Sacks Of Potatoes
Nechells, Birmingham, B4Great pub. 6 ever changing real ales. Cheap food and friendly staff. What more could you ask for
Local area guide
Living in Birmingham
With more parks than Paris and more miles of canal than Venice, Birmingham is the largest economic city outside of London.
A melting pot of culture, shopping, dining and business, Birmingham has a bustling entertainment scene, a fantastic range of galleries, museums and theatres and a thriving jobs market.
Let's dive in.
Your guide to moving to Birmingham
Why Birmingham is a good place to live
History and culture, fabulous restaurants, world class shopping, a buzzing nightlife scene, great educational facilities and a vibrant business culture, Birmingham has it all.
England's second biggest economic city outside of London offers world-class theatre, ballet, Michelin-starred restaurants and independent venues, plus loads of cafes and bars.
The canals are great for exploring and there are plenty of parks for a lazy afternoon stroll.
Friendly, welcoming and real mix of cultures and backgrounds, Birmingham has everything you could want from a city and is much cheaper than London.
Plus, house prices and rental costs are cheaper here than in the capital - and you can still get a pint for £3 in some parts of the city.
What's Birmingham famous for?
Cadbury World: in 1824, John Cadbury opened a grocer's shop in Bull Street, Birmingham. Among groceries, he sold cocoa and drinking chocolate - which he prepared himself using a mortar and pestle. It became a little bit popular.
Peaky Blinders: the show may be a fictional story of the Birmingham underworld but it's actually based on the very real existence of a gang by the same name based in the Midlands in the late nineteenth century.
Curry: if you love a Friday night curry as much as we do, Birmingham is the place to find the best.
Birmingham curry houses have existed since at least 1945, when Abdul Aziz, one of the first Bangladeshi immigrants to settle in the city, began serving curry and rice to policemen, lawyers and barristers from a café on Steelhouse Lane. Today, Brum’s most famous dish is the balti. Enjoy.
Finally, Birmingham also happens to be the home place of one or two famous people, including J R R Tolkien, Ozzy Osbourne, Julie Walters, Carl Lewis and Jamelia.
Things to do in Birmingham
What isn't there to do in Birmingham!
From exploring Brindleyplace and the canal quarter (home to some of the city's best bars and restaurants) to mooching around the Jewellery Quarter, or ‘JQ’, as it’s known locally, with its museums, independent shops, eateries and nightclubs, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
For shopping, the Bullring & Grand Central is the ultimate destination in Birmingham, where you'll find the iconic Selfridges, MAC, Arket and the biggest Primark in the whole of Europe.
And keep an eye out for the annual German Christmas markets that take over the city during December, as they are regarded as some of the best in the UK.
Explore the canals, enjoy internationally renowned sporting venues and the city's cultural hotspots including The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Aston Hall and the Blakesley Hall Museum.
Or, for a more relaxing afternoon, the Botanical Gardens are a must.
Cadbury World is of course worth a visit - as is the Custard Factory, filled with galleries, independent shops, cafés, restaurants and bars plus the Mockingbird Cinema.
Average asking prices in Birmingham today
We update our average asking prices every day using data from millions of properties for sale.
Properties currently for sale in Birmingham
Whether you're looking for a family home or a beautiful apartment, we've got you covered.
Guide price
£349,995
- Bedrooms2
- Bathrooms2
2 bed flat for sale
Birmingham Buy To Let Investment, Shadwell Street, Birmingham B4
£120,005
- Bedrooms1
- Bathrooms1
- Living rooms1
1 bed flat for sale
Birmingham Hotel Room, Church Rd, Birmingham B5
Birmingham and beyond
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Local pubs in Birmingham
In partnership with
Gosta Green
Nechells, Birmingham, B7Home of craft beer, cask ale, cocktails, live sport, exciting food and a giant beer garden!
Gunmakers Arms
Birmingham, West Midlands, B4The Gunmakers Arms is the Two Towers Brewery tap; a real ale pub close to Birmingham's heart, just five minutes walk from Snow Hill Station.
Queens Head
Birmingham, West Midlands, B4The Queens Head - a ‘proper pub’ - by Davenports Brewery adding even more appeal to the Colmore District.
Scruffy Murphys
Birmingham, West Midlands, B4For the past 21 years Scruffys is one of the only Rock Bars left in Birmingham, but with friends and fans with a passion for Rock and Heavy Metal across the UK, the U.S, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand and all over the world.
Grey Lanturn
Birmingham, West Midlands, B4
Transport in Birmingham
Trains
Birmingham boasts an extensive railway network, with several key stations.
Birmingham New Street is the city's primary railway hub, offering frequent services to destinations across the UK, including London Euston (approx. 1.5 hours), Manchester (approx. 1.5 hours), and Edinburgh (approx. 4 hours).
Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill provide additional connections to the wider region.
Trams
The West Midlands Metro tram system serves Birmingham and its suburbs. It connects Birmingham to Wolverhampton, with stops at key locations like Bull Street, Snow Hill, and Grand Central.
The trams offer a convenient way to navigate the city and are especially useful for reaching Birmingham's outer districts.
Buses
Birmingham's bus network is comprehensive, with many routes operated by National Express West Midlands.
Major bus hubs include Birmingham Coach Station, Digbeth Coach Station, and the central Birmingham New Street station.
Buses connect Birmingham to neighboring cities like Coventry, Wolverhampton, and Leicester.
Park and Ride
The Park and Ride service is available at several locations around Birmingham, including locations like Redditch, Sutton Coldfield, and Solihull.
These services offer a convenient way for commuters to park their cars and take public transport into the city center to alleviate congestion.
Car
Birmingham is well-connected by road, with major motorways like the M6, M5, and M42 intersecting the city.
It takes approximately 2 hours to drive from Birmingham to London, 1 hour to Manchester, and around 40 minutes to Coventry.
Airport
Birmingham Airport, located about 10 miles east of the city centre, is a major international gateway, offering flights to various domestic and international destinations, including Europe, North America and Asia.
The airport is well-connected to the city centre by the Air-Rail Link, which provides a quick and convenient transfer.
Transport connections
- Birmingham Snow Hill
- National Rail
- 0.4 miles / 0.6 km
- Birmingham Moor Street
- National Rail
- 0.5 miles / 0.8 km
- Birmingham New Street
- National Rail
- 0.7 miles / 1.1 km
- Duddeston
- National Rail
- 0.8 miles / 1.3 km
- Jewellery Quarter
- National Rail
- 1 miles / 1.6 km
- Bordesley
- National Rail
- 1.1 miles / 1.8 km
Schools in Birmingham
For primary schools, Birmingham has a large selection of schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
St Matthews C of E Primary School, St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School, Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy, Percy Shurmer Academy, Christ Church C of E Controlled Primary School and Nursery and Nishkam Primary School Birmingham are all rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
For secondary education, Heartlands Academy, Aston Manor Academy, Nishkam High School and Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College are among the secondary schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
Birmingham is famous for its King Edward VI Foundation, which includes several grammar schools for boys and girls that consistently rank highly for academic excellence.
Other selective grammar schools in the city, such as Handsworth Grammar School and Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls are also highly regarded.
Further education
The prestigious Birmingham University is a member of the Russell Group of universities and a world-leading University for life sciences in health research and education.
Schools in Birmingham
- Birmingham Metropolitan College
- Ages: 16 - 99 years old
- Ofsted Rating: Good (2023)
- Birmingham Ormiston Academy
- Ages: 14 - 19 years old
- Ofsted Rating: Good (2023)
- Aston University Engineering Academy
- Ages: 13 - 19 years old
- Ofsted Rating: Good (2022)
- The National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure
- Ages: 19 - 99 years old
- King Solomon International Business School
- Ages: 4 - 19 years old
- BOA Digital Technologies Academy
- Ages: 11 - 18 years old