Solihull is an affluent town of about 120,000 in the West Midlands, sitting on the southeastern edge of Birmingham. It consistently ranks among the best places to live in England, with tree-lined streets, good schools, and a town center that manages to feel both prosperous and pleasant. The medieval St Alphege Church anchors the old high street, and the Tudor-style houses around it give the center a historic character that distinguishes it from its more industrial neighbors.
For most visitors, the draw is what sits nearby rather than Solihull itself. The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and the adjoining Resorts World complex are just to the east, hosting everything from motor shows to concerts. Birmingham Airport is next door. The town also serves as a gateway to the rural Warwickshire countryside — the Forest of Arden, Shakespeare's enchanted woodland, begins just south of here, and the National Trust properties of Packwood House and Baddesley Clinton are an easy drive away. Solihull's Touchwood shopping center is a bright, modern mall that draws shoppers from across the region, and the restaurants along Mill Lane offer a decent evening out.