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Original poster

help! relocating to Birmingham

55 replies

littlechick30 · 21/08/2014 18:18

Hi.
My husband has just got a job offer in Birmingham. Any advice on where the best place is to live near by in a small town or village?

I have a 5 month old and will need child care as well any recommendations?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

OP posts:
QuacksForDoughnuts · 22/08/2014 16:32

Leamington Spa might be an option if you're up for a commute, it's within half an hour on the train and you get to come in through Moor Street - defo the nicer of the Birmingham stations.

Has Erdington massively improved over the last decade? I had a friend at uni whose parents lived there and she always described it as pretty rough.

Original poster
littlechick30 · 23/08/2014 08:20

Thanks for all the help esp livid amazing list. Bournville sounds good though I love chocolate so this might not be the best idea if im watching my waist line lol. Loads to think about but again thanks for all the help Smile

OP posts:
thedevilsavocado · 23/08/2014 08:25

I live in Northfield and it is great! We have been here for 15 years and I really don't get why people don't rate it! It has a train station, close to the Lickey Hills, Home Bargains, what more do you need?! Maybe it depends which part of Northfield but we choose to stay here and love it.

Tiredemma · 23/08/2014 08:26

I am in Four Oaks and have only ever lived in north bham. We love it here however the only places I would ever consider moving to now would be villages/towns on the cross-city train line

lichfield
shenstone
barnt green

come to sutton!

BoulevardOfBrokenSleep · 23/08/2014 09:43

If the commute is to Birmingham city centre, it's worth looking at somewhere near a train line.

DH's commute Solihull- Birmingham centre used to take 15 mins on the train, but up to an hour on the bus in the rush hour. Makes a huge difference to your life.

EarthWindFire · 23/08/2014 10:30

If it is central Birmingham then there are lots of places that you can look at that are within a 30 min train ride.

DoItTooJulia · 23/08/2014 10:37

What you'll find is those that live in North Birminghams posher bits LOVE it and those who live in South Birmingham LOVE it.

I'm from south birmingham. It's great! Loads to do with kids and babies, plenty of schools and nurserys and soft play places and parks, leisure centres, baby groups, toddler groups, play groups. The city centre is good too, with things like the think tank, BMAG, and cinemas, shopping and eating galore. Further south there is solihull, a little bit more upmarket and smaller.

If you fancy being a touch out of the city, try dickens heath. Lovely schools and homes, close to Shirley and solihull and 25 mins from Birmingham city centre.

There are a few Brummies on here willing to extol it's virtues. I agree you may be better off reporting in chat and with some specific questions.

Watch out for sparklingbrook she'll have you living in Worcester! Wink

ScienceRocks · 23/08/2014 10:43

I used to live in brum and still have rels there. Love Moseley and kings Heath, and you can walk to the city from those. Harborne is nice too, and selly park and bourneville.

What do you need OP? Do you work and if so where? Schools important to you? Public transport?

NerfHerder · 23/08/2014 11:45

Do think about schools- it will come round sooner than you think!

Bournville good for state, Kings Heath and Harborne too... but catchments are v v small for the v good schools, so you'll need to pick carefully- perhaps rent before you buy, so you've chance to investigate.

Lots of good nurseries and childminders though, but you'll need to get on waiting lists quickly.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 23/08/2014 11:51

Harborne not good for secondary.

CuttedUpPear · 23/08/2014 11:52

King's Norton is NOT dodgy!
It has streets that are staunchly middle class tory Round Table strongholds. Lots of large family homes with big gardens and a huge park, an historic village green and beautiful church.

BackforGood · 23/08/2014 14:23

Thing is CuttedUp Pear - just like with Northfield, Edgbaston, Moseley and so many other areas of Birmingham, there's Kings Norton and then there's King's Norton.... you can't really talk about somewhere like Beaks Hill Rd in the same breath as some areas of Hawkesley, but they all come under Kings Norton.

OP needs to give us an idea of budget and what other things are 'must haves' and then we can help further.

RaisingSteam · 23/08/2014 14:33

I would help out your DH by working out a reasonable commute - Birmingham has pretty heavy traffic, but good trains and the city centre is quite small. Aim not to need to cross the city and then pick a few of the listed "nice" areas that are in the right direction.

If you are more of a small town person I nominate Coleshill. (I'm not sure the secondary school is all that but you have plenty of time). Big enough for co-op, doctors etc, train station and a new housing development going up right now.

I work near Dorridge, occasionally think about trying to buy there to reduce my commute and then faint at the house prices!

jerryfudd · 23/08/2014 14:45

I've lived in rougher parts of brum (my parents still do) but when buying moved south. Now bought in solihull and love it. Lovely green spaces, great schools and lots of good shopping places. Would highly recommend

MeMan · 19/01/2018 00:33

LividofLondon Th Your information has been like a bible to me. The reference book when looking at the various locations up here. From London and been renting up here for 5 months looking for the best(ish) most suitable parts up here. Besides Solihull and certain areas of Sutton Coldfield, it hard to find a nice looking block of houses, pretty much every street or around the corner has council housing and new houses worth about 40k (excluding land) being sold for 5 times the amount, still price wise a bargain compared to London and anywhere South of Bedford.

pog100 · 19/01/2018 01:24

Weird place t'internet. 3 years old, on relationships and useful to a man that probably had no idea what the forum is he has just read... Lovely.

ToftheB · 19/01/2018 03:26

Agreed pog, the internet is a funny old place! As a Birmingham resident I found this thread really interesting, and it would have been very useful when I was first moving here 11 years ago. Luckily I stumbled into Selly Oak and never looked back.
An enjoyable zombie thread!

SavvyFishFinger · 19/01/2018 06:50

Kenilworth, Leamington, Stratford, good for schools.

Go further west for beautiful countryside but slower commute.

Go east of Coventry for beautiful countryside, faster commute and more house for your money.

WalkingBad · 19/01/2018 14:22

BackforGood A lot of Hawksley & Primrose Hill Estates have been or are due to be demolished and new build private housing is going up. My friend has just been offered a move from the Council as their moving on to redeveloping the top of Primrose Hill. Agree budget is key though, prices vary massively in Birmingham (from road to road, not just area).

I live in Kings Norton & I love it here. I'm right at the top of the hill though so check your boundaries. Across the road comes under Bromsgrove Council & parents have been caught out with primary school applications.

romany4 · 19/01/2018 14:32

I lived in Great Bridge for a year when DH had a construction contract in the area.
Lovely and quiet, next to the canal with trams into Birmingham. I loved it

BrummieRemainer · 19/01/2018 16:18

Livids list is incomplete Grin

We're 3 minutes drive from the motorway, have a doctors, pharmacist and dentist within a 2 minute walk, and a corner shop and chippy one minute away. Buses to city are a minutes walk, and we can be in Worcestershire in 5 minutes. Two major hospitals (one with A&E) are 10 minutes drive away (or an hours walk if you like to stay healthy).

If we have to go into town, it's 20 minutes drive on a Sunday to the Bullring.

Two leisure centres a 10 minute drive away.

Having looked all over a couple of years ago, I can tell you that nowhere else has all those points. And that's before you add in the special fact that my wife can't walk, so our little bungalow is as perfectly sited as can be.

Not for everyone, but it looks like we'll end our days here.

Hanywany · 24/05/2018 10:57

Im just wondering what falcon lodge crescent birmingham is like as im looking to move there could do with some help?

lovetheway · 24/05/2018 11:10

Honestly? It's bloody awful. Very rough and full of BNP/ EDL stickers.

Sweatymoose · 24/05/2018 13:01

I have family in the Midlands, from Studley up to Lichfield.

PPs have explained the good/bad areas well, I really enjoy Moseley though and it backs onto Cannon Hill Park which is fantastic for children.

If you were looking North of Birmingham I would look at the Staffordshire/West Mids border just off Sutton. Lichfield is very pleasant, some areas of Tamworth and many villages between Sutton and Leicester are not too far to travel into Birmingham.

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