Renting in Birmingham, areas to avoid?

if you dont mind living outside the city, and will commute by train look at Bromsgrove. There is a couple of new developments in bromsgrove all close to the train station. Nice town, some night life, and a high street that is ok.

My friends rent a two bed flat by the station, nice area, mostly new families, quiet and little crime.

Ben
 
Lived in Bearwood most my life, never had a problem. Also lived in Quinton for 5 years which was ok as long as you stay in the 'nice' part.

Black Country for the win, we are much better than our posh Brummie neighbours.
 
merlin said:
Someone might be able to comment on Warley & Oldbury - I've no knowledge of those areas.
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I live in Oldbury, and it isnt the best area, but neither is it the worst (Nowhere near as bad as some parts of Edgbaston/Ladywood/Handsworth/Smethwick)

As locality goes I think its really good. You have 2 train stations within a mile of each other - Langley Green takes you into Snowhill line and Sandwell station takes you into New Street line. You have a bus station in the town centre with buses to near enough everywhere and multiple buses into Birmingham.

The town centre isn't too bad, you have a gigantic Sainsburys, right next to a retail green with other large stores such as Argos/Comet/Pets at Home/Homebase and clothes shops.

And you're right between junction 1 and 2 of the M5 so easy access to the motorway
 
Well having lived my entire life in the shadow of Birmingham I would say avoid living in a suburb of Brum entirely if you can, I know some people mentioned Worcester, which is much nicer ...but you don't need to go that far. I live just outside of Birmingham, west of the last suburb to the south west, which is Longbridge (I think Rednal falls under Worcestershire), just over the border in North Worcestershire, near Bromsgrove and it's much better, I'm not saying it's great, it's not, but it's much quieter and much more peaceful with far less trouble, no homeless druggies, riots or anything like that really. You wouldn't have a problem renting in and around Bromsgrove for your budget, or indeed a little further like Droitwich, the area I am talking about basically falls between junction 4 and 5 on the M5.

If you must live in a Birmingham suburb then I would suggest Edgebaston as being the best option that is really close to the city centre, a little further out is Harbourne which isn't too bad as far as Brum goes and Bartley Green is pretty quiet (my grand parents live there) ...actually Bartley green is on the edge to the West, further than that you cross into the 'Black Country' and Halesowen and to the south into Worcestershire again.

(In answer to your question about Mosley, it isn't too bad, there are far worse places you could live.

Really your best bet is to come over towards my neck of the woods, Bromsgrove. You still fall under the Birmingham post code, it goes as far as Droitwich actually, which is nearer to Worcester than Brum, but it's in the county of Worcestershire and thus under Worcestershire county council (I'm not so sure that's a good thing though as they tend to pinch the pennies far more than Birmingham city council do). Also you don't have to say you live in Birmingham then ...which can only be a plus :p
 
merlin said:
Someone might be able to comment on Warley & Oldbury - I've no knowledge of those areas.
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Also a small pointer about Oldbury, you basically in the centre of most places such as Dudley, West Bromwich, and Wolverhampton. So if you get bored of shopping in Brum you can easily get to those through public transport. Plus you have a big Asda not too far from the Sainsbury’s and soon to be a massive Tesco’s further towards Dudley.
 
Avoid -

Small Heath, Alum Rock, Sparkbrook, Hall Green, Bordesley Green, Spark Hill, Aston, Handsworth, Perry Barr

Look in -

Great Barr, Hamstead, Harborne, Solihull
 
CLAWS said:
Avoid -

Small Heath, Alum Rock, Sparkbrook, Hall Green, Bordesley Green, Spark Hill, Aston, Handsworth, Perry Barr

Look in -

Great Barr, Hamstead, Harborne, Solihull
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Have to agree with that, Hall Green near the Solihull town centre end does have a few OK areas.

Hate to say it but it is the predominantly Asian areas in Birmingham that are the places to be avoided.
 
To be fair I think some of the almost exclusively white areas like Kingstanding are right up there is terms of scuminess.
 
Nanoman said:
The vast majority of these places are the most worn down. I.e. looked what happened to Spark Hill.
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Exactly, they think its wise to throw left over bread on the floor which attracts the rats and pigeons. Same goes for the Smethwick High Street.
 
maustin said:
Love it when people say this. Birmingham is a great place to live you just have to pick where you live. I'd rather than live in Birmingham than any other city in this country and where I live I wouldn't swap for anywhere else in the country. Never found anywhere better.
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I was partly making my comment in jest, I do appreciate there are some nice bits as with anywhere. :)

I go to an MG Rover do every year outside the plant in Longbridge, around there looks nice enough. People are usually lovely too. :p
 
mattyprice4004 said:
I was partly making my comment in jest, I do appreciate there are some nice bits as with anywhere. :)

I go to an MG Rover do every year outside the plant in Longbridge, around there looks nice enough. People are usually lovely too. :p
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Was took in jest - but but I do worry about people in this thread - I mean what page are we on now and no one is really advising the OP on the best place in regards to the quality of the local Balti establishments. Really this is the first thing on my list when looking for a place in Birmingham. Hence, Four Oaks all the way as you get the Lodge on the Lichfield Rd.
 
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