Britain's second city
From canal-side apartments to Tudor residences and everything in between, the second city’s housing stock tells the story of Britain’s development through the ages. The city has always been famed for its industrial heritage and famously has more miles of canals than Venice. Much of this heritage remains in beautiful suburbs like Bournville and the historic and rejuvenated Jewellery Quarter.
With a population of over one million and growing, the Birmingham conurbation has seen its appeal surge in recent years with the city centre undergoing extensive redevelopment and several major employers relocating to the region.
Living in the city
The city is like a central hub to the rest of the country and thus Birmingham has always enjoyed being in a convenient location with excellent motorway and rail links meaning most of the country is just a couple of hours away. It’s home to the National Exhibition Centre and will be the first major city linked to London by HS2.
Outstanding leisure and relaxation
Boosted by the recent hosting of the Commonwealth Games and the redevelopment of New Street Station, Birmingham’s appeal shows no sign of abating. Residents can enjoy all the trappings and amenities one expects from a modern city with outstanding restaurants, bars and facilities found within the centre and extensive retail serving all throughout the centre and the suburbs.
Health
Birmingham is also well served by numerous large and specialist hospitals such as the Children’s Hospital, Women’s Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth, which was constructed in 2010. The QE as it’s become known, is a Level 1 Trauma Centre and home to the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
Education
Parents and their children are well catered for by high numbers of good and outstanding schools across the city, both for primary and secondary education. In recent years a number of highly successful academies have opened up to expand the city’s education provision further. Birmingham’s also home to several universities and has a student population approaching 90,000. The University of Birmingham regularly features among the top 100 in the World.
Greenspace
Something of a secret is just how green Birmingham happens to be. Parks and open spaces proliferate across the suburbs and the city is home to over one million trees. There are 1,398 hectares of woodland (equivalent to 2,097 football pitches) within Birmingham’s 591 parks and open spaces. Across the city, tree canopies cover 48.81 sq km.* Venture outwards and stunning countryside awaits, with the Lickey Hills & Malverns to the South, Shropshire to the West and the National Forest to the North.
*source Birmingham bids to become a Tree City of the World | Birmingham City Council
