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lazygraduand
Original Poster
1,511 posts
30 months
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Hi everyone,
Would appreciate some advice as I've never been to Birmingham in my life but will be spending six months there working come September. Will be working right in the city centre, and will be looking for somewhere to live. Anyone got any recommendations or 'avoid this place' type suggestions? Will probably be looking for a flatshare with one or two other graduates who have also been required to work up here for the few months. Budget will probably be up to about £600pcm but obviously if I could get somewhere decent for less than that would be great. After being a student in London for the last 3 years I have no idea of rental values in somewhere like Birmingham! Will obviously be pounding Rightmove in the next weeks trying to get a handle on it anyway!
Cheers!
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SirSamuelBuca
1,003 posts
26 months
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it depends how far you would want to live out of the city centre.
public transport is nothing compared to london so being in the middle might be better. There are a lot of student digs just off the 5 ways.
I would see if you could get a flat share somewhere on the canal just off broadstreet maybe.
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Rich A
123 posts
28 months
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If you can find a house share, Harbourne, Edgbaston, Bournville and Mosley are nice places. My brother spent 2 years house sharing in Harbourne and loved it. Mosley has some good food, drink and music near by. Bournville is the old Cadbury village and has no pubs due to it staying true to its Quaker roots.
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JPBailey
84 posts
95 months
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W111AAM
424 posts
101 months
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Slightly further afield but Stourbridge/Oldswinford is a great place to be. Train into the middle of town is 25mins. Getting a bus from Harborne can take 20mins plus and you're only 3 miles away!
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NiceCupOfTea
21,948 posts
120 months
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W111AAM said: Slightly further afield but Stourbridge/Oldswinford is a great place to be. Train into the middle of town is 25mins. Getting a bus from Harborne can take 20mins plus and you're only 3 miles away! In the same vein, you might look at Solihull if you're a fan of the 'burbs. If you want a London "comparison" think of it like one of the outlying towns (Kingston, Bromley, etc.)
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sbird
108 posts
47 months
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On your budget, If you're looking at the south side then I'd suggest somewhere like Acock's Green or Yardley Wood. Both have train stations, so easy to get to the city centre, but aren't stupidly expensive.
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Pickled Piper
5,161 posts
104 months
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As others have said, it really depends on what you want. If you are young, enjoy the nightlife and want to be city centre based, then there are more new build rental apartments available then you can shake a stick at. It's also easy to get out to the sticks at the weekend.
If you want something more suburban and still Birmingham, then Harbourne is a good bet.
Take a drive up and around. The dodgy areas are easy to spot when you drive around them.
pp
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SLacKer
2,044 posts
76 months
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NiceCupOfTea
21,948 posts
120 months
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Some areas you probably don't want to look in (others will add I'm sure!): Alum Rock, Bordesley/Small Heath, Chelmsley Wood, Handsworth, Sparkhill/brook, Lozells....
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Rovinghawk
2,009 posts
27 months
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I have a lovely 2 bed house with garage just coming available & within your budget. Quiet & peaceful rather than full of life.
Amington is a nice part of Tamworth- about 15 miles from city centre. PM me or rovinghawk@aol.com if you want to know a bit more.
RH
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redgriff500
6,934 posts
132 months
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Be aware that anywhere IN Birmingham that is nice will be less than a mile from a $hithole.
Hence Moseley and Edgbaston have very high burglary rates.
The question is do you want city centre life (and willing to risk the crime) or life in the nearby towns a quick hop on the train away.
I live in Solihull - 10 mins away by train but I'm not 25 - if I was I'd probably try to get a city centre flat.
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lazygraduand
Original Poster
1,511 posts
30 months
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Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all the replies. Going up on Tuesday to take a look at some 2 bed flats on or around Water St for flatsharing with a future colleague- I'll be working on Colmore Row. I'm only 21 and want to be in the centre of the city and near the various bars etc so it seems like the best compromise!
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Tomblebee
3 posts
21 months
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I am orginally from wythall but have lived in the city centre for the past 4 year in various apartments across the city centre.
The Rotunda - Currently live there, Smack bang in the city centre, right next to the shopping centre, Birmingham New Street, and Birmingham Moor Street stations, 10 mins walk to broad street for bars, 5 mins walk to mailbox for bars, and 5 mins walk to the arcadian for bars.
Orion/Sirus Apartments, - on the other side of New street station, very close to shops, mailbox arcadian and broad street and the train station.
Centenary Plaza - Next to the mailbox. 5 mins walk to New Street station, broad street and arcadian, even less to get to the mailbox :P
Island / Southside Apartments - Located next to the arcadian centre, chinatown and the gay bars, 15 min walk to broad street, 5min walk to train station, couple steps to the arcadian, 5 mins to mailbox.
All come with private underground parking apart from the rotunda which has spaces available in the bullring shopping centre car park, but only certain apartments have them.
Hope this helps not lived in the jewellery quarter so could not comment on there.
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Thekoolio
18 posts
19 months
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Hi
I currently live in Edgbaston and have done so for many years now. I also work as an estate agent for high value properties. I can tell you that crime rates are medium regardless where you go, unless of course you move out of town towards solihull or sutton. If you want to live close to where you are working then I suggest living in harborne or edgbaston as this is only a few minutes drive or bus, and colmore row is not far providing you get off aat end of broad street and walk. Otherwise appartments are the way forward. Jewelry qtr is good but offers little in terms of bars etc, but appartments are well priced but parking is an issue. Mailbox has parking but appartments are of medium price with some aimed towards high end. In mailbox you can get a 1 bed with seperate rooms and gym access for 600 monthly. The best value I have found is in queens college chambers which offers large appartments with parking for as little as 550.
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