12 Reasons You Should Visit Birmingham Over London

Thanks to the city’s proximity to the capital, redevelopment and costs, Birmingham is at the top of the list for those relocating from London. It’s one of Europe’s youngest cities and it’s also one of the most creative, so it’s no surprise that creatives are moving to one of the most developing cities in the country. If Londoners are moving here, they can’t be wrong.

If you hate crowds, hate queuing or just hate people in general, New Street Station is still a lot quieter on Saturday afternoon than Victoria Station, despite the city’s modest 1.1 million population. We’re not saying the city is immune from crowds, but trust us when we say you’ll be surprised at how much more personal space you have in the city centre.

If you’re looking to move to Birmingham or visit for a prolonged period, a monthly travel pass in Birmingham will cost you around £60, while a similar pass in London costs around £140. Think of all of those sweet pennies you’d save.

Arghhhhh, where do you look?! You won’t have to worry about that here, as people on the train actually smile at you and may even strike up a conversation. No, really. Honestly. We’re serious.

Birmingham boasts more miles of canal than Venice, all of which are regularly used by narrow boats and people on foot or bike via the maintained footpaths. The canals tend to follow the train line, so if you fancy a summer evening stroll without getting lost, Birmingham is perfect for that.

£7 for a beer? Nope. Of course, there are expensive places in Birmingham, but you’re looking at one of the cheapest cities in the UK for a pint here. The average cost of a pint is around £2.90, which sounds pretty good to us.

No more elbow barging your way through those horribly packed London streets. Just like any major city, Birmingham is still busy at peak times, but you very rarely have to queue for an age to try something on. You definitely don’t end up stuck behind legions of slow walkers, as there’s actual space to walk around them.

Hey, Harry. Ditch that £1,200 a month cupboard under the stairs and rent a full house for £650 in Birmingham instead. House prices in Birmingham are growing so you’ll need to be quick, but you could buy a 3 bed house in the trendy south Birmingham suburb of Moseley for less than the price of a 1 bed flat in Croydon. Hotel prices are considerably less than the capital too.

Avid LOTR fans may already know that J.R.R. Tolkien is from the city and grew up around the area of Moseley. It’s said that certain areas of the suburb (Moseley Bog, Sarehole Mill) were key in the author’s inspiration when writing the books, the latter even hosts a Lord of the Rings-themed weekend each year!

Brum is serious about its food and with more Michelin stars than any UK city outside of London, it’s not hard to understand why. Whether you’re after a quick bite at one of the city’s independent street food markets, or you’re after more of a fine dining experience, no stone is left unturned here.

New buildings are popping up all of the time, so if you visit once, you’re likely to end up seeing something new on your next visit. The bank HSBC has even decided to move from London to Birmingham, with brand new headquarters being built on Broad Street in the city centre.

The Brummie accent is known to be mocked, but really it’s friendly, endearing and humorous. Even if you don’t understand them at first, we’re sure you’ll get used to it and grow to love it, bab.