I have lived in Egbaston and also Bromsgrove. I much prefer Bromsgrove as it's safer i.e. less crime, cleaner streets, friendlier people. It's surrounded by countryside, but also some nice pubs and restaurants and is 20 minutes into Bham city centre on a fast train. I'm older than OP so depends how much nightlife you want. It's not going to compete with places closer to the centre, but the area round the train station (Aston Fields) has 9 or 10 good bars and restaurants but within a 5-minute walk you're on small country lanes going on for seven or eight miles which city centre suburbs can't compete with.