The Sunday Times released its fresh guide of the ‘coolest’ postcodes to move to in the UK this year.
From towns with bakehouses and bottle shops to micro-breweries and seaside saunas, the newspaper’s guide features the trendiest place to live in 2025.
Brum’s central neighbourhood of Digbeth has taken the top spot in the UK for 2025. We’ve long known Digbeth as a vibrant social hub, so it’s good to see the area get the credit it deserves. We ventured into the heart of Digbeth to find out why it’s becoming so popular.
Digbeth. The Custard Factory. Guinness in The Old Crown. Cocktails in Luna Springs. Mama Roux’s. The Night Owl. The Rainbow. Pizza, burger joints and eye-popping graffiti bursting with colour everywhere you look.
The area was recently praised by the judges for its its canals, railway arches and warehouses decorated with extravagant street art.
There is a lot going on in Digbeth, too. Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has opened Digbeth Loc Studios - the first major television and film production facilities of this scale to ever be developed in Birmingham, and the BBC has moved its Midlands operation to the former Typhoo Tea factory, while MasterChef is bringing its kitchen to an old banana warehouse.
Former council leader Ian Ward has said:“With HS2, the Midland Metro extension and MasterChef on the way, our vision for Digbeth is to build on established creative businesses, attracting and encouraging new ones, while developing a vibrant urban community with entertainment, living and cultural opportunities.
“Now, we aim to use this BBC move as a catalyst for the wider regeneration and development of Digbeth as a hub for media and creativity.”
It’s definitely a place on the up with work ongoing to link the city centre to Digbeth via Curzon Street as part of the Metro’s Eastside Extension. There’s also a number of new apartment blocks being built while, at the rear of Digbeth coach station, the monumental £1.9 billion Smithfield development will begin to take shape across the next decade.
But what about Digbeth today? These are some of the things we’ve tried in the district recently. Here’s our Digbeth bucket list:
9. Board games at Chance and Counters
A more mellow option, this café bar has the largest selection of games in the city and offers a relaxed space to enjoy some fun with friends. Whether you’re into your Dungeons and Dragons or you just fancy a good old-fashioned game of Monopoly, there’s loads to choose from. It’s fully licenced and offers street food, too. Follow Chance and Counters on Instagram for special events. | Google Maps
10. Visit some of city's best pubs
The newly refurbished The Woodman pub - a landmark venue for the city as one of the oldest pubs - on Curzon Street has just reopened its doors after being closed for two years. The owners spent £300k on the venue. The Old Crown, The Rainbow, the Anchor and the Ruin are other great Digbeth pubs you should visit | Google
11. Dive into Virtual Reality
Matrix VR is Birmingham's one of a kind Virtual Reality Gaming Arcade and Cinema. Experience another world at Matrix VR or Sandbox VR. Whether it’s gaming or exploring new realities, it’s a mind-blowing experience. It's located in the Custard Factory. | Matrix VR, Custard Factory