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[Borin' Baggie]

Wasn't Balsall Heath significantly worse in the 60s, 70s and 80s than it is today? It was a literal red light district and the centre of drug dealing in the city and arguably the region.

Not really. Street prostitution was forced out of Balsall Heath by men with beards picketing street corners and harassing pretty much anyone who passed - particularly women. Drugs are openly sold during daylight hours, and women and girls harassed with depressing regularity, including my niece. It's a distinctly unpleasant place.

This really doesn't correspond to my experience of the area, visiting friends who lived there the 2nd and 3rd year of uni (admittedly over a decade ago but I'd be shocked if the demographics are any different) and going from Edgbaston to the Old Moseley Arms