The UK’s ‘second city’, Birmingham has undergone somewhat of a transformation over recent years to become the cultural powerhouse it is today. Once a humble market town, Birmingham boomed under the industrial revolution and became known as ‘the city of a thousand trades’, especially renowned for its jewellery, toys, and buckles. The sudden collapse and urban decline that followed in 1976 saw the once bustling factories and workshops become empty and derelict, spiralling the city into social and economic decline. Yet, the turn of the 21st century saw Birmingham begin its rise once again, attracting investment and undergoing significant regeneration to transform many of its old industrial buildings and make way for new beginnings.
Today, Birmingham is the second most populous city in the UK outside of London, attracting people from all over the world. Its convenient location at the heart of the UK and incredible national and global transport links make it an incredibly attractive destination to work, live, and enjoy. The cosmopolitan city is now a thriving social, cultural, financial, and commercial hotspot but also one of the most highly coveted places to live in the UK. Let’s explore what it has to offer.
City centre
A thriving business district with an abundance of restaurants, cafes, bars, shopping, museums, and attractions, you’d be forgiven for overlooking Birmingham’s city centre as a prime residential destination. The bustling centre is especially popular among young professionals, with almost half of university students choosing to stay in the region after they graduate and an abundance of career opportunities, with the likes of BT, KPMG, and Deutsche Bank also choosing the city as their home. Demand for apartments closer to the centre of Birmingham increases year on year while leading developers continue to elevate the luxury living scene. St Martin’s Place by Seven Living, for example, combines spacious city centre apartments with luxury hotel services, offering its wealthy residents access to a state-of-the-art gym, private cinema, and room service. Birmingham city centre also offers countless options for retail therapy with the Bullring Shopping Centre and the historic Rag Market. Its diverse culinary scene is also one of the best in the world, with over 300 restaurants and cuisines from over 27 countries. With endless options to explore right on your doorstep, you’ll never tire of all Birmingham city centre has to offer.
Edgbaston
One of Birmingham’s most sought-after residential areas, Edgbaston is an affluent suburb in the South West of the city. It offers a leafy green sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the centre while still being within just a couple of miles of all it has to offer. The suburb has long been a desirable destination for the city’s wealthier residents after the Gough-Calthorpe and Gillott families that controlled the area in the 19th century refused to allow factories and warehouses to be built there, thus ring-fencing its beauty. Today it’s not only home to a growing population but also the University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Cricket Ground, and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Cannon Hill Park is another local beauty spot, covering 250 acres and offering boating, fishing, bowls, tennis, putting, and picnic areas. Edgbaston also offers quality pubs (The Physician and The Highfield are popular picks), cafes, shops, and restaurants, including Simpsons, which has held a Michelin star since 1999. Residents can also enjoy a selection of small independent fashion, art, home, and lifestyle boutiques, as well as the regular village artisan market.
Harborne
Three miles South West of the city centre lies Harborne, a quaint Victorian suburb offering city life with a charming village atmosphere. The neighbourhood is home to an assortment of beautiful architecture with much of the housing dating from pre-1900 and the early 20th century. The affluent neighbourhood boasts a bustling high street and a diverse culinary scene, with Michelin-rated Harborne kitchen a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike, while rustic pub, The Plough, attracts residents from across the city with its lovingly prepared pub food classics. Birmingham’s multi-cultural population and diverse culinary influences are also evident, with a selection of highly rated Indian, Thai, Italian, and Portuguese and Italian restaurants. Away from its vibrant culinary scene, Harborne has no shortage of things to do, with local independent boutiques, the fascinating Lapworth Museum of Geology, and the enticing galleries and exhibitions of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. The neighbourhood also offers peaceful green escapes that make it so easy to forget you’re three miles out of the city centre, including Harborne Walkway – a scenic route along an old railway line, and the tranquil Serpentine Gardens near Harborne High Street.
Bournville
Bournville is a large garden suburb located four miles south of Birmingham, steeped in rich history. It was originally commandeered and given its name in the 1870s by the Cadbury family to give their chocolate factory employees better living conditions and green space outside of the then-cramped and dirty city centre. Bournville quickly fostered a strong community spirit that has continued to thrive to this day and provides a huge draw for prospective homebuyers. The delightful suburb offers a wide selection of attractive housing, with mock-Tudor and Victorian terraces, grand Edwardian homes, and early 20th-century semi-detached properties. The area continues to attract new development opportunities, with a range of quality apartments and new modern housing being built in the area over the last decade. Yet, nature, open green space, and a tight-knit community remain paramount, with the Bournville Village Trust lovingly maintaining the conservation area at the heart of the village, while the picturesque Rowheath Pavilion runs a busy calendar of community events throughout the year. With independent retailers, including an organic butcher, wool shop, bakery, coffee shops, and a chemist, residents of Bournville truly get the benefit of village living from a quiet corner of a well-connected city.
This guide covers a fraction of some of the wonderful residential options Birmingham has to offer, but there are so many more up-and-coming neighbourhoods and corners of the city that are worth exploring. The beauty of Birmingham is that you can choose to be in the hustle and bustle of the city with everything on your doorstep or enjoy a quieter life in one of its distinct suburbs while never being too far away from the action. It truly offers the best of both worlds and being so accessible to the rest of the UK and a hub for international travel, nothing is out of reach.
