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Living in Birmingham, England:
Tips for Moving and Visiting

38 local experts
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If you've been wondering what it's like to live in or visit Birmingham, the Crowdsourced Explorer community can help. We asked 38 people living in Birmingham what someone who is considering moving to or visiting there should know. Here are their pros and cons, tips, and advice:

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38 comments on “Birmingham”

If you’re moving to Birmingham, UK, you will need to know that it is very multi cultural and friendly. Sure, there are some run down areas, but there are also amazing places to visit. The food is a collection of the best of the best from around the world. Birmingham is also surrounded by amazingly beautiful towns and countryside.

The city is large, energetic and full of places to eat, drink and play. it is a sprawling metropolis, filled with people from diverse backgrounds. The best location to catch all the city’s attractions is New Street Station, located on New Street Road. I find the city to be particularly beautiful in the summertime.

Leslie, says: 2020

People in Birmingham are hard-working people who take great care of their children’s safety, education, and upbringing. However, the safety of the children on the street and the neighborhood is in great danger. Knife crimes are very high, particularly, among young people. In terms of the country’s economy, it is in a good condition.

Birmingham is quite a busy place as it is one of the biggest cities in England, making it a great tourist attraction. There is quite a lot to do; from museums and large shopping centres.

Birmingham is such an alive upcoming place and also is the second largest city! It offers a wide variety of things to do, from having the best restaurants to a very busy nightlife and thriving bars. There is something to do for everyone… even the younger ones.

I reside in Birmingham, England. It is the second largest city in the UK. It has a wealth of diverse cultures and I fast becoming one of the best places to live, work and play in the country with a fantastic retail, leisure and commercial property reputation second only to London.

Robert, says: 2020

Birmingham City has all the necessities including housing, education, healthcare, and transportation. The cost of living is really good considering it is the second largest city in the UK.

Currently, property prices are rising in Birmingham due to the high demand for housing in the city. The city has a great multi multicultural atmosphere and a fantastic range of restaurants from all over the world.

The employment market is very good and is supported by my many large employers who have established themselves in Birmingham rather than London which has much more business expenses. The city has great job diversity including both for full-time jobs.

Birmingham neighbourhood’s provider a safe low crime rate community environment. It has good quality schools, colleges, universities, parks, gyms, and shopping retail parks.

The city is currently going through a transformation through the development of the HS2 high-speed rail project. This will mean under 50-minute journey times to London and reduced travel times to the main northern cities.

Rehanna, says: 2020

Our city is an urban city full of diversity and different culture and opportunity at your fingertips. However, you must consider whether this is the city for you. It’s fairly easy to acquire a residence to stay in at a decent price, but they will not be in the best conditions. Getting a small, low-pay job is also not too difficult a task, though the downside is that you could be working for long hours and struggling. there are also many jobs and houses for you that I’m sure would be perfect! Making a living in Birmingham is not at all an incredible feat.

Barbara, says: 2020

Birmingham is commonly known as the “second-city”, and in many ways is similar to London. It has big businesses, a thriving city centre, and sprawling real estate. Despite this, house prices remain reasonable and there are many places near the city centre which have sites of greenery or are away from pollution and heavy traffic. Birmingham also has one of the best universities in the country, especially for medicine, in the University of Birmingham. This coveted university often has high requirements and students are very proud to be a member of this Russell Group university.

Antonia, says: 2020

Birmingham is a multicultural city at the heart of the United Kingdom. Once used purely as an industrial city, it is now teeming with rich culture. Our city centre, which contains the largest Primark in Europe and a myriad of clothing shops, restaurants and cafes, borders two major universities – University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University. If Birmingham City Centre, with its major shopping centre (the Bull Ring), does not suit your taste – the New Street train station, which is also home to several upscale restaurants, can take to you other major UK cities in record time. If you would prefer to explore Birmingham outside of the city centre; towns such as Solihull, Stratford Upon Avon and Earlswood are a quick and easy train ride away. Regarding education, over 70 secondary schools in Birmingham, alone, means you have plenty of choice when considering where to send your child – whether you would prefer a comprehensive, grammar or independent school.

Eleanor, says: 2020

Birmingham is well known for having a multicultural society with people from all walks of life. Traveling around Birmingham to see attractions such as the Bullring, Sea Life Centre, Dudley Zoo can be cheap to travel to, ensuring you are able to save and not budget to see main tourist sites. the weather can be unpredictable. While there are some weeks of sunshine during June/May, most of the year can be cold.

Francis, says: 2020

Birmingham is a heavy populated area, with an cultural atmosphere. It is a great place to bring up a family and has some of the best schools. We are centrally in the country and have good access to the road and rail networks. Birmingham is the largest city of the West Midlands conurbation, one of England’s principal industrial and commercial areas.

Someone moving to Birmingham should consider the alarming high crime levels. These crime levels have significantly increased over the past few years. Another thing one must consider before moving to Birmingham is the diversity. Birmingham is a very diverse city, consisting of many areas made up of different ethnic minorities such as Pakistani and Jamaican.

Leslie, says: 2020

If moving to Birmingham you must visit the town centre. There are many reasons such as the views are amazing and there is a pleasant atmosphere among the crowd. The food that they sell is simply to die for. Especially the vegan pastry and the pretzels. The are made in front of you so you know what goes in and what comes out.

Most people traveling in Birmingham use public transport, whether they are coming from outside the city or not, since traffic is usually hectic. Most people travel in on the train, since getting stuck in traffic is a common occurrence, and finding somewhere to park one’s car is often difficult. Additionally, Birmingham is the second largest city in England, so having a map would come in very handy.

Birmingham is a vibrant and developing city in the Midlands. It should be pointed out that property prices are rising rapidly because of its location and the opportunities it offers. It is viewed as a great place and bring up a family. There are also good transport links connecting the city to other parts of the United Kingdom.

Jennie, says: 2020

Birmingham is the second largest city in the United Kingdom. While it now holds a significant place in British society, Birmingham has come to relevance relatively recently compared to other British cities. Birmingham is a product of the industrial revolution. Even today, a visitor does not have to walk far to see old factory buildings that make up the city’s historic Jewellery Quarter. Modern Birmingham consists of a variety of fantastic restaurants, beautiful canals and buzzing nightlife.

Birmingham is the second city of the UK, London being the capital. If you are a resident of Birmingham you become known as a ‘Brummie’. A little known fact of Birmingham is that it has approximately 35 miles of canals, apparently more canals than Venice. The canals of Birmingham stretch all over the city and people can be seen boating, cycling and walking their dogs. The canals are beautiful.

Francis, says: 2020

Someone moving to Birmingham should know the importance of keeping valuables safe and away from view if storing them in vehicles overnight. This is because robberies are extremely prevalent in the area. However, Birmingham has a brilliant social scene with a wide range of activities to participate in and places within Birmingham to explore.

Here, in birmingham, there is a lot of traffic so you must be aware of that before embarking on your driving journey. Usually, I check the GPS to analyse which route is the least busiest. Also, there are a lot of parked cars stationary on side roads meaning that know kids running through parked cars as it is a hazard.

It is a diverse city and you will find people from all over the world. There are great shopping places and different food to be tasted. It is a crowded city. There are different worshipping places as well for Hindus, Muslims, Christians or Sikhs. I love it.

Birmingham is known for being very multicultural, which enables there to be a wide selection of food if you ever want to eat out. The city centre is relatively small, compared to London. However, this may be seen as a positive as you will not have to walk too far to find the things you want.

When moving to Birmingham, people should know, although we host one of the largest train stations in Britain, trains are routinely late. one should also be aware that Birmingham’s weather is consistently dark, drab and wet. When we do experience sunshine, it is stiflingly hot due to air pollution.

Enjoy the home of Peaky Blinders – where you can spend your day in one of Europe’s leading shopping destinations the Bullring and your evenings in the historic Irish Quarter. You can enjoy our vast collection of South Asian cuisine at our world-famous Curry Mile. If you enjoy the quiet life, head down to the majestic Cannon Hill Park and discover Birmingham’s cultural heritage.

Cristina, says: 2020

Birmingham is often described as a concrete wasteland, but this is not the case. Surrounding the city are some delightful villages and a vast amount of countryside that is begging to be explored. There are many opportunities to take in the sights of Birmingham, with an excellent nightlife, and restaurants aplenty. There is a possibility of bias from myself but to attend a football game at the famous Villa Park is wonderful, and showcases the people of the city in a fantastic light.

Jasmine, says: 2020

Birmingham is a lively one, well tailored for the younger generation. It can often get too noisy, so I would be aware of your tolerance for this. This city is opulent enough to lure you into staying for a little while! There is an abundance of entertainment available; the local cinema has luxurious seats and popular movies at an affordable price.

Rajveer, says: 2020

When visiting my city, you should be weary the currency being used, what transportation to use when travelling to certain areas, know where you are going before you get there and have knowledge of the weather. Also, you would like to research where are the best places to shop around.

When moving to Birmingham I would first consider the residence in the area around your future home. The racial diversity of Birmingham makes it so that many streets or even entire areas can make it difficult for you to adjust to living there. I recommend to first see what kind of residents you’ll have to living alongside.

It can be a very busy and impersonal place. People tend to be more interested in their own lives than taking the time to meet other people and actually get to know them. I find it suits my purpose and am happy to call Birmingham my home, I’m not moving.

Olivia, says: 2020

People moving to Birmingham must know that this city is a crowded city compared to other cities in England. It has many tourist attractions, including the Bull Ring and has local transportation services and shops nearby. Birmingham citizens are very joyful and always willing to help when in doubt. moving to Birmingham may be difficult at first but hopefully you will adapt and enjoy your living circumstances.

Birmingham, my city, is a city filled with a plethora of shops and restaurants. people can either be friendly and generous or rude and snarky. This is one of Birmingham’s flaws but, ignoring this fact, the busy and fast-paced nature of this highly popular English city is something to be recognised.

Louise, says: 2020

If you want to live in Birmingham, it will be a great idea for you. Because of an international student, I can see that the expenses in this city is cheaper than London. Besides, Birmingham is famous for the multi-culture within in the UK because the rate of immigration, hence, it will be a great idea if you intend to move here.

Natalie, says: 2020

The UK’s second-largest city, Birmingham was famous during the Industrial Revolution as a city of many trades. These days it’s better known for its canals and its Michelin star restaurants. With house prices far lower than those of London, Birmingham is becoming popular with people with young families looking for somewhere more affordable.

It’s a big city with huge population. But the life is not very busy, compared to other big cities like London. The prices of food and properties are good and there is not much noise pollution. Many people move to my city from big and busy cities like London and they quite like it here.

Claire, says: 2020

Birmingham is a very busy city with many jobs. It is a very diverse and multicultural community that is welcoming to others and there are lots of activities that are enjoyable. However, it may be very competitive and crowded in certain areas. You may want to consider commute times when travelling to and from work.

Birmingham is vibrant, cosmopolitan and has a host of great restaurants. I live about eight miles from the city centre and only a short train ride from Michelin star restaurants and world class bars. I highly recommend you visit Ginger’s Bar if you don’t want to splash out on visiting Glynn Purnell’s restaurant. There are some charming cocktail bars around Colmore Row, try The Alchemist for a theatrical experience you will not forget.

Giulia, says: 2020

There are many sights to attend to and many activities to part take in. However, the weather is atrocious and very unpredictable, the sun is a hit or miss. It is a quiet place where you can enjoy if you desire to shop or to go on a walk along the park.

The weather here is absolutely delightful in summer and can be really great for a family to enjoy themselves in the wonderful outdoors and get a raw feel of mother nature. However, it can also be a quite dangerous area in some places due to gang violence among other things. Although, violence is everywhere right?

Joanna, says: 2020

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Names of respondents may have been changed.

See other cities and towns in West Midlands.

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