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

Good lord

Are you in a different Birmingham? And as much as Solihull wishes it was separate, it's still Birmingham really. Maybe try Wolverhampton, that's a different city.

I think the op is only 'stared down' as they must walk through the areas looking completly terrified and people wonder if they are OK!

Okay, no point arguing something I know is factual, so enjoy your days out in the shitty parts and come back and tell us what it was like 😊

Exactly. How reassuring to know that people who are actually brummies are being told they are totally wrong by people living nowhere near Birmingham!

It's interesting that two of the places you mentioned as safe suburbs are not actually in Birmingham! Sutton coldfield is it's own town, much like Solihull, and rednal/rubery comes under Worcestershire! But regardless, I'm glad you had a more positive experience - I have no reason to dispute it. But equally, I recognise what the OP is talking about and why she wants to get out.

Nobody is denying those shitty parts exist - why would those of us visiting go there though?

Ourselves and our friends left another West Midland’s city and have both moved to a small Warwickshire town because we didn’t want to raise our children in a city where we didn’t feel safe and couldn’t see us feeling comfortable with the kids going out of the house on their own when they were older

I would look further out, how about Stratford? We’re down the road, lovely place and in the Summer with the river it’s so picturesque. Lovely atmosphere, no gangs hanging around etc

@BloomingCrocus @missbish I have LIVED in Birmingham for YEARS and not the posh bits Shard End, Chelmsley Wood, Hodge Hill.
On the bus daily, in the dark in winter through Sparkhill - completely fine. No-one stares at me, no-one intimidates me, no-one attacks me or makes me feel weird for being white. Because strangers, immigrant, foreign, not-white strangers do not give a shiny shit about me or any other random person of any other race just going about there day.

The only time I have experienced crime in Birmingham was nearly a decade ago when my now ex-partner was mugged... by a white bloke.

Your son is a student. It’s well known that students live in their own little bubble. I have hospital trips, trips to GPs, baby and toddler groups, I visit soft play centres, restaurants, physiotherapists, beauty salons, parks, multiple different shopping parks and do regular days out with my children. I think it’s fair to say as an adult with children, you have need to visit more places where you reside than a student who attends university and socialises in a handful of places.

How is my perception skewed? I’m talking about real, lived experience. Please don’t tell me that I’m imagining the scenarios that I’ve mentioned in this thread.

It’s ridiculous that you’re saying that this is untrue - are you saying that I am lying? I have personally experienced this, as have many people that I know. There are even POC saying that areas of Birmingham are like this.

@Hatebirmingham you are all paranoid - anxiety is on the rise.
Strangers aren't staring at any of you.

So how would you explain my experience at the QE hospital that I’ve mentioned on this thread?

You seem like somebody who would instantly believe somebody claiming they were mistreated by a white person due to their skin colour yet not a white woman who’s saying she’s experienced poor treatment based on her race and gender. Perhaps you need to examine why this is. You are victim blaming.

I once heard that people in Solihull have the slowest post in Britain because they’re all too snobby to put the Birmingham postcode on their addresses. So it could be right up your street.

I don’t recognise your description of Brum at all op. Especially not Edgebaston! Are you sure you’re ok?

Exactly!! The student rationale is utterly daft.

In my honest opinion I think you are making the lot up because you are racist and you want to gain sympathy of others in order to get people to agree with your unpleasant opinions. I am not "victim blaming" because I simply do not believe you are a victim of anything other than your own anxiety.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that Birmingham is now under sharia law, and bacon baps are illegal, as are pork scratchings. The resistance has holed up in the Bullring and are in contact with the J D Vance superstars who are poised to sweep in and retake the city.

The same story exists about people in Windsor not wanting to use the Slough postcode.

Are you ok? Your post suggests hysteria. Have a cup of tea bab, and put your phone down.

I’ve had it too. And I am not white. wish I could tell some of the stories from my son and his police mates as well.

Some cultures see women in particular very differently.

LMAO if you say you are NOT racist on MN that is MN code for you ARE. Can't win OP. Sorry for your intimidating experiences. That is really lousy and I hope you find a decent, safe, happy place to live

Not sure about the postcode bit because the B area extends to Knowle/Dorridge/Bentley Heath but when I was growing up there I absolutely had someone express their fury that in Knowle we got the apparently more desirable 01564 telephone code and in Solihull town they were stuck with the ph so shameful 021 Birmingham exchange.

Then you get the ones upset if anyone pronounces it SOLLY-hull as opposed to the allegedly correct So-lee-HULL. Mate, it means muddy hill. Nobody cares.

But that is YOUR experience. Just because you have never had it happen to you doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, does it ?

What about Sutton Coldfield? Though, although that’s my hometown I’ve lived in London for over 20 years and would never go back to the midlands