Birmingham's Moseley crowned as best place in UK for city living

Birmingham's bohemian Moseley district was crowned as the best place in Britain for city living Sunday.

The accolade comes just days after Birmingham, Britain's second biggest city, was ranked as having the highest quality of life of any British city outside of London. It was placed alongside Rome in a global quality of life index.

Now the city's 600-year old Moseley 'village' community has topped a list of Britain's top 50 urban places.

It beat Bath - best for retired people - as well as London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. Edinburgh's Stockbridge area, also Bohemian, was judged best for families, described by the judges as offering a slice of village life in the heart of a capital city.

Eight areas of London made the top 50; Acton, Bermondsey, Blackheath, Marylebone (judged best area in Britain for high-flyers), Mayfair, Muswell Hill, Peckham, South Bank and Walthamstow.

Tourists areas such as Roman cities of York, Chester and Bath also made the top 50.

Moseley, though, captured the hearts of the judges in the study conducted by the London-based Sunday Times newspaper.

"Moseley is a little oasis with a great sense of community, but it isn't exclusionist, it's not as if everyone is a middle class Land Rover driver," was one comment from Tim Campbell-Gunn, manager of a thriving cafe in the area.

Moseley's biggest asset is outdoors with a 215-acre Cannon Hill Park with its lakes and formal gardens designed in the Victorian era.

The judges based their results on hard data looking at schools, crime rates, house prices and transport links, as well as expertise and knowledge of the panel.

In a week's time the panel of judges will name the very best place to live of any town, city or village in Britain. Endit