Thinking of relocating from London to Birmingham - help!

[CurlyWarrior]

Hi all,

I'm not a mum but hope you are still willing to advise me : ) I'm recently single after a long term relationship that didn't work out. This plus being fed up with working and living in London, I really feel like I need a fresh start! I've been looking at a few cities I could possibly relocate to and so far Birmingham is high on the list. This is based on the following which I have gathered from various research sources:

Cheaper cost of living
Affordable housing
Stress free and cheaper work commute
Sense of community
Multicultural
Not far from countryside/green spaces
Lots to see, do and eat : )

It's really important that I move somewhere that is within easy commute of the city centre, is safe and has a good mix of people, quiet but not dull. Will it be easy to meet people and make friends? I'm quite sociable but no longer in my 20s so partying days are over and I'm more on the introverted side. I do love to dance though so into classes also yoga, squash, eating out, crafting, comedy, exploring countryside and trying new things. Volunteering within the community is also important to me.

I can request for my job to be moved there so that bit is straight forward although may have to take a slight dip in salary since I lose London Weighting.

Anyway I'll stop rambling, grateful for any thoughts and recommendations based on the above if I did decide to move. I have quite a bit of time off over the next couple of weeks so may visit to check things out.

different parts of Birmingham have different vibes, I would look at a map of areas of Birmingham and do some research on those areas for instance solihul is nice but expensive, kingstanding and great barr are easy to get to centre but mainly big estates of ex council houses , bearwood has a big caribean community, aston is poor housing in some parts but very close to the centre, south of Birmingham the main road going through is the hagley road ,, Halesowen where I lived is a quietish small town but could be an hours commute in rush hour,

. I do love to dance though so into classes also yoga, squash, eating out, crafting, comedy, exploring countryside and trying new things. Volunteering within the community is also important to me.

Moseley/Kings Heath will 100% cover the above.

Yep, Moseley/kings Heath. Stirchley is massively up and coming though, you'd get more for your money and it has a real community feel. Bournville station is in Stirchley too, 13 mins into the city centre!. Moseley and kings heath you'd have to get the bus (and it's a congested route at rush hour!)

Hall Green is reasonably priced, and close to Moseley/Kings Heath for all your outside-of-work interests/needs, but you can get into town in 12/13 mins via train.

Edgebaston

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71730409.html

Sorry can't spell- Edgbaston.
Love looking at these houses on right move. If I win the lottery, it may be possible.

I live in oldbury u can be in to the city centre in 15 minutes by train. 45 minutes by bus. Its affordable to live where I live

Harborne
Great yoga studio
Easy access to countryside, M5
I don't think that edgbaston has much of a community feel compared to Harborne

Solihull is lovely and would fit the bill. It's expensive though

Marathon Green in Solihull is nice and has a train station, 10mins into the city.

I'd recommend that you rent before buying, tbh. Birmingham seems more affordable because salaries are far lower than London. Have you checked what your salary would actually be? Which are of Birmingham would work be in? That dictates which part to live in because easy commutes aren't really done by car here. If you need to be in the city centre, you need to be on the train line or metro (tram).

Have you looked at Bristol? More expensive than Birmingham for housing but ticks all your other boxes. I dance, do yoga etc, can walk into city centre in 20 mins or drive to deepest countryside in 20 mins, Wales, Cotswolds, Somerset and beyond all easy access, as is London. Great sense of community and volunteering communities, very creative and multi-cultural...

Despite my user name, I lived in Harborne in my 20s and early 30s, and there was lots going on, it was a great place to live (but that was in the best part not outskirts).
Somewhere such as Stirchley, Bournville, Moseley will have loads of groups you can join. Perhaps look on Meet Up?
I agree Edgbaston has no community feel to it, so probably not recommended, though short commute to city centre. It's good when you're retired, as there's quite a bit going on in the day, but not evenings and weekends.

I lived in Mosley in my late twenties and is was a great place to be.

As Brummie (but more of a Silhillian) I would also recommend places around Solihull. And also Harbourne.

Agree with others. Have a look at Moseley or Kings Heath. Neither are on train lines but they do have very regular bus services into the city centre.

Bournville is lovely as well and it may also be worth looking at the Bearwood area which is really starting to develop a community feel in recent years