Good places to live... The Midlands

leggy

Probably Scottish
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Dec 23, 2003
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Yes yes, I hear the cries already: "I told you they all come back..."

Well yet I again I prove myself wrong and turn to the only place I know best, Freddyshouse.

So anyway I am moving to the midlands in 3 weeks time. I am sorting out temp accomodation at the minute but will ultimately be looking for a nice cosey place to stay. Somewhere between Birmingham and Nottingham (yes I know).

My main places of work will be the outskirts of Birmingham (east of brum) and Castle Donington (amongst others). So I am looking for somewhere NICE inbetween. Preferably out of a major city but big enough to keep a 27 year old jock (with a healthy social life) content.

Now I know alot of you think of me as a bit of a muppet but I really would appreciate any input you have. I am inflicted with a serious case of geographical ignorance from in living in Dundee for 27 years.

Thanks in advance.

Your moody celtic friend...

leggy
 

Ukle

One of Freddy's beloved
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Dec 22, 2003
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Depends completely what you are after. As there are some amazing villages / small towns in between the 2 yet not many towns and property prices for the villages does get very very silly money for what they are.

If your main place of work is near brum then assume you dont want to be travelling much.

If you are after a good town then Nuneaton is possibly the best in that area - just east of Birmingham and would give you 2 main routes to Donnigton. But the town centre has traffic 'issues' and council tax is high, also house prices are high. But a few nightclubs and a lot of bars in the town centre, supposidly people travel to Nuneaton to go out instead of Coventry / Birmingham as its more civilised :)

Other than Nuneaton you got Tamworth (Been a long time since I have been there so I wont comment), Hinckley (Not been there for a long time but supposidly still a dump) and Sutton Coldfield (never been there except to drive through).

Places to avoid at all costs - Polesworth, Atherstone (most of it some parts are nice), Dordon / Grendon.
 

Trem

Not as old as he claims to be!
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Jis lives just outside of Brum sweetheart. Can't remember the exact location but if you come back into irc(stroppy jock mincer) he and kip will advise.

Brum is about 40 miles from me so I aren't too well up on the area.

Wolverhampton didn't seem such a bad place when I worked there(with Stu :D ), I will be back there again in a month or so(quit my shop job/business).
 

throdgrain

FH is my second home
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Omg welcome back mate :)
The midlands is cak, its far too far north, but that might be ok as its south for you :D
 

Tom

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Birmingham = shite. Nottingham = shite.

But, there are lots of lovely places inbetween the two. Be mindful of the fact that there is an airport at Donnington (cargo mostly), you don't want to be under the flightpath for it.

Do you plan to drive, or commute? The M6/M5 interchange to the north of Birmingham can be a hellhole at rush hour.
 

Rubber Bullets

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I know nothing of this area, but it is good to see you back Leggy.

Does this mean you've changed jobs? For the better? Perhaps you won't need to be so moody for long, especially if your 'healthy' social life gets a bit of a boost :)

Nice to see you mate.

RB
 

Turamber

Part of the furniture
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Tom said:
Birmingham = shite. Nottingham = shite.

Tom = Southern softie who jumps to conclusions.


There are nice areas and shite areas in both Birmingham and Nottingham, just like every other major city. Both have plenty of nightlife and lots to do. I am not sure what your budget is Leggy but I would lean towards South Birmingham myself -- close to the countryside, good access to the motorways and within 15 minutes drive of the City Centre. I live on the outskirts of South Birmingham myself and find it affordable and pleasant.

There are lots of very nice villages around both cities, but they are quite expensive to live in. Certainly outside of my budget!
 

Tom

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I'm about as Southern as Hamish Macbetch the kilt wearing child killer of Northland.
 

Turamber

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*checks Tom's profile* Apologies, had the impression you were from London. But you think Birmingham is shite and live in Manchester? Please, that place is shiteville!
 

leggy

Probably Scottish
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I will be staying well clear of nottingham and birmingham anyway as i will be working on the outskirts of both. Ukle has basically reinforced what a few others have told me. I won't be buying for at least the first year anyway as I just can't afford it yet. After a year though I should be earning a healthy wage so I'll start looking then. Judging by location (need to be close to donington, brum and coventry [not long for the latter I hope]) Nuneaton looks perfect. As does Burton upon Trent and Ashby but I know nothing of them.

Thanks for the input so far guys :D
 

Tom

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Turamber said:
*checks Tom's profile* Apologies, had the impression you were from London. But you think Birmingham is shite and live in Manchester? Please, that place is shiteville!

lol. Seriously, have you seen the centre of Manchester lately?

678068-Manchester_City_Centre-Manchester.jpg

man05.jpg

020905-1000-59_std.jpg

medieval-sector-selfridges.jpg

http://www.adebroom.plus.com/images/manchester/slides/urbis-cathedral.jpg
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/ic13/57.jpg

Thats just a small part. If you don't visit Manchester regularly, you wouldn't believe how much it has changed since the bomb. On the other hand, apart from a small section in the middle, Birmingham mings, and I visit the place regularly.
 

Trem

Not as old as he claims to be!
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Tom is such a poof :D


Burton is close to Stoke Leggington and a nice place.

I aren't keen on Donnington for some reason, I think I had a bad trip to there once, or am I drunk, or both.


Oh arse fuck shit burgers......I don't know :(
 

old.user4556

Has a sexy sister. I am also a Bodhi wannabee.
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Great to hear from you Leggers, my fellow skirt wearing friend.

G'luck with the move and the job.
 

Deadmanwalking

Fledgling Freddie
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Dunchurch!!

Lovely little village just outside of Rugby (I think).

Only been like 3/4 times but i know it's close to coventry and brum.

Full of grannies and all. Just your thing.
 

Tom

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I've just looked on the map for Stoke Leggington, and I can't find it. Where is it?






















:)
 

Turamber

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Tom said:
lol. Seriously, have you seen the centre of Manchester lately?.

Umm, lol. I was there last year to visit a friend who has the misfortune of living there! Birmingham City Centre is fine too, lots of pedestrian areas; fountains; works of art; good shops; clubs; restaurants etc. But most people don't live in city centres.

I wouldn't recommend Hinkley or Barwell to Leggy, there are some decent houses there but are very expensive for what they are. Most of the affordable housing is 1930-50's era terraced housing, with no garages and limited street parking.

Tamworth and evirons are nice, my parents lived in Polesworth when they were first married and I was born in Nuneaton hospital, but are now full of business types who commute into Birmingham -- this has pushed the prices up.

Sutton Coldfield is very nice, as is Knowle, but both areas are bloody expensive to live in and have a large percentage of retired people living there. I quite like Hockley, Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, it is very nice these days but the new studio apartments that are going up there start around £120,000.
 

Furr

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Midlands is cack... Thats my opinion after studying in Loughborough.

There are some nice little villages, but keep away from towns that have their history's based on the mines, factories etc, maybe im bias because the locals hated us because we actually decided that we wanted to study, but it seems the midlands is still in denial that the UK has no Industrial sector anymore.

Basically you have the south and the north, and inbetween the cack hole that is the midlands, IMO it should all be paved over and reside as little more than a large motorway rest area for people travelling driving from one to the other
 

JingleBells

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Burton is meant to be nice, as long as you like the smell of marmite every morning :) Ashby de-la-zouch (which i though was pronounced like OUCH but with a z infront once) is also meant to be nice.

As for brum vs manc, they both have nice city centres due to recent renovations, and they both have shitty areas (handsworth/ladywood and longsight for instance). Having lived in manc the last 3 years though i prefer it more to brum (from what i know of brum, I'm from 16miles out) the brummies and the mancs are pretty dumb, but I just can't stand the brummy accent (better than yam-yams though).
 

Deadmanwalking

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Not wanting to take get away from Leggy loves topic.

Flatten anything north of London.

That is all. Magners sucks.
 

Gef

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Tilda said:
Cheltenham is nice, but south of birmingham.

Cheltenham rox! I just bought a house here! 40 mins on the train to get to New Street so not too bad for commuting.

My girlfriend lives in Dorridge, Sollihull which is kinda east Birmingham, nice quaint little village in the middle of nowhere, regular trains into the city centre. Sollihull as a whole is a nice enough area anyway, not sure what the house prices are like around there though.
 

TdC

Trem's hunky sex love muffin
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welcome back Leggy you big girls blouse you :)


btw judging from the pics Manchester is actually half decent. judging from all your comments over the years...the whole of england is shite. which is true?
 
G

Guest

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Tom, i used to work in that building at the back of the 1st picture, its next to the Town hall and Starbucks isnt it.

Bless, those were the days when i had a proper job.



/me walks off muttering about fast company cars :mad:
 

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