Healthier Futures - Our places

The Black Country and West Birmingham offers a great variety of places to live and explore. From Dudley, the historical capital of the Black Country, to modern city centre apartments in Birmingham to the leafy suburbs of Edgbaston, there is something for everyone.

Surrounding Birmingham to the west and north, the Black Country and West Birmingham has excellent road, rail and air networks.

• Road: the M6, M5 and M54 are the main networks feeding the majority of boroughs within the region
• Rail/Tram: the tram service runs across our footprint from Birmingham to Wolverhampton and provides an excellent link. Main rail companies offer a variety of services east to west and north to south (£150m is currently being invested in Wolverhampton to redevelop the Interchange transport hub).
• Air: the nearest airport is Birmingham International; however, our road and rail networks make Manchester and London very accessible

Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell and Wolverhampton all have their own range of shops reflecting the communities that have grown up and established themselves in the Black Country. Meanwhile, The Bullring and Grand Central Station in Birmingham and Merry Hill Shopping Centre in Dudley offer everything a shopper could possibly want from mainstream high street stores to bespoke specialist shops.

The diversity of our communities in the Black Country and West Birmingham affords a great opportunity for experiencing different and varied eating and dining experiences. The cultural and economic renaissance of Birmingham over the past 10 years has brought a lively and cosmopolitan feel which has impacted the Black Country as well. There are bars and restaurants to suit every mood, taste and budget: from Chinatown to traditional balti, to a range of bars and bistros, to high-end Michelin star restaurants (the highest number of Michelin stars outside London).”

There are many places within the region appealing to all different interests. Dudley Castle, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Zoo, Sandwell Valley Country Park, Walsall Arboretum and National Trust properties such as Wightwick Manor and Moseley Old Hall. Both Walsall and Wolverhampton have first rate art galleries with nationally-recognised collections and exhibitions. In addition, there is a range of theatres, libraries, museums, music and comedy clubs with a wealth of entertainment opportunities to suit everyone’s taste.

Our many arenas offer a variety of sporting experiences including football (Bescot Stadium, St Andrews, Molineux, Villa Park, The Hawthorns), cricket (Edgbaston), golf (The Belfry), athletics (Alexandra Stadium) and speedway (Monmore Green Stadium) . For participation sports there are numerous venues across the region in which you can take part in anything from the more traditional sports to something a little different such as glow-in-the-dark golf.