Some Thoughts On Living In Birmingham
16 February 2009
Birmingham, situated in the heart of England, is a city which is undergoing a renaissance. The city was heavily damaged in World War II which subsequently resulted in huge building projects starting from the early 1950s and continuing to the present day. There is now a modern Bull Ring with the iconic Selfridges building as well as a Symphony Hall and the International Convention Centre.
Property market
Birmingham city centre has a mixture of old and new property. Much of the city centre has been regenerated in recent years and now provides an eclectic mix of housing stock. Property in the centre ranges from luxury high-end contemporary flats to small terraced houses. Burmingham also has many leafy suburbs with extremely high-value housing which has made these areas very desirable places to live. There is a good rental market here used by the large student population and by people whose work is transient. For buyers, city centre properties tend to be slightly cheaper than properties situated on the edge of the city.
Lifestyle
All students will tell you that Birmingham is one of the best places to be at university as it has all the attractions of a major city, such as clubs, bars and nightclubs, as well as two major and several minor theatres. There is a thriving cultural life om Birmingham with world class music, arts scene and entertainment.
Cost of living
The cost of living in Birmingham is lower than in London. Birmingham compares with cities such as Leeds which generally have a slightly lower cost of living than cities in the southern part of the UK.
Schools
Birmingham City Council are providers of free schools for all children in the city. Children between the ages of 3 and 4 attend nursery schools and primary schools are for children aged 4 to 11. Secondary schools are for 11 to 18 year olds and some give places as a priority to children who belong to a particular faith background. Some secondary schools are single-sex. There are several grammar schools which require pupils to pass an entrance examination.
Weather
The weather in Birmingham is less extreme than in London. It is less cold in winter and has less snow. Neither is it quite as hot as the capital in the middle of summer.
Travel
Getting to Birmingham is easy as the city is located at the hub of the UK`s rail and road networks. The city is served by two main line stations - Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International. Birmingham International Airport has expanded to offer a wide range of Flights from Birmingham