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:

And when it comes to property, you get a lot more for your money in Birmingham compared to London. One current finding is that house prices in Birmingham are 40% cheaper than those in London. According to Rightmove, the average house in Birmingham is currently £264,264 - whereas in London it’s £670,167. The most popular properties sold in Birmingham in the last year have been semi detached properties selling for an average price of £274,83, followed by terraced properties which sold for an average of £215,112 and then flats fetching £157,426. Rightmove says that the majority of properties bought in London over the last year were flats selling for an average price of £490,716, with terraced properties next sold for an average of £742,830 and finally semi detached properties fetching £751,483 on average.

9. Property prices

And when it comes to property, you get a lot more for your money in Birmingham compared to London. One current finding is that house prices in Birmingham are 40% cheaper than those in London. According to Rightmove, the average house in Birmingham is currently £264,264 - whereas in London it’s £670,167. The most popular properties sold in Birmingham in the last year have been semi detached properties selling for an average price of £274,83, followed by terraced properties which sold for an average of £215,112 and then flats fetching £157,426. Rightmove says that the majority of properties bought in London over the last year were flats selling for an average price of £490,716, with terraced properties next sold for an average of £742,830 and finally semi detached properties fetching £751,483 on average. | DavidArt - stock.adobe.com

This one sounds pretty ludicrous, but yes, Birmingham does in fact have more canals running through it than the prestigious Italian town. Venice has 26 miles of canal while Birmingham has 35 miles. According to the city council, most of these canals were built in the 1700s and 1800s and at its height, the Birmingham Canal Navigation had more than 170 miles of them. As the industry declined, over the years canals fell into disrepair. However, many have since been restored and their surroundings improved with modern developments for the locals and tourists to enjoy.

10. More canals than Venice

This one sounds pretty ludicrous, but yes, Birmingham does in fact have more canals running through it than the prestigious Italian town. Venice has 26 miles of canal while Birmingham has 35 miles. According to the city council, most of these canals were built in the 1700s and 1800s and at its height, the Birmingham Canal Navigation had more than 170 miles of them. As the industry declined, over the years canals fell into disrepair. However, many have since been restored and their surroundings improved with modern developments for the locals and tourists to enjoy. | Madrugada Verde - stock.adobe.com

Sure there was London 2012, but Birmingham has hosted one of the best ever Commonwealth Games - the biggest sports event in the UK in the last decade. The city welcomed top athletes from the 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth who competed in 286 sessions of sport across 19 different sports over 11 days of competition. The Commonwealth Games Festival saw some jaw dropping performances too, including the world premiere of the Peaky Blinders ballet, The Redemption of Thomas Shelby with Rambert Dance at Birmingham Hippodrome. More tickets were sold across the West Midlands than any other Commonwealth Games host area and nearly half of all the adults in the UK adults watched, followed online or were involved in the magnificent event. And this summer we get to celebrate this amazing feat all over again with the 10 day Birmingham Festival featuring 10 days of free live music and performances from July 28 to August 6. The festival is commissioned and supported by Birmingham City Council with Steven Knight and former gold-medal winning Team England Netball Captain, Ama Agbeze, as patrons.

11. Commonwealth Games legacy

Sure there was London 2012, but Birmingham has hosted one of the best ever Commonwealth Games - the biggest sports event in the UK in the last decade. The city welcomed top athletes from the 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth who competed in 286 sessions of sport across 19 different sports over 11 days of competition. The Commonwealth Games Festival saw some jaw dropping performances too, including the world premiere of the Peaky Blinders ballet, The Redemption of Thomas Shelby with Rambert Dance at Birmingham Hippodrome. More tickets were sold across the West Midlands than any other Commonwealth Games host area and nearly half of all the adults in the UK adults watched, followed online or were involved in the magnificent event. And this summer we get to celebrate this amazing feat all over again with the 10 day Birmingham Festival featuring 10 days of free live music and performances from July 28 to August 6. The festival is commissioned and supported by Birmingham City Council with Steven Knight and former gold-medal winning Team England Netball Captain, Ama Agbeze, as patrons. | Getty Images

One of the main things Birmingham is famous for is the historic Jewellery Quarter, where 40 per cent of all jewellery in the UK is produced – the highest concentration in Europe. It’s a little known fact that both of the Wimbledon men’s and ladies’ singles trophies were made in Birmingham in the 19th Century. Today the Jewellery Quarter is home to some of the city’s most desirable residences and has some great food and drink venues - while maintaining its historic links to the jewellery industry.

12. Sparkle in the Jewellery Quarter

One of the main things Birmingham is famous for is the historic Jewellery Quarter, where 40 per cent of all jewellery in the UK is produced – the highest concentration in Europe. It’s a little known fact that both of the Wimbledon men’s and ladies’ singles trophies were made in Birmingham in the 19th Century. Today the Jewellery Quarter is home to some of the city’s most desirable residences and has some great food and drink venues - while maintaining its historic links to the jewellery industry. | Chris Lawrence - stock.adobe.com

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