Nice areas in Birmingham?

[squishinglittlefatcheeks]

Hello
DH and I are moving with our DD (2.1) to Birmingham soon. We have no idea what the different areas are like and would appreciate any advice on good areas to live in.
DH will be working in the north part of the city centre and would like to be able to walk or cycle into work. I will be a SAHM for a few months before finding a new p/t job so would really like to live somewhere where me and DD can enjoy ourselves - parks, libraries, swimming pool, toddler groups/children's centre, shops nearby, soft play. The usual stuff that makes life with a toddler more fun

Any ideas?

If it's north Birmingham then I would say Sutton Coldfield. A lot of fabulous schools, both primary & secondary. Nice town, lots of restaurants and leisure facilities plus the park on your door step. If you don't mind commenting then Bournville, Harbourne, Moseley & Kings Heath are all popular areas too. Depends what sort of vibe your after really?

Hmm I think Sutton's not that great, to be honest. Its meant to be really posh but just feels a bit... not down and out, certainly, but not really nice. Of course the park is lovely.

I'm currently living in Birmingham
What's your budget like? That's what sets nicer areas from not so nice but there are lots of up and coming areas too

Solihull - nicest area by far

Sutton Coldfield got schools, great facilities, excellent park, excellent transport links too

As someone who grew up in Sydenham and went to school in Westminster I don't find anything in Birmingham to have that "posh" feel which is what I enjoy about it!

Harbourne is nice. I lived there as a student, although it wasn't particularly studenty. Nice pubs and leafy streets, and easy to get into the city centre.

Solihull and Sutton are middle class, Tory enclaves. South Birmingham is much nicer.

Bournville/Cotteridge/Kings Heath good for kids and parks. The first two have handy stations on the Cross City line. Moseley is nice but can be grim in parts. Harborne is lovely and lots of nice restaurants etc but the schools are crap and it's not that well connected really. I could tolerate Shirley.

Really does depend on budget though tbh.

It really depends how far your DH wants to commute, Sutton Coldfield is allegedly a posh part of Brum, the schools are excellent, nice parks etc. the town centre is OK but nothing special. Sutton to Bham New Street station is about 20mins & trains are every 15mins.
As others have said, you may prefer Moseley or Harborne, nearer to the city centre & some really lovely parts & lovely schools, some not so great! Nice atmosphere
Solihull is more like Sutton, shopping is better & it's quite middle class suburbia ( can be a good thing, an be a bad thing! )

Forgot to say, budget is important- in Sutton a 3 bed semi would be about £220-260k depending on condition, 4 beds probably looking at £350+

Solihull is lovely but not commutable on bike. You can get lovely properties and open space in Shirley, Hall Green, Kings Heath. Moseley & Harborne were on my hit list when I moved here too.

Also edgbaston. X

If your DH is working in the north part of the actual city centre (around Aston University way?) there is no-where nice within walking distance and cycling would be hazardous as roads extremely busy (although I've known people do it). Solihull is lovely and some nice villages over that way, such as Hampton in Arden and Knowle slightly further out. Sutton is good too for schools and transport links to the city, although I think a 3 bed semi in the better/more convenient areas would set you back quite a bit more than £220k - £260k. A lot of people like Edgbaston and Harborne which are closer to the centre but on the south side so still not walking distance - think the schools aren't so highly regarded here, and more people might choose to use private schooling.

What's your budget, and how much space do you need?

We moved from SE London to Solihull last year. We like it very much but it is most definitely a suburb, rather than a part of the city.

'Tory' enclaves ? Do you prefer Labour hellholes ?

Bournville and Harbourne are nice but it's very hard to find a good primary school with places (Bournville primary is v over subscribed - my cousin's garden backs onto the school playing field and they didn't get in, they do technically live in Northfield though). Moseley is also nice. Solihull is lovely but expensive and a little suburban for my taste (very leafy and very good schools, though).

Cycling into the city centre is easy and safe if you use the canals and cycle paths. Kings Heath to city centre about 40 mins cycle for (unfit) me.

I don't know whether it's the kind of thing you want, but I visited the Jewellery Quarter (Hockley) recently and was impressed. A lot of very interesting new homes and businesses being built there, and it's really central. It's not your average suburbia.

Primary schools in Harborne are all good or outstanding. It is the lack of non-grammar state secondary options (esp for boys) that is an issue.

And the over-subscription.

What is your budget??
Edgbaston to Aston University or Jewellery Quarter is perfectly walkable for an adult (as long as you pick the right part) but it's not inexpensive.
There isn't a library or a pool, though the new central library is close, or Harborne for both. Also the university pool will finally open in the new year well, at some point anyway.
There's also Priory Club for gym/pool/racquet sports.
Nearest soft play would be Kings Heath, but KH isn't walkable to city centre, quite a way to cycle too.
Where are you moving from? That will determine how nice you find Birmingham, in my experience!

Also, which sector for schooling? The commute to most independent schools in Birmingham is utterly hellish!
But as people say, the schools are so oversubscribed, it's difficult to get into any of them!
If DD is 2.5, you have a little time to plan for that. Perhaps rent first, ten buy when you know which school you want?

Sutton Coldfield is lovely, although I'm biased as I live there. It's commutable into Birmingham city centre either by bus or train. Plus theres boldmere high street too. A three bed semi in Sutton is £250,000 - £290,000 depending on where in Sutton. Harbourne and Solihull are lovely but the houses are expensive.

Zombie thread.