If you asked me to name the coolest places in Birmingham, I doubt Digbeth would be my first pick. Why? Well, mostly because it’s so obvious. Long gone are the days of this being an industrial wasteland. Everyone and their mom have hung out in one of Digbeth’s many incredible pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants.
That being said, it’s still worthy of its ‘cool’ label, thanks to everything from The Custard Factory to Red Brick Market. That’s why The Sunday Times has named B9 first in its ‘11 coolest UK postcodes to move to in 2025’ – a list that also includes Newnham in Gloucestershire, Penge in London, and Hull in East Yorkshire.
So why is Digbeth so cool?
The Sunday Times calls Digbeth “ground zero for 365 party girls (and boys).” Name-checking “hip cocktail spots such as Passing Fancies (adult Ribena, anyone?”) and Dead Wax Digbeth for beer and vinyl, there are plenty of interesting places to grab a drink in this graffiti-covered neighbourhood. Afterwards, go out all night in the abandoned fried chicken shop, Club Colette.
But it’s not all about partying. Visit “cutting-edge galleries, such as the artist-run Eastside Projects.” While The Custard Factory, among many things, is home to a collection of creative spots including the independent Mockingbird Cinema and 670 Grams, “a small yet snappy restaurant from Kray Treadwell, who nabbed 2021’s Michelin Young Chef award.”
Digbeth isn’t just Birmingham’s entertainment district. It’s also on the up for creative industries thanks to the recently opened Digbeth Loc Studios – where some of the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie was filmed – and The Bond, a new hub for TV, film, media and tech. There are so many incredible things to do in Digbeth. Do I know who lives here though? No, not really…
The UK’s coolest postcodes to move to:
- Digbeth, Birmingham
- Portrush, Co. Antrim
- Hoole, Cheshire
- Fittleworth, West Sussex
- Farsley, Leeds
- Newnham, Gloucestershire
- Newlyn, Cornwall
- Newport, Pembrokeshire
- Penge, London
- Hull, East Yorkshire
- Port Ellen, Islay
You can read The Sunday Times’ full list of the UK’s coolest postcodes here.