Why Digbeth and Stirchley have been named among the best places to live in the by the Sunday Times

Two neighbourhoods in Birmingham were named among the best places to live in the Midlands and UK this year by The Sunday Times. The newspaper released its annual Best Places to Live guide on Friday (March 24) and in the Midlands region, two of the eight locations are from Birmingham.

Digbeth and Stirchley were named in the guide by The Sunday Times’ expert judges - who have visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street.

Both of these neighbourhoods are known for their great independent bars and restaurants. Not just Digbeth and Stirchley, but all of Birmingham received a praise from the expert judges.

The guide states: “It’s a good time to be in Birmingham, thanks to new tram routes, completed building works and a reputation as the most exciting city for food in the UK.” Birmingham was named the most exciting city for food by the Good Food Guide.

What the guide says about Stirchley

About Stirchley, the Sunday Times Best Places to Live in the UK says: “Stirchley offers value in its unflashy terraced houses, a good local primary and excellent transport and a high street bursting with interesting places to eat and drink, from the artisan bakery Loaf, stylish and delicious Eat Vietnam and Couch, a friendly neighbourhood bar that also serves serious cocktails.”

Sub-urban Stirchley is also home to great local breweries and will soon be more connected to other parts of the city. Stirchley will have its own train station as part of the Camp Hill Line project with the Pineapple Road station under construction. The project will also build two other stations along the old Camp Hill line: Moseley Village and Kings Heath.

What the guide says about Digbeth

About Digbeth, the Best Places to Live guide 2023 added: “Digbeth continues to impress. Its tangle of canals, old railway arches and industrial warehouses, all decorated with extravagant street art, is an evocative backdrop to one of the country’s most exciting live/work/play districts.”

Many great things are happening in Digbeth. The BBC’s plan to have its Midlands headquarters in Digbeth were recently approved. The headquarters will be located in the former Typhoo Tea Factory. The neighbourhood is also getting a film studio - Digbeth Loc - which was launched by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

Metro works are ongoing in Digbeth as part of the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension. This will serve the High Speed 2 (HS2) station at Curzon Street, separating from the existing West Midlands Metro line at Bull Street.