Renting in Birmingham, areas to avoid?

I've been to Brum twice (for football) so going by my extensive knowledge Aston is an absolute armpit :P
 
I don't see why it has such a bad representation seems fine overall.(But i wouldn't live there).

LOL

Perhpas compared to other chavvy area's it isn't too bad however its now apparently 'North Solihull' and the contrast between the rest of Solihull is huge. Its basically a spill over estate populated by a bunch of brummies who moved there a few decades ago - essentially for any crime committed in Solihull town center there is a good chance that someone from that area was the perpetrator.
 
Harborne would be my choice - it's upmarket, only 3 miles from the centre of the city yet rent isn't bonkers like Solihull.

He's looking for a flatshare, his budget would just about allow for a room in London - Solihull is mostly family houses granted but I'm sure he could find something in budgedt if he looked around. Point is its a nice area, it still has some night life and most importantly - its not in Birmingham!
 
Why not the centre? Use one of the find a room mate websites to find someone to share with. Plenty of nice developments in the centre - Mailbox area, Jupiter area near Brindley Place, St Paul's square... I live in a building next to the Mailbox and have friends in all those areas and we're all pretty happy! Don't underestimate the value of being able to walk to work in a few minutes as well. I've done the whole commuting thing and it sucked.
 
Solihull on the whole is pretty decent, around the centre + places like Knowle, Dorridge & Hockley Heath are nice, albeit fairly expensive.

Birmingham city centre isn't overly expensive, my brother was in a decent flat in Digbeth for £500 PCM.
 
Quinton has also become more rough over the years. I grew up in Quinton, moved to Harborne (paying massive amounts of money for a tiny flat) before moving to Oldbury and now Cradley Heath.

I expect I will move back to Harborne at some point, nowhere else (other than the countryside) that I would want to live!
 
If you are giving yourself 45 mins of New St, I would say avoid Brum totally and get the train in, 45 mins from New St can get you pretty far.

Brum is pretty small as far as cities go, so telling you to avoid Handsworth, Aston, Selly Oak, Northfield etc pretty much will cover 90% of Brum.

Look at Solihull, the extra rent will be worth it.

If you REALLY need to be in Brum then look at Edgbaston, but then thats right next to Ladywood... all the OK places in Brum are surrounded by **** holes.
 
Quinton has also become more rough over the years. I grew up in Quinton, moved to Harborne (paying massive amounts of money for a tiny flat) before moving to Oldbury and now Cradley Heath.

I expect I will move back to Harborne at some point, nowhere else (other than the countryside) that I would want to live!

I grew up in Quinton too... In Halesowen now, did you go to FD's?
 
I just moved to Birmingham. My new place is in Harbourne on high street. Loads of buses to town centre or 15 min walk to uni rail station. The two bed flat is huge at £530pcm its cheaper then the small 1 bed hole I was living in in bath.
 
If you are giving yourself 45 mins of New St, I would say avoid Brum totally and get the train in, 45 mins from New St can get you pretty far.

Brum is pretty small as far as cities go, so telling you to avoid Handsworth, Aston, Selly Oak, Northfield etc pretty much will cover 90% of Brum.

Look at Solihull, the extra rent will be worth it.

If you REALLY need to be in Brum then look at Edgbaston, but then thats right next to Ladywood... all the OK places in Brum are surrounded by **** holes.

Looking at spareroom.co.uk there are a few places just south-east of Edgbaston resevoir, I'm guessing that's getting pretty close to Ladywood or are those places ok?
e.g. http://uk.easyroommate.com/edgbaston-flatshare/Ad-Title/H339EDF9770EB/20050525142516354
 
I'd avoid Edgbaston if possible, (I work there most days of the week) the only good side of Edgbaston is the area around the botanical gardens, and they are mega bucks money houses, the other side is basically "Ladywood" which is a big no no
 
I wouldn't live by there, I had some student friends who lived on Carlyle Road, it's a crap hole, so are the surrounding roads.

I'd avoid Edgbaston if possible, (I work there most days of the week) the only good side of Edgbaston is the area around the botanical gardens, and they are mega bucks money houses, the other side is basically "Ladywood" which is a big no no

Another thing to keep in mind then.

Any thoughts on Moseley, there are a few houses which seem decent around there.
 
Moseley, imo, isn't too bad an area at all.

I live in Halesowen - nice quiet town, never any trouble but the town centre however is grim - it's 90% charity shops and not much else - it's just died over the years as merry hill has killed off trade in surrounding towns.

I commute to Hagley Road each day and have done for the last 19 years.

It takes by car anything from 40 mins to 60 mins. Bus will be similar.

Trains run from Cradley Heath - Cradley Heath and Halesowen are neighbouring towns.

I'd avoid the hazard that is Quinton - there is no town centre, all the pubs are for locals only and you will be burgled within 6 months guaranteed. Bearwood imo is also an avoid.

Harborne if you can find something at the right price - otherwise Mosely is a possibility failing that I'd look at Halesowen or Cradley Heath & perhaps figure out the trains. Edgbaston ranges from very nice roads to very rough roads - it's a bit too hit and miss, it's also a redlight area.

Possibilities (as in local to the city, cheap but not dangerous places to live) are Bartley Green & Frankley.

Someone might be able to comment on Warley & Oldbury - I've no knowledge of those areas.
 
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