Warwickshire &amp; West Midlands


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why">WHY?</h2>



<p>Next to green Bourneville with its Quaker roots and prim and proper Edgbaston sits Harborne. It&#8217;s a bit more of the cool sister, and while it might not be as pretty as its gentrified neighbours, its up and coming and there&#8217;s no shortage of things to do here &#8211; particularly if you&#8217;re a foodie. Some of Brum&#8217;s best restaurants sit in this neighbourhood, so, without further ado&#8230;..</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eat">EAT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-976.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50897" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-976.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-976-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-976-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-976-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-976-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-976-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-976-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-976-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>One of the things I love most about Harborne is how chilled it is. You wanna get dressed up for dinner? Do it. Wanna wear jeans and a baggy jumper, that&#8217;s ok. There&#8217;s no formalities here. Nope, not even at Michelin rated <a href="https://www.harbornekitchen.com">Harborne Kitchen</a>. It&#8217;s cool and contemporary with dishes changing regularly. Two minutes down the road is stand-out pub <a href="https://theploughharborne.co.uk">The Plough</a> which is a hit with locals and visitors alike. It&#8217;s got a rustic, laid back mediterranean vibe and a lovely botanical outdoor seating area. If you&#8217;re going here you need to try the pizzas &#8211; huge, fluffy, doughy and just heaving with delicious toppings. Fellow boozer <a href="https://www.thejunctionharborne.co.uk/#/">The Junction</a> &#8211; at the junction of High Street and Vivian Road &#8211; is a beautiful Victorian pub to while away a few hours in, they do proper hearty Sunday roasts too. If you&#8217;ve been drinking (would we?) then you&#8217;re gonna need brunch. <a href="http://hengata.com">Hengata Hangout</a> has some great options and loads of them are vegan too. If you&#8217;re feeling experimental check out <a href="https://estadodaindia.co.uk">Estado Da India</a> &#8211; a mix of Portuguese and Indian dishes in a restaurant full of quirky decor and vibrant colours, there&#8217;s Indian restaurant <a href="https://www.rajamonkey.co.uk">Raja Monkey</a> too. There&#8217;s also recently refurbished Italian joint <a href="https://www.tropea.uk">Tropea</a>, and multi-award winning Thai restaurant <a href="https://www.sabaisabai.com">Sabai Sabai</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shop">SHOP</h2>



<p>There&#8217;s not tons of indie shops here but the ones they have are goodies. For women&#8217;s clothing check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/Sophiebea15/">Sophie Bea</a> or <a href="https://www.emandnboutique.com">Em &amp; N Boutique</a> (based just inside Resonate Menswear). If you&#8217;re looking for interiors there&#8217;s <a href="https://www.kinhome.co">Kin Home</a> for Scandi style and <a href="https://www.oka.com/uk">Oka</a> &#8211; both are in nearby Edgbaston. Pop about 5 minutes down the road into central Brum and you&#8217;re in shopping heaven with <a href="https://www.bullring.co.uk">The Bullring</a> which is filled with high street finds &#8211; and what&#8217;s a spending spree without stopping at Selfridges? </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nearby-attractions">NEARBY ATTRACTIONS</h2>



<p>In Harborne there&#8217;s <a href="https://www.winterbourne.org.uk">Woodgate Valley Country Park</a> &#8211; 250 acres of lush green grassland complete with riding stables and a community run farm. If you fancy really stretching your legs head to the nearby <a href="https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20089/parks/406/lickey_hills_country_park">Lickey Hills Country Park</a> which is around 20 minutes away and is perfect for dog walking, picnics and there&#8217;s a cafe onsite too. In neighbouring Edgbaston there&#8217;s <a href="https://www.winterbourne.org.uk">Winterbourne House and Gardens</a> &#8211; a beautiful Edwardian house and gardens to amble around. Also In Edgbaston (let&#8217;s not mention the cricket ground) are <a href="https://www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk">Birmingham Botanical Gardens</a> and of course you need to see <a href="https://www.cadburyworld.co.uk/en">Cadbury World</a> in Bourneville.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture">CULTURE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-977.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50898" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-977.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-977-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-977-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-977-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-977-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-977-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-977-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/10/Untitled-design-977-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Check out <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/lapworth-museum/index.aspx">The Lapworth Museum of Geology</a> too &#8211; it&#8217;s a hidden gem and you can easily while away a few hours exploring &#8211; it even keeps the kids interested. And well worth a look (but maybe leave the kids at home) is the <a href="https://barber.org.uk">Barber Institute of Fine Arts </a>which is home to some really interesting exhibitions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-average-house-price">AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE</h2>



<p>Properties had an average price of £305,858 over the last year. Most sales were terraced for an average £269,354. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £328,163, with flats fetching £175,919.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hot-property">HOT PROPERTY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2024/07/Untitled-design-54.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-57526" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2024/07/Untitled-design-54.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2024/07/Untitled-design-54-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2024/07/Untitled-design-54-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>This <a href="https://mchugohomes.co.uk/property/2-bed-for-sale-in-meadow-road-birmingham/589312#property-images">2-bed</a> is part of a duplex property in a stunning mansion house, and comes in at £450,000.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nurseries">NURSERIES</h2>



<p>There&#8217;s <a href="https://victorianursery.business.site">Victoria Nursery</a>, curiosity approach <a href="https://www.thenestnursery.co.uk">The Nest</a>, <a href="https://www.littlepioneers.coop/find-your-nursery/Stonehouse_nursery/">Stonehouse</a> and <a href="https://www.brighthorizons.co.uk/our-nurseries/court-oak-nursery-and-preschool?utm_source=googlemybusiness&amp;utm_medium=Referral&amp;utm_campaign=4368-CourtOak">Bright Horizons</a> which were both rated good by Ofsted while Vivian Road was ranked outstanding. In nearby Edgbaston <a href="https://www.norfolkhouseschool.co.uk/nhn28/">Norfolk House</a>, <a href="https://childbasepartnership.com/nursery/highfield-day-nursery/">Highfield Day</a>, <a href="https://cheeky-monkeys-day-nursery.co.uk">Cheeky Monkeys</a> and <a href="https://www.kindergarten.co.uk">Edgbaston Kindergarten</a> are rated Outstanding.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-schools">SCHOOLS</h2>



<p>There are several Ofsted Outstanding schools in and around Harborne including <a href="http://www.chadvale.bham.sch.uk/">Chad Vale</a>, <a href="http://www.harborne.bham.sch.uk/">Harborne</a> and <a href="http://www.st-petersce.bham.sch.uk/">St Peter&#8217;s CofE</a>. Excellent independent options nearby include <a href="https://www.hallfieldschool.co.uk">Hallfield</a>, <a href="https://www.edgbastonhigh.co.uk">Edgbaston High School for Girls</a> and <a href="https://www.highclareschool.co.uk">Highclare</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-kept-secret">BEST KEPT SECRET</h2>



<p>Its most famous industry,&nbsp;the Chad Valley Company, is probably Britain&#8217;s best known toy manufacturer&nbsp;and was based in the area for 80 years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-commute">COMMUTE</h2>



<p>The nearest train station is east at University, with trains every 10 mins or so to Grand Central Birmingham, which will take you 7 mins to reach. Links from there are really good and it will soon also be serviced by high speed line HS2. If you&#8217;re driving the Hagley Road mainlines you to Birmingham and the M5 in 10 mins and you reach Birmingham airport in half an hour.</p>



<p>View the full&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Top 260 Best Places to Live</a></p>


Best Places to Live: Harborne

See more in West Midlands