London is vast, there’s no mistaking. And there are so many exciting things to see and do at any one time. But that can be overwhelming. And getting about on London transport isn’t always that easy. In fact it can be quicker to travel up to Birmingham than it is to get to one side of London to the other. As a result you can end up living in a much smaller area, staying closer to home or work as that’s the easiest option. Whereas in Birmingham it’s a lot simpler to get around on trains, buses and the tram. And you can also drive to places a lot easier than London too.London is vast, there’s no mistaking. And there are so many exciting things to see and do at any one time. But that can be overwhelming. And getting about on London transport isn’t always that easy. In fact it can be quicker to travel up to Birmingham than it is to get to one side of London to the other. As a result you can end up living in a much smaller area, staying closer to home or work as that’s the easiest option. Whereas in Birmingham it’s a lot simpler to get around on trains, buses and the tram. And you can also drive to places a lot easier than London too.
London is vast, there’s no mistaking. And there are so many exciting things to see and do at any one time. But that can be overwhelming. And getting about on London transport isn’t always that easy. In fact it can be quicker to travel up to Birmingham than it is to get to one side of London to the other. As a result you can end up living in a much smaller area, staying closer to home or work as that’s the easiest option. Whereas in Birmingham it’s a lot simpler to get around on trains, buses and the tram. And you can also drive to places a lot easier than London too. | sebastiangora - stock.adobe.com

15 reasons I left London to move to Birmingham

Fionnuala Bourke
By Fionnuala Bourke

Editor

Published 15th May 2023, 16:55 BST
Updated 15th May 2023, 16:57 BST

BirminghamWorld editor explains why she left the bright lights of London for her home city of Birmingham after a decade of living in the capital

I’m a born and bred Brummie and so proud of my home city and I love living here.

But as a teenager back in the 80s I couldn’t wait to get out of the place - as fast as I could. Why my parents would leave the beauty of the west coast of Ireland for concrete collar Birmingham was beyond my comprehension - especially as so many of their relations moved to cool places, like New York!

After my A levels I got myself to New York on a Camp America scheme. It was great, but I was glad to come back Birmingham and Blighty.

I got a job at Britannic Assurance (when it was in Moseley) for a year - before I headed off to London to study Politics and Modern History at Brunel University.

Upon graduating I moved into a flat share in Clapham Junction and got a job in children’s book publishing in South Kensington. But despite the bright lights and buzz of London I came back to Birmingham as much as I could, moving back permanently after a decade in The Old Smoke.

I’m not the only person to quit the capital for Birmingham, the Second City of England. Latest statistics tell us that between 6,000 and 7,770 thousand people are leaving Birmingham for London each year since 2017.

In fact, Birmingham is the most popular city of choice for London leavers by some distance. If we look at the figures for 2020, there were 6,519 people who moved to Brum from London - with Brighton the second most popular city with 5,558. You can see the full listing in our story here.

And with HS2 there are some who believe this could escalate further. Some London publications have even referred to Birmingham as a ‘commuter city’.

But as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, home to world leading cultural icons like the Peaky Blinders and heavy metal  Birmingham is very much a city in its own right.

Here are 10 reason I quit London for Birmingham:

There is so much culture to enjoy in Birmingham - the city even has its own ballet - Birmingham Royal Ballet - and orchestra - City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. There is an abundance of theatres featuring star-studded productions, art galleries are a-plenty and we host some of the most colourful and energetic festivals you could ever imagine. Our iconic Library of Birmingham is the biggest public library in Europe, boasting some impressive spaces, including the sunlit balconies. It is also home to one of the largest Shakespeare collections in the world and the fascinating Shakespeare Memorial Room, dating from the Victorian era, which you’ll find right at the top of the building.

5. Thriving culture scene

There is so much culture to enjoy in Birmingham - the city even has its own ballet - Birmingham Royal Ballet - and orchestra - City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. There is an abundance of theatres featuring star-studded productions, art galleries are a-plenty and we host some of the most colourful and energetic festivals you could ever imagine. Our iconic Library of Birmingham is the biggest public library in Europe, boasting some impressive spaces, including the sunlit balconies. It is also home to one of the largest Shakespeare collections in the world and the fascinating Shakespeare Memorial Room, dating from the Victorian era, which you’ll find right at the top of the building. | Birmingham Royal Ballet

Birmingham is one of the fastest transforming cities in the world. Even Brummies are amazed at how quickly Birmingham is changing. The re-0pening of New Street Station in 2015 heralded a whole new era for the city - and it hasn’t looked back. The skyline is changing dramatically with a host of new developments underway - from HS2 Curzon Street Station to Paradise to The Octagon. The regeneration is attracting more big business with Goldman Sachs and HSBC both opening up huge hubs in the city centre.

6. Exciting transformation attracting big business

Birmingham is one of the fastest transforming cities in the world. Even Brummies are amazed at how quickly Birmingham is changing. The re-0pening of New Street Station in 2015 heralded a whole new era for the city - and it hasn’t looked back. The skyline is changing dramatically with a host of new developments underway - from HS2 Curzon Street Station to Paradise to The Octagon. The regeneration is attracting more big business with Goldman Sachs and HSBC both opening up huge hubs in the city centre. | teamjackson - stock.adobe.com

The Creative Quarter in Digbeth is also benefiting from the investment with the tram being extended to run down the High Street and the historic River Rea opening up. The Bond creative hub is offering fresh new opportunities for TV production, with Late Night Lycett recently being produced there for Channel 4 - and a red carpet for Series 4 of Man Like Mobeen being hosted there next week with the BBC. In fact Joe Lycett insisted his late night chat show must be filmed in Birmingham, and ended up offering his own car as a prize on the show to ensure it had all the ingredients necessary for success. MasterChef is moving to Birmingham next year and the BBC are moving from the Mailbox into the former Typhoo Tea Factory in 2026.

7. Dynamic creative industries

The Creative Quarter in Digbeth is also benefiting from the investment with the tram being extended to run down the High Street and the historic River Rea opening up. The Bond creative hub is offering fresh new opportunities for TV production, with Late Night Lycett recently being produced there for Channel 4 - and a red carpet for Series 4 of Man Like Mobeen being hosted there next week with the BBC. In fact Joe Lycett insisted his late night chat show must be filmed in Birmingham, and ended up offering his own car as a prize on the show to ensure it had all the ingredients necessary for success. MasterChef is moving to Birmingham next year and the BBC are moving from the Mailbox into the former Typhoo Tea Factory in 2026. | Late Night Lycett

Hollywood hero Steven Spielberg chose Digbeth to film his sci-fi action-adventure blockbuster Ready Player One. Tom Cruise was spotted filming Mission Impossible 7 in Grand Central and now Birmingham-native and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is about to open his own studios called Digbeth Loc. It could be used to film the new Peaky Blinders movie and with Steven penning the latest Star Wars movie, maybe that will be filmed here too. Birmingham is also the inspiration for one of the most famous film franchises in the world with JRR Tolkien - the author of The Lord of the Rings, which was turned into an Oscar-winning film trilogy - growing up in Birmingham. During 1895 to 1911, Tolkien lived in nine homes in the south of the city, including King’s Heath. He also spent a lot of time in Hall Green, where Moseley Bog and Sarehole Mill would go on to provide the inspiration for the iconic series.

8. Birmingham at the movies

Hollywood hero Steven Spielberg chose Digbeth to film his sci-fi action-adventure blockbuster Ready Player One. Tom Cruise was spotted filming Mission Impossible 7 in Grand Central and now Birmingham-native and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is about to open his own studios called Digbeth Loc. It could be used to film the new Peaky Blinders movie and with Steven penning the latest Star Wars movie, maybe that will be filmed here too. Birmingham is also the inspiration for one of the most famous film franchises in the world with JRR Tolkien - the author of The Lord of the Rings, which was turned into an Oscar-winning film trilogy - growing up in Birmingham. During 1895 to 1911, Tolkien lived in nine homes in the south of the city, including King’s Heath. He also spent a lot of time in Hall Green, where Moseley Bog and Sarehole Mill would go on to provide the inspiration for the iconic series. | Digbeth Loc

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