Birmingham Advice - Rental Flat/House

[Badgers]

I know little of Birmingham but need to look at renting a place spring/summer next year.

Going to be a home/office place so probably a two/three bedroom place. City centre close to New Street Station but also will need to have reasonable access to the NEC. Not sure if there is a halfway point that would give easy train/bus access to both locations?

Looking on Rightmove there seems to be plenty that cost £700 - £800 a month right near the centre but is that a good spot?

 

[ouchmonkey]

no

depending on how close in you mean - the centre is not very residential at all
always been a problem imo that no-one actually lives there
although heartening in the riots to see brummies not smashing up their own neighbourhoods but going into town to loot.
there have been efforts to address this in recent years but they'd tended to follow the
'your council house is now valuable real estate - fuck off' model as far as I can tell.

out on the stratford or coventry roads is half way between New St and the NEC
but it's only one stop on the train so it might not be that important to be there....

 

[Pickman's model]

I know little of Birmingham but need to look at renting a place spring/summer next year.

Going to be a home/office place so probably a two/three bedroom place. City centre close to New Street Station but also will need to have reasonable access to the NEC. Not sure if there is a halfway point that would give easy train/bus access to both locations?

Looking on Rightmove there seems to be plenty that cost £700 - £800 a month right near the centre but is that a good spot?

somewhere in london would provide easy access to both new street and the nec.

 

[marty21]

pretty easy to walk from New Street to the NEC

 

[ouchmonkey]

you're thinking of the NIA

NEC is out by the airport - fair old walk

 

[1927]

no

depending on how close in you mean - the centre is not very residential at all
always been a problem imo that no-one actually lives there

We must be talking about a different Birmingham to the one I used to live in then.

 

[ouchmonkey]

We must be talking about a different Birmingham to the one I used to live in then.

perhaps you're from 'north of the wall' or something
there is, essentially, no residential space at all inside, or close to, the old 'concrete collar' ring road
and that would be my definition of the city centre

if that helps at all.

 

[Badgers]

It is tricky not knowing the manor at all.

I was showed some developments in Suffolk Street and Navigation Street as 'good' examples of a central place. It is fine on a map but ideally good links on public transport to get to Manchester, Liverpool and London as well as the NEC.

Was looking for that balance between being central, not paying too much and not living somewhere too awful.

 

[ouchmonkey]

I'm not sure what they'd be offering you there, but you'd be pretty good for transport links

I would expect it to be on the pricey side and lack much sense of living in a community
but this is down to slightly outdated personal prejudice

 

[ouchmonkey]

 

[mr steev]

It is fine on a map but ideally good links on public transport to get to Manchester, Liverpool and London as well as the NEC.

As long as you can get to New Street you can get to any of those places directly. The bus services in brum are pretty good and there are several local train stations dotted around too. Trains in the day from New Street to Birmingham International (for the NEC) are every few minutes and only take about 10 mins

 

[1927]

perhaps you're from 'north of the wall' or something
there is, essentially, no residential space at all inside, or close to, the old 'concrete collar' ring road
and that would be my definition of the city centre

if that helps at all.

You cant get much more city centre than Broad Street and there is friggin loads of residential there.

 

[Badgers]

I'm not sure what they'd be offering you there, but you'd be pretty good for transport links

I would expect it to be on the pricey side and lack much sense of living in a community
but this is down to slightly outdated personal prejudice

Not outdated at all. I don't want to stick someone in a horrid place and they are unhappy. Equally the place will be a home/office type for a while until it is decided if we need an office.

 

[mr steev]

You cant get much more city centre than Broad Street and there is friggin loads of residential there.

I wouldn't even want to go drinking on broad street, let alone live there!

 

[1927]

I wouldn't even want to go drinking on broad street, let alone live there!

That isnt the point, it was claimed that there was no residential property in city centre!

 

[miss direct]

There's a lot of flats in and around town now, although personally I'd rather live in a suburb and have more space, a garden, a supermarket other than a Tesco Express, etc.

 

[ouchmonkey]

I wouldn't even want to go drinking on broad street, let alone live there!

I wouldn't have counted Broad St, although it is pretty central.
mostly because it used to be so much more cut off from the centre of town
a little over zealous perhaps
still, when you think of it you think of a parade of shitty clubs and restaurants
not of a neighbourhood.

 

[1927]

still, when you think of it you think of a parade of shitty clubs and restaurants
not of a neighbourhood.

Thats what I think when I think of Birmingham!

 

[Blagsta]

perhaps you're from 'north of the wall' or something
there is, essentially, no residential space at all inside, or close to, the old 'concrete collar' ring road
and that would be my definition of the city centre

if that helps at all.

There are some flats above the shops opposite the Que Club. There's also flats around the canal near the NIA.

 

[marty21]

you're thinking of the NIA

NEC is out by the airport - fair old walk

my bad

 

[marty21]

I quite liked the area called the Jewelry Quarter - and went to a couple of decent pubs between there and the centre

 

[Badgers]

I quite liked the area called the Jewelry Quarter - and went to a couple of decent pubs between there and the centre

Is that near The Custard Factory (Gibb Street, B9 4AA) or another part? I had looked at this as a possible.

 

[mr steev]

Is that near The Custard Factory (Gibb Street, B9 4AA) or another part? I had looked at this as a possible.

Another part. The Custard Factory is in Digbeth which is right next to the center, the Jewelry quarter is a bit further out

 

[Badgers]

Another part. The Custard Factory is in Digbeth which is right next to the center

Thoughts on Digbeth?

 

[1927]

Thoughts on Digbeth?

Great if you like a certain type of pub. I used to enjoy going down there for a pint.

 

[mr steev]

There are plenty of pubs and clubs, big links with the Irish community and a bit arty/media
I'll let a brummy say what it's like to live there. My impression was that it used to be a bit rough, but recently they've tried to gentrify it a bit - leading to clubs being threatened with closure because of noise complaints from residents who have only just moved there when the clubs have been there for years

 

[Badgers]

Evening noise is not an issue. Beneficial to have some night life but a mix of places iykwim.

 

[idumea]

I'd say Digbeth if in the centre (walkable to New Street and the Bullring easily, lots going on) or Moseley if outside the centre. You can still walk from Moseley to the city centre (it's only about 2 miles) or take a bus, but it's got a very village-y feel. Slightly posh and green, lots of nice pubs, really friendly. Balsall Heath if you want somewhere dead cheap with amazing food.

 

[idumea]

oh, also, two words: BALTI TRIANGLE

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

I wish I could double-like that post. Awesome.