’m sure you will be aware, there are good parts and crappy parts. He will likely feel safest in Harborne, Edbaston, Moseley or Selly Oak. Stay away from Digbeth, Handsworth, Lozells. Actually Digbeth could be fun as it’s central and super cheap but it’s often used as a movie set when they want a post apocalyptic dystopia, so maybe not 😂. Joking aside, Birmingham is a brilliant and vibrant city. There’s a ton of development coming in with new city centre flats springing up in completely redeveloped areas. Come and visit it before you make your mind up.

Sparkhill and Alum Rock are really great diverse up and coming areas with progressive, safe vibes, my DD (at UoB) lives there, the area is great for students.

It's as safe as London. It's basically fine, but obviously there's crime everywhere. Not worth stressing about OP.

Curious as to why he thinks it's unsafe? He could live in Moseley or Edgbaston instead?

Hi, thanks so much for all your comments, the accommodation for the conservatoire is University locks I think, v central, he's have to get a train out to Bournville every day where the drama takes place. He grew up in Devon and NZ in incredibly safe areas, so I suppose it's the contrast which is worrying him and also I saw on mumsnet this comment He went to an open day and a theatre performance in the city and got a uber, he's just not streetwise at the moment! I guess he can move into these student areas but then won't be near BCU for any clubs (though prob won't have time being a drama student!) as the conservatoire is linked to BCU, right in the centre
Worldgonecrazy · 29/08/2023 09:43

Are you getting mixed up with Birmingham City University which is a completely different uni and another area? BCU does have drug and gang problems, both on campus and in the surrounding area. I would definitely not walk around there at night. Aston University also suffers similar problems as it is very close to BCU.

Hi, I think he might work it out this way but if he wants to mix with music conservatoire or fellow actors, they normally start the 3 years in university locks accommodation, right in the centre and get a train out to Bournville every day, v hard for me to comment as I've never been to Birmingham but I think I'm going to need to go and investigate for myself asap!

I live in Bournville myself and the train ride from the centre is super easy and Bournville itself is a lovely area.

Sorry I should add that Birmingham city centre is probably just the same as most cities with goid and bad points. It’s a great place for nightlife for students and my two never have any bother. Totally understand you and your son’s concerns but you maybe overthinking it a little. My daughter is off to Liverpool uni but just going to do my best to be relaxed about it.

Anything else you want to know just ask I am happy to help.

We live fairly close to Birmingham and so my (now young adult) children used to go into Birmingham a lot, day and night. They’ve always been fine.
My eldest did her masters at the uni, she often finished quite late in the evening and wasn’t worried about making her way home.

Two of my DDs want to university in Birmingham.

DD2 didn't like Birmingham at all (she's a small town woman at heart), but saw it as a means to an end.

DD1 loved it - and actually chose to start her Big 4 accountancy apprenticeship there.

Both lived in very rough areas (my parents described the street they both lived on as 'student slums'). They were never attacked, robbed or burgled at any stage - despite doing bloody stupid things like walking down the canal path on their own late at night.

I mean students in Birmingham do complain about them or their friends getting mugged on Facebook. I don't like Brum

But doesn’t that happen everywhere?

Birmingham between the city centre and Bournville will be fine. The city is no different to any other major city in terms of safety and Bournville is a lovely area.

I love Birmingham, i lived there for 3 years and I visit every chance I get 😍 No less or more dangerous than any other major city

DS3 lived very centrally for 3 years until '24 in B'rum (behind The Cube) and had no dodgy experiences (apart from speeding Deliveroo drivers!) and he never mentioned his friends getting any bother either. They all had a very happy student life.
DS2, who studied in Bristol, encountered far more issues with crime.

My husband went to Birmingam Conservatoire when it was in the old building. It's a great place to live.

More recently we stayed in a Premier In in the city centre and felt perfectly safe. Ds has friends currently at the conservatoire and they love it.

That train ride is very straightforward and the trains are safe, usually full of commuters or school kids. Both my children took that train to school, although going the opposite way! They also both spent their secondary years hanging out in the city centre at weekends, from around age 12-13, using their train passes to get in and out. So an 18 year old will be absolutely fine, he just needs to exercise the usual caution in the city centre at night, but I doubt he'll be on his own much?

I think he'll have a great time being so central, right next to all the amenities of the city centre. And that area will be so full of students, with Aston uni next door too. Does the drama stuff happen in the building which is next to the Bournville junior and infants schools? That's a really nice area, right by Cadbury World. He'll get the best of both worlds and if he doesn't like the city centre he can move Selly Oak/Bournville way for year 2.

Yes agree with this and selly oak is a great place for students with plenty of student accommodation. Some great student bars and plenty of well known shops stores.

OP, the unfamiliar is always a bit daunting.

The reality is that he will get used to the more urban vibe, and it’s probably best that he lives in the same accommodation as his course mates, so that they travel together, go out together in the evenings.

Millions of people go about their business peacefully, safely and happily in our big cities.

He has done well to get a place.

Have you seen other students Facebook pages for comparative purposes??

Yes. Basically 0 in Oxbridge and Durham for example.

Bike crime is common in both Oxford and Cambridge. The most complaints I see on the Brum site are about car damage.

I think if you looked at a slightly less rarefied contrast or even dug deeper to the 3 you choose you'd find the same almost everywhere. Goodness, a couple of weeks ago a foreign language student was murdered in Cambridge.

My DS was at Birmingham for 3 years without the slightest spot of bother.

And yet I was talking about getting mugged. Not your bike stolen. Bike crime is rampant in Birmingham as well

What happened in Cambridge was completely out of the ordinary. Oxford and Cambridge are so much safer places to be students than Birmingham.

But that example is useless to the OP.

And I don't believe statistics support you but you're clearly anti Birmingham so won't be swayed.

I have followed the Birmingham Uni FB site for years and a parent site and only once seen a mugging mentioned.

He will be absolutely fine - Birmingham is a great city. Like any big city it has a few dodgy areas, but these are not places he’s likely to go as a student. DS just graduated from UOB and neither he nor any of his mates ever had any problems. I accept it probably feels a bit alien to him at the moment, but within a few weeks it will start to feel like home and he will wonder what he was worrying about.