'Why we chose to move to the Jewellery Quarter" - Chris and Em

In the first of our 'City Living' featured posts, new residents of the Jewellery Quarter, Chis and Em, tell us why they made the JQ move!

Take the full post to see why.

Moving to the city had never really occurred to us until early last year. We knew we didn't want to live in Tyseley anymore, Em in the house she had bought as a teenager and me, in a house that I loved because it was part of her, and us, but never truly mine. And the area was not for us anymore, a creative couple, a couple with no kids, a couple who are in their 40s but prefer to live a 20s lifestyle.

But where to move to? The city or the countryside? To another city? Another country?

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Photography by Chris Fletcher

Deciding on our forever home is not a decision to be rushed, so instead we decided to make a less permanent move for now, one which would give us a taster of a lifestyle we craved without commitment. So where to move to short-term? We were unanimous - we wanted to try city centre living for a while, and we wanted the Jewellery Quarter to be our base.

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"Urban reflections in JQ" by Chris Fletcher

Ask Em why she picked the Jewellery Quarter, and she'd probably reel off a list of bars and restaurants with gin and cocktail lists she intends to work through. And don't get me wrong, the proximity to some great craft beer and real ale pubs was also a factor in my decision, but the Jewellery Quarter is so much more than an eating and drinking hub. For me, as a photographer, it's the thought of having interesting content right outside my front door. Over the summer of 2018 I spent a great deal of time in the Jewellery Quarter, capturing the doors and windows of some of the magnificent buildings. There are stories behind those doors, hints to the history of an area which has played such an important part in Birmingham's industrial and manufacturing heritage. 

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"Wonderful stories behind those windows and doors" by Chris Fletcher

Living in the Jewellery Quarter means that my day doesn't finish when I arrive home from work. I no longer have to shut the front door behind me and not surface until the morning because there is nowhere to go without effort. Em and I can now dissect our days in a coffee shop or bar, or just in our light and airy apartment. We can take our laptops and phones, and catch up with our social media, blogging and photo admin over a coffee or a pint (depending on the time of day). Meeting up with friends becomes easier, there's no more clock-watching to make sure we leave for the last train home. And if we ever get bored of our beloved Jewellery Quarter, the city centre itself is.just a 10 minute walk away.

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"Downtown Birmingham" by Chris Fletcher

I can even get on to the canal network right at the end of our street - those who know my photography will know just how much I love to capture canals and their reflections.

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"Canal walking through Birmingham" by Chris Fletcher

Our move to the Jewellery Quarter is - at the moment - only a temporary one but we may love the lifestyle so much that we decide to never leave. JQ, you have 12 months to convince us.