City Guide | Birmingham
taylorroot.com
City Guide | Birmingham
Overview Birmingham is the second largest city in the UK and, having undergone a dramatic transformation over the last decade, is now a city that oozes style, culture and charm, and has established itself as a real hub for business, entertainment and the arts. The city is widely acknowledged to be one of the best places to do business in the UK.
Business in the local area City centre Most law firms are still based in the city centre, particularly in and around Colmore Row and Victoria Square. Here you will find Wragge & Co, DLA Piper, Eversheds, Cobbetts and Pinsent Masons to name but a few. There are a few firms based on the outskirts of Birmingham city centre such as Beachcrofts in Brindley Place and Davies and Partners in Solihull.
taylorroot.com
City Guide | Birmingham
Lifestyle Birmingham offers an excellent array of leisure activities, catering for all tastes and interests ranging from the galleries of the Birmingham Museum and the Barber Institute to the bars and canalside eateries of Brindley place. For live entertainment there is no end of choice of concerts, with the world class Symphony Hall, Carling Academy, the new O2 Academy and regular shows and concerts at the LG Arena (NEC). For sports fans, Birmingham is home to two Premiership football teams - City and Villa, and a number of professional Rugby Union sides. These include Moseley RFC. Edgbaston is home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club and their ground regularly hosts international games. The NIA also hosts many European athletics meetings, as does the Alexander Staduium.
in addition to the elegant Victorian arcades and the upmarket shopping and bars on offer in the Mailbox, has confirmed Birmingham’s reputation as the regional shopping capital. The city has a vibrant nightlife and offers gastronomic delights form every corner of the globe. The city centre is home to a range of restaurants catering for all budgets from the Michelin starred through to the more traditional chains you would expect in a major city. There are also a huge range of bars and clubs both in the centre and the outlying areas that offer great variety; Brindley Place and the Arcadian are two such examples.
The rejuvenation of the city centre with the figurehead £500 million Bullring development has been complimented by the redevelopment of the iconic Rotunda in to high spec residential apartments. This, taylorroot.com
City Guide | Birmingham
Residential areas City living This is a recent but popular trend in Birmingham. Many people are choosing to live within walking distance of the city centre and there is now plenty of good quality choice which continues this trend. Brindley Place/Canal side There are plenty of new and converted flats to choose from in this area – it is a particularly popular choice for young professionals as it is only a 15 minute walk into the city centre. There is also an excellent selection of restaurant, bars and other facilities. Jewellery Quarter/St Paul’s Square Another popular choice for people choosing city living, this area has recently seen a huge investment in regeneration. It takes about 15 minutes to walk into the city centre from these areas and there are a large number of town houses, loft conversions and new builds to choose from. Prices in these areas are at the top end of the Birmingham market, with a 2 bedroom apartment comfortably in the £250,000+ range. taylorroot.com
City Guide | Birmingham
Outskirts of Birmingham There are some trendy cosmopolitan areas that are popular with many who do not choose the city living lifestyle but want to be close enough to the city to enjoy its many other benefits. Harborne, Edgbaston, Bearwood and Moseley are areas particularly attractive to young professionals and families. In these areas, you will find terraced houses and Georgian Buildings, and there is a good selection of restaurants, bars and other facilities. A good transportation network makes the city easily accessible. Prices in these areas for a decent terrace house will start at £170,000 and a four bedroom family house will start at £260,000. Other areas If you want to live slightly further out of Birmingham, popular choices for families and couples are Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Bromsgrove and Stourbridge. There
are good facilities in these areas, including shopping, restaurants and schools, and all have train stations linking into one of the three stations in Birmingham. Most journeys take approximately 30 minutes, making the city and legal district very accessible. Country living Many people often choose to live out of Birmingham, opting for the traditionally more beautiful countryside of Worcestershire, Warwickshire or Shropshire, or historic towns such as Stratford and Leamington Spa. Commuting into Birmingham via car can be a challenge as the M6, M5 and M42 tend to get very congested at peak times. However, you will find a train station in most of these areas, so most commuters will use this link into Birmingham city centre where it is only a short walk to the office.
taylorroot.com
City Guide | Birmingham
Transport links Birmingham benefits from excellent transport. Its motorway network is extensive, with the M6, M5, M42 and M40 making it easily accessible to most parts of the UK. London is 110 miles south, Bristol 90 miles south west, Manchester 80 miles north west & Leeds 100 miles north. The main train station is Birmingham New Street, which provides links to all major centres in the UK. Trains to London leave every 15 minutes at peak time and every 30 minutes during non-peak times, taking approximately one hour and 20 minutes. There are two other train stations in Birmingham; Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street, which have trains running to London Marylebone as well as other local and national destinations. Birmingham International Airport is six miles east of the city centre, serving all major destinations in Europe and beyond.
flights to many European destinations with Thomson Fly. Whether you are going away for business or pleasure, Birmingham offers plenty of options. Other transport links include a network of bus routes, servicing Birmingham and commutable areas. There is also a tram line from Birmingham Snow Hill linking Birmingham, Walsall and Wolverhampton, which is a popular choice for commuters living in these areas. Wherever you are based in the West Midlands, it is easy to get in and out of the city centre.
Birmingham International train station links the airport and the city together. Coventry airport has recently opened and is an alternative choice for cheap no frill taylorroot.com
City Guide | Birmingham
House prices In December 2010 the average selling price on a detached house in Birmingham was £320,000; a semi-detached property £164,000; terrace £128,000 and City centre flat £120,000. For more information visit primelocation.com
Schools Birmingham offers a good range of schools both within the state and private sector. Independent schools include Blue Coats School in Harbourne and King Edward School in Edgbaston. For more information visit ofsted.gov.uk/reports
Hotels The majority of hotels are 3*/4* and it is advisable to book in advance. Centrally located hotels include: Radisson Blu- radissonblu.co.uk Hyatt Regency - birmingham.regency.hyatt.com taylorroot.com
Contact For more information on living and working in Birmingham or if you are interested in relocating to the region please contact: Nick Smetana T: + 44 (0) 20 7415 2828 E:
[email protected] Established in the 1980s, Taylor Root is now widely recognised as being one of the world’s leading legal recruiters. Operating out of offices in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne, we are ideally placed to assist law firms, banks and companies with their legal recruitment on an international basis. Taylor Root has a strong track record in the recruitment of: Heads of Legal and Legal counsel; law firm associates and partners; contract/locum lawyers; paralegals; company secretaries and compliance professionals. Taylor Root is a member of The SR Group. The SR Group is a specialist recruitment consultancy dedicated to raising standards in the business environments that we serve. The sectors we cover include tax, legal, human resources, marketing, professional support and executive search, dealing with a substantial number of the world’s leading professional partnerships, multi-national corporations and international banking groups as well as small to medium sized developing organisations.
London 95 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4HN T: +44 (0)20 7415 2828
Hong Kong
Dubai Suite 614, Liberty House DIFC PO Box 506739 T: +9714 448 7770
1918 Hutchinson House 10 Harcourt Road , Central, Hong Kong T: +852 2973 6333
Singapore
Melbourne
Sydney
Level 21 Prudential Tower 30 Cecil Street Singapore 049712 T: +65 6420 0500
Level 2, Rialto North Tower 525 Collins Street Melbourne, VIC 3000 T: +61 (0)3 8610 8400
Taylor Root is a member of The SR Group
taylorroot.com
Level 12, 25 Bligh Street Sydney NSW 2000 T: +61 (0)2 9236 9000
