An up-and-coming area of inner city Birmingham, Harborne is based around the High Street and is a short journey from the city centre. The Birmingham University Halls of residence extend into Harborne, which is a more colourful an area than Selly Oak with its dense student community. UCE's Edgbaston campus and Westbourne Road Halls of Residence are a short walk away. The area has many large shared houses, but Harborne is certainly at the more expensive end of the housing market as the High Street is quickly becoming a centre for entertainment and leisure with a host of restaurants, stylish cafes and pubs. Housing: The majority of student houses in the area are still quite pricey, but Harborne also boasts lower crime statistics than Selly Oak in terms of burglary.
Rents of £650 pcm for a 3-bedroom house can be average, or £500 for a 1-bedroom flat! Shopping: Safeway, Iceland, Asda, a Marks & Spencer food store if you're feeling flush, and a range of High Street shops, including Boots, W H Smith, Blockbuster, record stores, charity shops and some off-licenses. Bars & Cafes: With more than ten pubs across a half a mile stretch, you're pretty much spoilt for choice.
There's the Irish-themed O'Neills, The Vine and the Varsity bar, not to mention the Fallow and Firkin, The Green Man and the Duke of York.
If you want somewhere quieter you can take your pick from The Sportsman, Harborne Stores and the Scarlet Pimpernel.
There're also a couple of trendy cafes cropping up - prices are steep but image is everything!
Fentons coffee shop and restaurant, for example boasts Panini (hot grilled baguettes) with camembert, tomato and chilli jam for £3.65.
The range of other little cafes include Bounissimo (with the uncomfortable high stools) or Phillipe Du Bois (with outdoor tables - great in the summer, but pigeon festival mostly).
Then there are the chic, little romantic restaurants such as Valentino's and Michelle if you can afford them. Entertainment: Some of the pubs host regular Karaoke (Duke of York), quizzes (the Fallow) and sports nights (the Vine), with the occasional comedy night (Duke of York).
O'Neill's is usually lively.
Many of the pubs such as The Vine and Duke of York usually have the big screen TV's for the major sports events, while the Green Man boasts top Sunday lunches.
Harborne is a short bus ride from nearby Five Ways' UGC multiplex cinema and Birmingham's night-life mecca, Broad Street, with a succession of cool bars, rammed pubs, clubs and restaurants. Transport: Buses directly from Harborne and the High Street to the city centre (inc.22, 23, 29), and the number 11 takes you through Bearwood, Handsworth and Perry Barr, and in the other direction through Selly Oak and to the Fort shopping centre.
There's also a number of taxi ranks and a train station in B'ham Uni. Takeaways & Restaurants: Plenty of chip shops, pizza places and cafes.
The newly refurbished Kings chip shop is always full of hungry faces, as are most of the Cantonese takeaways dotted (Ruby's, Sunrise Oriental).
There're also quite a few Indian restaurants cropping up, Malabar (above Fresha Fruits) is quite popular but pricey at about £20 a head, whereas the new Balti venue, Café Chilli, burns less of a hole in your pocket (depending on your appetite). Parks: Grove Park, Queens Park and many other local parks around B'ham Uni.
The sedate Botanical Gardens are towards the city centre end of Harborne (opposite UCE). Amenities: Other than Birmingham Uni's range, there's the Harborne Bath's swimming pool and gym (which features different classes on each day of the week), plus many other gyms, keep-fit and dance classes around the area.
All the major banks have cash points along the High Street and in the general area. Comments: Harborne is certainly one of the 'better' areas of the city and as a result, prices are going up all the time.
While the High Street is cosmopolitan and lively, you should be aware that the residential areas are actually quite conservative - so check your neighbours before cranking up the stereo. | 
