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Having seen some useful threads on here it seems a good place to start.
Got a new job starting in September. Coming from Ireland I've little experience of the area except for Solihull. Will be based right in the city beside the train station. Will be on my own so looking a house share or one bed flat.
So what areas should I be looking towards and what should I definitely avoid?
Able to get out of the city easy enough to some mountain biking areas would be a bonus.
Thanks
Edebaston/Harbourne for genteel pleasantness, Moseley or the jewellery quarter for nightlife.
Have a good look round late at night before you commit though, when Brum is rough it's proper rough and there are a few pockets of grottiness even in the bits I've mentioned.
Barnt green/Bromsgrove area has direct (20 m ins) train travel or less by car into the centre of brum and has doorstep access onto fun local riding
Goo an live in the Black Countray an goo ter Brum on the trayen? Bostin' beer an friendly peeeple ayet? And yercon goo cyclin up the bonk round theya. If yow loike mewsic there's lowads of cuvva bands arawund. Sowund as a powund.
If you are looking at the cheaper side of things the Perry Beaches (Not Perry Barr) to Great Barr area is OK. Is a bit of a starter home / skint while starting a family kind of area but nice enough.. No train but 20 minute cycle/bus/drive to city centre.
If you've got a car, check out insurance quotes for postcodes your interested in. I rented in Solihull for years postcode b92 no issues, I moved 2 miles down the road when I purchased my first house. I was daft and didn't even think the postcode would be an issue, I moved to the edge of B11, 10 of the top worse postcodes for claims are in the Birmingham area which I only found out when I had my car insurance and home insurance cancelled by a certain insurer as they wouldn't insure my postcode. Even though I had 12 years no claims on the car and I only claimed for a laptop coffee spill about 5 years ago, not great.
Solihull is pretty good for getting out on the road bike, mountain biking not so much, but Cannock isn't too far away on the train.
I'm [s]saving[/s]planning to win the lottery, for this
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Ah, yes I rode out offroad to Clent on Saturday and past Walton Hill Farm a few times. I enjoy living in Lickey (Hills) with options for on and off road riding. Probably a bit too quiet for you but accessible via the cross city rail line to Barnt Green.
If you're after cheap property then have a look at estates along the Metro line between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It's only 20 minutes or so from one end to the other so all commutable.
[url=http://]A happy place [/url] along the tram line. 😐
A friend of mine has just moved into Edgbaston/Bearwood - the shine has worn off whores propositioning him on the way to the bus stop pretty quickly, but otherwise it's a really nice/convenient area.
My oppo is from great Barr and describes it as a "posh shithole" but we all play down our hometowns I suppose.
I was a student in Birmingham (2001-2005). I lived in the city centre near the Mailbox and off Hagley Road in Edgbaston.
Like Hatter said, be careful where you look. The city centre was good and around the Mailbox felt safe and was nice, but a few streets away and it was rough.
I lived in Edgbaston, on the reservoir side of Hagley Road. It was a rough, my friend lived about a 5 min drive away and it was really nice.
It's a good city which most people overlook in favour of the more trendy Manchester.
I was also a student there (2001-4).
Perry Barr is a grade a hole that's for sure!
We were in a house just off the Hagley Road for two years and it wasn't too bad (for a an area full of student houses). The other side from us was much nicer, but quickly you were into some not so great areas.
Which of the train stations will you be based by? Have you thought about the town outside and commuting in?
If you're young and/or like city living, there is lots of central apartments and flats central. Mailbox is as good place to start and Brindley Place isn't too bad either. Park Central is worth avoiding.
Further out is Jewellery Quarter (up and coming, lots of "cool" bars, clubs, etc.)or Moseley (the bohemian area, nice bars, good folk festival).
Next you have Harbourne (where people who've made some money are are fed of of living central move to) and Edgebaston (pick carefully, but parts of it are lovely).
After that, you enter the suburbs. West and south of the city, Quinton, Harbourne, Barnt Green, all give you good access to the countryside and reasonable transport links to the city. North and East I know less well but do know Sutton is nice but expensive and Handsworth should be avoided.
If you have a specific area in mind or an idea let me know and I can be more specific.
Stourbridge, half hour commute on train. Wollaston neck of the woods, easy access to Kinver/Clent/Wyre Forest for mtb riding and great road riding too, shropshire/south staffs and it has an Irishy pub...
See above, great advise though I'd suggest Oldswinford or Hagley side to allow easy access to the train station.
Another vote for Stourbridge. We have some fantastic riding in all directions. Kinver, clent are on the doorstep and wyre is half an hour away. It's also good for road riding in most directions. A few minutes and your on some lovely country lanes.
Don't come to wollaston, there's only seven pubs,four Indians,two Chinese takeaways,one supermarket and some great riding.
Nechells. End of thread.
A friend of mine has just moved into Edgbaston/Bearwood - the shine has worn off whores propositioning him on the way to the bus stop pretty quickly,
As students a bunch of us nearly rented a house on Cheddar Road. Unaware it was the only house on the whole street that wasn't a brothel.
Nechells. End of thread.
When the Beckhams announced their first child was named 'Brooklyn' in reference to where he was conceived my mum pointed out that on the same criteria I would have been christened 'Nechells'.
...christened 'Nechells'
By that criteria - all three of ours are named 'Erdington'!
I'm with those suggesting Stourbridge I'm afraid...
GF is from Wollaston, which even to a "posh boy from Worcester" (me) is a pretty nice area, and your money will go a long way if renting. Loads of cycling on the doorstep too, and Stourbridge is surprisingly lively for a night out I've found. Train links to Brum are excellent too of course.
Or if you didn't mind living a little further away, the flat above my bike shop in Droitwich could be back up for rent very soon (actually, so might my GF's place in Wollaston!). Only 200 yards from the train station (direct line into Brum), and you'd get to live above a bike shop! What's not to like... 😉
I like Stourbridge. Great location for local riding, decent access to motorway network via M5 and the train connections to Brum and Worcester are good.
You certainly could do far worse!
+1 for Stourbridge. I wouldn't want to live too close to Brum...Some good ridding around here and easy commute.
How old are you and what do you want out of it? 20s and I'd live in the centre. Jewellery quarter is nice for being close to town but not too rough, and parking is ok. Realistically good riding is out of town and I'd rather drive out and walk to work, especially given the cost of parking or train tickets. Jewellery quarter is good for the canals which get you out pretty easily on the mtb. Buy a road bike.
I used to try and do out to the mini trail centre up at Sandwell valley and back a couple of times a week in the summer, and drive over to clent/lickey in the winter. Weekends Cannock is a day trip and you can be in north wales or the peak in an hour and a half.
I left at 30, and although it was time to go I do miss living in the middle of brum. Wanted to get out for ages to ride more and now I actually ride less.
Cheers guys. Lots of good stuff there. 25 and not hoping to stay there for much more than two years really all being well! Get some experience under my belt.
+1 for all those mentioning Stourbridge, lived there and there abouts for 'ahem' years. Riding is great, couple of decent pubs in the town ctr but that's it. Not a lot else really. Traffic can be appalling to get on the ring road most days.
Live in Solihull now, local mtb options are none existant, road is ok but very flat if you want to do a quick hour or so.
I can wholeheartedly recommend that you do not move to Chelmsley Wood. It is terrible for biking, nearly all the pubs have been closed and we have a big problem with the youth on moto-x and quad bikes. But it is much better than Alum Rock