Is Solihull far away enough from Birmingham?

[Hatebirmingham]

I live in Edgbaston and HATE Birmingham. I’ve been here for 6 years and I think it’s bloody awful. It’s run down, unsafe to the point where I could list multiple areas where I barely feel safe driving through, never mind getting out of the car and there are so many areas that don’t even feel like you’re in the UK. I see teens around and would be throughly depressed for these to be the children that my own would attend school with - lots seem to be wannabe ‘gangsters’, rude, intimidating etc. I find the vast majority of Birmingham incredibly depressing.

We can’t leave the West Midlands unfortunately.

I was wondering if Solihull may be a better fit for us. My oldest DC is starting school next year so we still have time to move without interrupting education. My question is - is Solihull (particularly Dorridge/Knowle) far enough away from Birmingham to not be affected by Birmingham’s ‘issues’?

IABU: Solihull is still too close to Birmingham
IANBU: Solihull is much better than Birmingham

What's stopping anyone from saying that?

Read her post, she is very clear that she means the community is rude.

I would reccomend parts of Sutton Coldfield, depending on your budget four oaks is lovely! I was born and raised in Brum and its got a grit and darkness to it, always has. Used to have a lot of charm too, and certain areas maybe still do.

It has changed though, a lot. It's really dangerous in areas. Those who are talking about racism probably haven't been to Alum Rock during riots so I wouldn't pay much attention as its not lived experience.

Solihull used to be seen as upmarket but I think it's a bit new money tacky lol. I grew up in Yardley/Stechford which was rough even then, but I wouldn't go near the areas now if I could help it. Wouldn't feel safe. Nothing to do with colour. Poverty, mental health issues and substance abuse are a big key factor.

But yeah, mere green, Shenstone, some parts of Sutton Coldfield are nice.

Out of curiosity, do all people from Birmingham still have net curtains on their windows. I've driven through to get to the airport a few times and omg it's like going back through time. 😂

A man offered to “buy” me once, in Birmingham Market😳

My husband always says he was tempted….😁

I am coming to Birmingham on a shopping trip tomorrow, is it better if I stay home.

Dh works around Birmingham every single day, you would be shocked the stuff that goes on. And yes it’s mainly by a certain community.

Stratford Upon Avon?

Solihull is ok.

Knowle is nice tbf, great secondary school there. Small though, teens all go to Solihull for nights out.

Town is fine, don’t venture around the Burroughs around town

Sorry you're getting such a hard time @Hatebirmingham I quite get where you're coming from and you have every right to state why you want to move. Ignore the haters who don't believe your lived experience. 💐

It was pretty clear what you meant when you said even your Arab husband found them rude.

And what a surprise, your posts have just become nastier and more insulting.

I wouldn't want to live somewhere where white British are the minority. I don't think the OP is unreasonable to look For somewhere that feels British.

It seems you’re the one with a provocative mind. I didn’t say once which community I was talking about as I was talking about the people there in general.

Not any more! Have you been to the town centre lately? And Solihull includes Kingshurst and Chelmsley Wood.

It’s crazy when you live in a place that’s an absolute shithole in most areas these days and you can’t even say that 😆

What about non-white British?

what I said was very clear. Very happy to be around different races and cultures - the part of London I live in is exactly that - but white British are not in the minority.

Yuck.

I don't have personal experience of Birmingham but I would have significant concerns about living somewhere where people are disposed to vote along sectarian lines. That is unlikely to lead anywhere good. Moreover I consider it reasonable to be very worried by the evidence of two-tier policing in the West Midlands (per the Maccabi scandal).

If I were to add that to personal experience of harassment, visible crime, and the ability to move I can't see why someone wouldn't relocate.

Immediate accusations of racism and an unwillingness to grapple with nuance, experiences different to your own, or to question whether someone has used clumsy wording in trying to explain their experience is, to my mind, unhelpful and closes down important discussions. Not everyone is a recent social science graduate or so perennially online that they know what language is 'acceptable'.

I live in Solihull and have also lived in Birmingham. I travel to Birmingham often for work and I agree that it no longer feels safe.
Solihull has gone downhill in the 15 years I have lived here. My local shopping parade used to have a lovely butchers and greengrocers. Now there’s a 24hr shop and dodgy phone shop. Always drug addicts hanging around outside. Rubbish everywhere. I wouldn’t move here now. There are fireworks every night and people racing cars at 1am.
We are looking to move to dorridge or Hampton in Arden in the next couple years. Much nicer area but also much more expensive

Balsall Common has become a soulless commuter ‘village’ being choked by new builds and lack of facilities. The secondary school has been dragged down by poor leadership and the massively expanded catchment area where the LEA dump the kids from the problem areas of Solihull. Car theft is rife, as is shoplifting and anti social behaviour, HS2 are causing chaos which seems like it will never be finished!

OP I think people are being very disingenuous here. I would not let my young daughter walk in a short skirt and crop top down a lot of streets in the UK. If I see crowds of males in the street I am conscious yes, sometimes they stare. Whether they are curious or ogling or hostile is irrelevant - I don’t feel safe.

Add to that the fact that the reported violent crimes in some of these streets is actually high - add to the fact I’ve seen a pregnant woman mugged at knife point and punched - and I think we are allowed to feel however the heck we want about these areas. Never see a policeman on the beat anymore either.

I have an otherwise-lovely male colleague who told me very sadly that “people living in white western culture” should not be surprised that women are raped in the streets because we lack religious control, codes of dress and propriety. I clarified, “is that just another way of saying women are ‘asking for it’?” And he said, “well you said it, so you already know it’s true.”

People - especially women - get stared at, heckled stabbed and attacked by men of many creeds and colours. OP is allowed to prefer living in a community that (a) is predominantly speaking English and (b) doesn’t make her feel more unsafe than your average woman.

We have friends in both Knowle and Dorridge, some who are not white. They’re both nice places.

The local secondary schools still has a lot of the same issues that other schools in less nice areas have. My friends kids go to private school along with lots of the children from those areas.

Some parts of Birmingham are really bad for crime, drugs, anti social behaviour, but for lots of those areas, it is nothing to do with the race of the people living there. It’s poverty.

No, it’s not far enough away. Have you considered Inverness?
Regards
a proud Brummie who knows that everywhere has its rough parts and the parts you could not even afford to look at.