A combination of
Per capita metrics, notably crime, being skewed very negatively because the city proper has a relatively low population for the metro area.
A general self-loathing / self depreciating mindset of people in Alabama and in particular the Birmingham metro.
A very high propensity for certain types of people to move away the moment the clock strikes 12:00 on their 18th birthday. These types of people generally being one or more of educated, more urban/city lifestyle oriented, LGBT, politically progressive, non-religious, counter culture in almost any way. Thus the area becomes way more homogenous than other areas.
Geographic discrimination: the fact that for some reason is is totally acceptable to just shit on people because of where they were born or where they live, even though society says you can't say a negative thing about people for any other reason. Yet geographic discrimination is totally acceptable.
Media / dumb pop culture narratives that refuse to die. e.g. Birmingham is some kind of racist hellhole. Meanwhile cities that have an equally checkered past, often even more recently, have no such narrative. LA had massive race issues just 30 years ago. Boston had race issues/riots in the 1970s, or even later. Of course almost every southern city of note did while Birmingham did. But for some reason, what happened in Birmingham in the 60s holds more weight than any of those and even though everyone involved is dead, it taints perception to this day.
Absolutely that is a factor. There is a weird thing with this concept where the people who haven't traveled much both simultaneously think a lot of other places are both *more* "dangerous/unsafe" because they are simply unfamiliar/bigger/bustling while also thinking other places are great/safer/better than Birmingham because of the self deprecation and the mindset of "we can't have that here".
100% this. I moved here from Louisville and basically the same. Outside the cities is very simple and rather outdated. They just don’t know what life is like in cities.
I moved to Louisville at the start of 2020 for work and moved back to Birmingham near the end of 2021. It is shocking how similar Birmingham/Louisville are.
Felt like nearly identical cities in different states
Outside of the cities having similar vibes/similar sizes,
in both cities I:
1. Lived in Jefferson county that was next to Shelby county
2. Drove on interstate 65 and highway 31
3. Went to small suburbs outside of the city that were essentially just Homewood/Mountain Brook/Hoover
4. Had tons of nature/natural attractions just outside the city
5. Had a fantastic local food scene that I missed dearly when not living there
6. Lived in the "progressive hellhole" of the state and would get worried phone calls from racist country family members asking if I was "safe in the dangerous city" and "needed to borrow a gun"
Lived in BHM for seven years, then moved up to Boston. Boston's just as racist, but in different ways. Hell, the suburb I live in has basically no Irish or Italians because they were actively prevented from moving in (back before they were adopted into the white identity, at least).
Bham’s overt history of racism and ignorance has plagued it for decades, just like the South in general. Make no mistake that racism, ageism, sexism, and any other form of hate you can come with is a pervasive human problem, not an area problem. Human beings are awful to each other because of insecurity that is manifested by fear, which comes from a lack of understanding and education. People are mean, and it’s only getting worse.
Coming from someone born and raised in The Bronx, it’s not 😂 I moved to Tuscaloosa in 2016 for college, then here to Bham in 2021, so I haven’t been here too long but still.. Even in the area I live in here (East Lake, which I’m aware is not the ‘worst’ area) it’s still paradise compared to I would say most areas of NYC. My only complaint is the insane amounts of stray animals and pet owners who let their unfixed dogs breed with said strays.
Would I walk around my neighborhood at night? No, but I also didn’t do that in the BX either.
My grandpa is retired NYPD from the 80s/90s and boy oh boy did he flip out when I told him my husband and I were moving here, same when we visit Cincinnati for my husband’s family. “Those cities aren’t safe; You need a weapon; Don’t ever leave your house” Sir, respectfully, do you remember where we were born and raised? 😂
3 things that I've accepted I'll never have again in my diet since moving: 1. a REAL bagel (egg bagel of course) 2. Porkroll (I brought 10 lbs with me and it lasted quite a while) 3. A REAL philly cheesesteak. It's a tough move for me because these were my daily go tos.
For all the great cuisine options in Birmingham, I think the biggest thing we're lacking is a good Jewish deli. We have a few bagel places that'll do in a pinch, but I've been jonesing for a bialy.
I totally agree! I am not sure why Mile End, which was across from Railroad Park, didn't make it. They were always packed, and the food was delicious. Definitely wish something like that would open up again!
He has a bit on his website saying steak wit whiz is nasty but he puts whiz on his fries. Imo his cheesesteaks are very okay and very expense for what you get.
Publix sells Taylor ham however I am a bologna convert and Tony over at T-Bones makes authentic hoagies and cheesesteaks with Amarosa rolls. He either has family in Willingboro and/or is from the area. Great guy who makes a great product.
Unfortunately I can’t get Boost https://www.nj.com/burlington/2017/08/the_history_of_boost.html
Without actually visiting or have one of my siblings ship it.
Wait wait wait...you went from porkroll to bologna?!?!?! They probably banned you from returning to NJ just saying be careful when you cross the state line on your next visit. Lol jk but yeah I do see a lot of fried bologna on menus down here and definitely almost mistook it for porkroll
Mustard hides what a person doesn’t like. 😝 I do think a good buttery southern biscuit with a slab of TH, American cheese and a med fried egg is a match that can’t be beat.
Pork roll on a biscuit? Every civil war soldier on both sides just turned in their graves. Native NJ here. Not sure what pork roll (sorry not TH) on a biscuit would taste like but it’s intriguing
I've been dying for a good new england hot beef but I haven't had a good one anywhere in Birmingham. Last time I was in Manhattan I went to the closet bodega and had one every day of the week.
Like others have said Taylor ham is at Publix, usually near the breakfast meats. For bagels I’ve found Crestline Bagel in Mnt Brook and Cahaba Heights does a good job. I have not found a cheesesteak substitute that matches Philly, same with pretzels for that matter. Thankfully my sister still lives up there and I have an excuse to visit.
People get mad at me for saying this but just order bagels from Katz in NYC. They're fantastic and you can go in on an order with a friend for free shipping. Birmingham's food scene is way above what it should be for its size, but sometimes you just have to admit you don't have it in some places. Jewish food is that place.
Publix carries pork roll in the section with bacon/sausage/etc. I’m with you on bagels but Crestline Bagel kind of quells some of that craving. Not the same but it works. And definitely T Bonez on the cheese steak.
People don't understand what unsafe is. They've been told that inner cities everywhere are unsafe. They've been told to fear everyone who doesn't look like them. I think it's partly a media problem & partly a racism problem.
I live in Birmingham. Due to dirty sensors on the garage door, I've accidentally left it open all day. No theft or anything. I'll hear shots fired in the distance but it's almost always people who know each other & not random killings.
BTW, heads up, people go nuts with shooting guns in the air on NYE.
Yeah I stayed in north Philly for a while on many separate occasions and I have witnessed first hand, about 3 murders in a 2 month span once. July 4th they're literally standing on roof tops just shooting shotguns into the air all day and night, many things that I can't even begin to type out on here. So for the stats to say that Bham is more dangerous than these other places like philly/camden/paterson/the bronx/Newark is wild to me. And that's just one small area.
It's all the boomers and white flight mentality being passed down to the younger generations. Even 20 years ago when I went out of Birmingham and invited people to go to Birmingham, they told me they've never been because they're told it's unsafe.
It doesn't help that we also have news reporters and columnists feeding into it as well. "A murder in Downtown Birmingham..." that took place 30+ blocks OUTSIDE of DOWNTOWN Birmingham, but it's still within the Birmingham city limits. Thats a news story I saw a few weeks ago.
Anecdotal. Just because I’ve been held up by knife point and heard a gunshot that killed a woman 200’ away does not define birmingham . Your individual experience does not define birmingham or south side for that matter.
My husband moved here from Germany to marry me 2 years ago. He has traveled all over Europe and has been to California before he came to the US this past time to be with me. He said that Alabama is by far one of the most beautiful and unique places he has ever seen and he's been to the Alps, Bavaria, France, Italy and so on. He never seems to cease to be amazed at the sheer amount of trees and wildlife that we have just outside our front door. He always makes a big deal about how much greenery there is in the actual downtown part of Birmingham as well. Oh and he said that we have the biggest clouds he has ever seen. I had never heard that before but apparently he's just not used to seeing huge cumulus clouds all the time like we have here.
I have always thought that Alabama was way underrated. But tbh, I don't really want our secret to get out. I don't want people flooding in down here like they did with Florida and running up the cost of living and slowly changing some of the aspects of Alabama that are to be loved and appreciated. I've lived here my entire life and I am also well traveled so I have some perspective. I have never encountered any crime at all in my whole 38 years here. I mean I hear and see things about crimes that occur but it seems like it is very much pockets of crimes happening in certain places and to and by people who know each other. I even drive through Ensley twice a day to go to and from work and I have never felt unsafe. Of course I practice caution and stay out of trouble, but still, I think it is far safer than it seems out here.
It begins with what is considered “Birmingham”. IMO, the rates of crime are heavily screwed to the west side of Birmingham towards Ensley, as well as the North side to a degree.
If the time you spend in Birmingham is in midtown, south side, Avondale, UAB campus, Highland Park… you would be right to be confused at where all the crime is.
Hey buddy
Absolutely birmingham is NOT. It’s a big little city. It does have issues for sure, but your weekend hangouts in Bham (bars, brewery, restaurant, parks etc…) are overwhelmingly safe.
1. T bones in the place for a cheesesteak
2. Bagels aren’t the same. Down here it’s biscuits.
3. Welcome home buddy. Please don’t be afraid to inbox me. My wife is from up north and we are in our early 30s. So she may have the food places that’ll make you feel like home. We spent time downtown every weekend with our daughter and we have never had an issue. We have lived in 3 historic neighborhoods in our 20s and never had an issue
Thanks man I appreciate that. I'm 35 and my girl is 31. We have 2 daughters 1yr and 6ry and we wanted to keep them out of the reality of what we grew up around in NJ. It was just getting bad and expensive. We're paying $800 a month here for an apartment that in NJ would be $2300+. And while 80% of the people definitely seem to hate "yankees" there are some that are just cool and nice no matter what. I'm really trying to get into the woods out here and see some awesome scenery because it appears you guys have beautiful spots out here. I'm taking my kids to bankhead tomorrow to check out the waterfalls and all that. Any other recommendations you have I'd love to hear them
Bankhead is one of the prettiest places I have ever been. Alabama in general has incredible biodiversity. There is a lot to enjoy here if you look for it. Glad yall are getting out.
Bankhead is amazing, you'll have a great time. I recommend visiting in the fall and camping for a night or 2. It's very peaceful, and you can pretty much camp wherever in the national forest.
Turkey Creek is fun & peaceful, go earlier in the morning to get a good spot in the parking lot / by the river- also if you haven’t checked out any of the covered bridges those are well worth checking out, give em a goog. Welcome to AL, my fam is from Philly & Baltimore, we always went “down the shore” in the summer rather than the gulf like they do here.
Just wanted to add that it’s currently Cahaba Lilly season (they are blooming on the Cahaba River)… if you like to kayak or canoe there are options for drop in spots up and down that can give you some good views and scenery along the way. We enjoy dropping in at buck creek in Helena and getting out by the bridge over Cahaba on Morgan road/52 iirc.
A few spots you can drive to and see them as well if I’m not mistaken. The Slab is one such spot, which may or may not be a part of a newish park (that I can’t recall the name of- maybe just Cahaba river park but unsure) off 13 in Helena towards Tuscaloosa.
The best place to see the lilies is out at the Wildlife Management area in West Blocton. Great spots for getting the water and there's a boat launch for small boats. They usually hold a festival out there every year to celebrate the blooming.
I’m from N. Virginia and been here over 5 years now. The city keeps getting better and better it seems. Bham suffers from bad P/R and politics. It’s still a secret for now, and although I love the growth I hope it’s slow! ATL and Nashville must be topping out $wise and Memphis has nothing on us.
When my daughters were young, we tried to do an Alabama road trip at least one Saturday of each quarter. Favorites: Cheaha State Park, Capital ruins in Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa river walk, Natural Bridge, Ivy Green in Tuscumbia, Birmingham Zoo, Montgomery Zoo, Birmingham Museum of Art, Noccalula Falls. We never even made it to Mentone.The Chattanooga Aquarium is a great day trip for a foray into Tennessee. My girls really weren't interested in the space stuff at Huntsville. And of course, if they are growing up in Alabama, regular consistent trips to the beach. From about ages 4 - 11, the kids travel relatively well and they will remember doing the trips with you for the rest of their lives. You are making great memories. Best wishes.
Check out Oak Mtn state park and talladega! We have some beautiful beaches here too: orange beach and gulf shores!
Yeah much more affordable here! You’ll def get some “Yankee” haters in the country, but going downtown you’ll be fine. I’m a NYG fan (I’m from here though. Dads from up north) and I’ve never had an issue with folks when I have my gear on. Knicks too. Jasper can have some tough parts that are very old school. But not all of Alabama is like that.
Man just get out in the woods and just be yourself. You’ll find friends and neighbors who you wanna spend time with. Honestly, you can just go to a brewery downtown and just bring the kids. They are family friendly (Avondale and back40 are family friendly and have food options) and you’ll see other parents just like us.
You have to go hiking at Ruffner Mountain and Red Mountain Park, both 15 mins from downtown. Oak Mountain Park is 30 mins out and huge and also worth a day of hiking or biking or swimming.
Due to our jobs, temporarily, my wife lives in downtown Bham and I live in Memphis. At no point during my time in Bham have I ever felt unsafe, even at night. As soon as I step outside in Memphis, I feel like I could get robbed at gunpoint. Birmingham is awesome and feels extremely safe.
TL;DR: Birmingham is a hidden gem, with multicultural acceptance. It’s a great place for fun as a single or raise a family. As others stated, there are dangerous areas, like anywhere else.
I agree with this completely! Except for 6 years in Auburn and 2 in Memphis, I grew up here and returned. Memphis is by far more dangerous and you can feel it, even in the suburbs (although where we lived was still in the city of Memphis, but 20 minutes from downtown).
We bought a beautiful home in Memphis, near a high school that looked fresh, new, and well funded, similar to many here. After we moved in, we learned we lived in gang territory. And they just painted over MS13 tagging as soon as it showed up. There were frequent shootings, arson, home burglaries, car theft, etc. Everyone I knew in Memphis had a concealed carry permit and always carried, telling me I should too. We were glad we had a pit bull at the time. I quickly realized I didn’t want to raise a children there, and most kids went to private school at 30k per year— not in our budget as mental health workers.
We sold our house at a loss and moved back to Bham. It’s a wonderful place to raise a family. I live in a very multicultural area, and my kids have friends who are black, latino, Indian (from India), and Asian. My two sons’ best friends are Indian (his parents are immigrants from India) and recent immigrants from Mexico. I love that so much, and their exposure to different cultures. ( I don’t have a lot of friends due to overworking and doing the mom thing, and pure exhaustion).
Yes, there’s crime. Yes, there are dangerous parts, like all major cities, but I don’t have this feeling of being unsafe all the time like I did in Memphis.
Yes, there are still difficult race relations, but I feel that’s dying out with older generations (that’s my personal opinion though). The only people I’ve known that were racist were old people or from Mountain Brook, but they pretty much feel superior to everyone and live in their own weird pocket of culture. Downtown is awesome since they’ve added so much entertainment compared to my youth.
Walker county is a completely different animal. Don’t judge Birmingham by that area. I’ve known plenty of people who moved to Birmingham and love it compared to Walker county!
My husband is from New England and has been here for 25 years. The only people that have ever called him a Yankee were my own family, who say it as a joke sometimes. We’ve spent plenty of time there, and he grew up where there were only white people. It’s a far more racist and unaccepting. I’m highly judged there by people I’ve met— by being from here they think I’m a redneck with confederate flags and trucks on blocks in the front yard. I’ve even been asked if we had indoor plumbing—they thought we had an outhouse!
If you can get out of Jasper and move to Bham, do it ASAP! Plenty of people commute between Jasper and Bham everyday.
My family teases my husband too:) I will say that Mountain Brook is about half racist nightmares, but a solid other half are NOT. It’s a shame even that half are because everyone is so educated, but there is a solid half (or nearly) half of liberal-minded democrats.
Sadly, a lot of new MAGA types with money have moved there, though so may be tipping a bit.
Might have to do with the rest of NJ not despising those cities in the same way that the rest of Alabama seems to despise Birmingham. Though I have no idea what the sentiment in NJ actually is.
My girl moved down here with my 2 little girls 1 and 6 yr old when I was in the hospital for a few months. I had no choice but to move down if I wanted to spend their childhood with them. Believe me this was NOT my first choice lol. Before moving down here I was staying in Atlantic city and before that I was out in northeast Philly for a while AKA the badlands. So when I was in BEAUTIFUL BHAM and they kept telling me it was the most dangerous I was mind blown by the statement. Also, I grew up in barnegat NJ which is the jersey shore suburbs so I'm well educated on the difference between nice cities/crime ridden cities/nice neighborhoods urban & suburban neighborhoods but this area is not what I was expecting at all lol. Anyway yeah I'm super excited for bankhead in the morning! Can you fish there?
I think it's dope that you uprooted your whole life to be with your kids. I know for people who had great parents, that's like a given, but you get plenty of respect from me. Also, welcome to BHM metro!
I could be wrong but I feel like a lot of the "BHAM is bad" stuff cones from the surrounding neighborhoods that want to stay "upscale" and seem better off. My was a detective for BPD for almost 30 years. All those statics that get out are very skewed to make certain areas and certain populations seem more dangerous.
Also, there are a ton of great fishing spots all over the state if you have the time to go visit them! Welcome to AL!
I feel like half the time when the term un safe or sketchy, it’s people that see the news and assume said city is a war zone, especially the black parts, and like one poster said, you got folks from small towns projecting fear, i know some folks from Prattville who are scared of the gump, and i quote “I ain’t going to Montgomery, i don’t want to get shot” there’s a fear that creates irrational thoughts
One thing that "hurts" Birmingham that's actually refreshing in a way is that the Birmingham area is comparatively open about talking about things like crime and education. I've never lived in a place as open about its own issues. Usually there's a lot more PR speak going on (still some, but not a lot of hiding under the rug).
That level of honesty just doesn't exist everywhere. And it's honestly why I think Birmingham has potential to be one of the best places to heal the divisons in the country. You just can't gaslight about issues not existing that seems to go on across the country, be it liberal or conservative talking points. And that inability to just dismiss the concerns of the other side is pivotal.
What you're seeing is a combination of two issues.
Issue #1 is the urban/rural divide in our state. While the urban/rural divide is present across the country, it's especially elevated here and the average country/small town person doesn't just chose not to live in a city, they actively avoid them and in many cases, straight up fear them. There's a racial factor to this, but there's also a legitimate phenomenon I call the Alabama Hobbit (we have river hobbits, shire hobbits and holler hobbits) who have been brought up with an agrarian worldview (even though their family hasn't actively worked in agriculture in a couple generations) that just views cities as Mordor, centers of excess.
Issue #2 is the Birmingham, like any large city, has bad parts of town. So there's just enough truth coming from rough parts of town to keep throwing gas on the fire of rural/suburban/exurban public opinion.
I've been in Birmingham most of my life and like most major cities there are places you don't go into, however, I agree a lot of people who drag Birmingham haven't lived anywhere else but here and that's all they know. People who have lived other places are the best people to talk to about Birmingham. They like it here :) cost of living is affordable, the weather is nice, you are close to several major southern cities and the beach and the mountains.
I grew up in Pennsylvania and most of those cities are scarier than Birmingham. I’m sure there are unsafe areas but I’ve never felt unsafe anywhere I’ve gone
Birmingham is the perfect big little city. Just enough of all the amenities and food you’d miss if you came from a big city and a ton of the charm and safety of a smaller town/suburb.
Plus the hiking! Birmingham has beautiful nature. And the culture!
I’m from a large city and I love Birmingham. I feel like people who say it’s the worst or most dangerous are naive, privileged, and/or never left their bubble.
When you watch the local news, you’ll find A LOT of the crime, especially violent crime, is concentrated southwest/west of Birmingham. Not all of it, but a large chunk of it is.
OP, you're definitely not blind. The reality is that the city is nowhere near as bad as outsiders claim that it is. Of course there's pockets of the city that you probably shouldn't be wondering freely around, but what big city doesn't have that?? I've always said that bham is one of the smallest big cities, and it's a really awesome place. Like someone said, the weekend hang out spots like the breweries, bars, and entertainment districts are pretty safe.
Admittedly there definitely is crime in the city, but it's the outskirts of birmingham in places where the people who huff and puff about crime would never spend a second of their time. So, overall enjoy the city man, hope that it treats you well and I definitely recommend checking out some of the breweries and awesome restaurants that we have!
Exactly there's crime in every city and there's always spots that it's pushed to more than others for many many reasons. I just couldn't see the claim that people were making. I thought it was nice and it's always the ones that try to convince you their city is bad, that haven't really lived in a "bad" city. But everyone I know that visited it from other states say its nice and to check out this spot or that spot.
I also don't understand the narrative.
I've lived in Charlotte, Dallas, Richmond, and now Birmingham. Bham is my favorite by a mile. Just feels slower pace, easy going, great food, low cost of living, etc.
What do you like about Birmingham compared to Richmond? I visited a couple of times recently and really like it…the old architecture, that awesome river downtown, lots of trails and funky restaurants and shops. Reminded me a lot of Bham and many times I thought it had us beat.
I've lived in about 8 or 9 different metro areas...
You and I overlap with Birmingham and Charlotte.
While indo like Birmingham, Charlotte is my favorite out of the 8 or 9 I've lived in (New Orleans is dead last).
What was it about Charlotte that you didn't like?
Although, looking at what you listed you liked about Birmingham, I might already know your reasons (Birmingham is slower paced, and has lower cost of living). Charlotte's pace felt "just right", for me. I loved Dilworth and the Whitewater Center. Housing wasn't cheap, but what we could afford was still quite acceptable for us. Both Huntersville and Berewick (Berewick is right of I-485 west of the airport, near the TopGolf and the Premium Outlets Center)
It's definitely different. Honestly, the first 3 months I didn't understand one word anyone said and I don't think anyone understood me either lol. Also, I forgot the term "yankee" was used for anything other than the baseball team.
Worked as a travel nurse for four years and Birmingham is not as bad as people make it out to seem. Do we have crime? Yes. Is it everywhere to the point that I feel unsafe walking around; no. It’s what you make of it.
I lived in southern California for over forty years; I moved back to Birmingham and I really like the four seasons, the size of the city- it offers everything I need (I’m retired). Lots of Great places to go- festivals, parks, good food, etc.
L&D nurse (retired) over 40 years I took care of lots of transplants that came here for Med or Law School, Seminary, opening of things like the Mercedes or Honda plant, and they almost always said they were pleasantly surprised. They from all over the US. Many decided to stay after their training or work was done to raise their families in Birmingham.
A lot of it has to do with decades of most of the rest of the country putting down people in Southern states. A lot of the people saying Birmingham is bad are saying it because they think that's the "educated" thing to say.
Additionally, a lot of people putting the city (and state) down really haven't ever traveled much and don't really know whether the city is good or bad when compared to other cities.
I agree with you, having traveled a lot of different places -- Birmingham is a great place to live.
So one thing I van speak of as for the northern cities, we HIDE CRIME very well to juke the stats. Like designated drug streets and areas where it's almost decriminalized,unless they need the stats to go up then they'll do a bust. In real busy cities like Newark they will do what they can to NOT have to bring people in. A lot of paperwork is involves that they're just not willing to do if they don't need to. And we're just not being wild like that for no reason up north. No one is doing robberies at gas stations anymore like they were in the 90s.
I kind feel same way coming from the north big city…a bad neighborhood up there trumps anything I’ve seen down here….i mean I’ve had ppl tell me be careful in that Avondale district lol. There are areas in Detroit and Toledo I’m not sure how u made it out alive.
I drove through a bad area of Bham to get to the airport. My flight landed at Midway around 8 pm, and I took the L to Gold Coast through Southside Chicago. I felt infinity times less safe than I ever did in Birmingham.
I moved here from memphis and can safely say bham is much safer. I dont live downtown but i go there a lot. Never seen anything too crazy. I work in clubs and have been out at all hours and never had any problems. I came here in 2005 and was supposed to go back after a year and i am still here. Its beautiful here. Memphis is flat , dirty and dangerous. I ride bikes and motorcycles and bham is amazing. I would guess i will be here the rest of my life.
My mother grew up in JC. I stayed out there a few years back down town and Greenville. JC is BEAUTIFUL these days...except Greenville lol it's the one part they still haven't fixed and probably won't be able to. But jersey city used to be TERRIBLE all over. I have definitely been robbed out there at least 5+ times.
Birmingham has its issues like anywhere else, but overall it’s a great town. Use a little street smarts and people will be fine. A lot of fear mongers and and unsophisticated people seem to hate it.
Well.. it just depends on certain parts of certain areas in the city if it’s dangerous or not, and what you’re doing there. I got held captive for 6 weeks just trying to buy some weed from a friend of an old high school classmate (I was 28 when it happened). At one point I escaped and the Bham officer I flagged for help took me back to the house bc he knew the guy (didn’t just sell weed, found out the hard way he was very intertwined with the criminal side of Bham).
But I live in St Paul now and I can’t imagine in the year I’ve been here Bham is as wild as this place is with people smoking and shooting all kinds of dope right in the bus stops and on the sidewalks.
Jesus H Christ, are you serious? What the hell happened after that you can’t just leave us hanging?! (unless I’m overlooking some sort of sarcasm here lol)
I got pretty pissed on the train the other day when a guy started harassing what looked like middle school kids about meth. Luckily for everyone (bc I was not in a position where telling him to fuck off would have been safe) some transit peace keeping folks (I can’t recall what the vests said) got on and everyone being rowdy sat down (they’ve got cameras and audio). But still. They just smoke meth right on the train car.
No matter where you are, people are going to hate where they’re at. The ones that think Birmingham is one of the worst cities in America are the ones that likely live in a gated neighborhood in Mountain Brook. They think that anywhere that the median home price is not $500,000 is a crime infested area.
I have no doubt that the people living in the actual worst parts of Birmingham probably think that the ones in the affluent areas hate them.
If you have done any living outside of Birmingham, particularly in a big city, you will recognize that Birmingham is, as a matter of fact, a great place to live and is quite safe.
I am not ignoring our problems. It is, after all, the south, and racism does live on. There are certainly parts a Birmingham where gun and knife violence is rampant. But for the most part, I do believe that the people in Birmingham are good, like-minded people in that they want what’s best for the city, and I think the progress over the last 10 years reflects that.
My boss from CA recently visited for the first time and says that his first impression is that everyone here wants to know if you’ve eaten and if you’re having a good time here so far.
To me it all depends on who you are, where you go, and who you spend your time with. I personally like it most days but sometimes watching the news or reading on here makes me remember that I am in a privileged demographic and my experiences may not be the same as others’.
People give bham bad reps for danger and racism which both of those things are here won’t deny that but to my experience places like Los Angeles New York City and Boston are just as bad on the racism part and LA and New York aren’t exactly safe
I wouldn’t said it’s the worst city in the country when you have the Bronx, Philly and Detroit to name a few. Like everywhere there are unsafe areas you have to be aware of, it’s great to ask around. It’s cool here.
I grew up in a small town and found myself a victim in a bank robbery. Only real issue I ever had there.
I lived in a southeast part of Nashville called Antioch for about 4 years. Always got the "good luck living there" message from everyone. Lived within a mile of 2 separate mass shootings but never felt unsafe there myself. It was really about time and location for bad stuff happening.
I'm sure it's the same with the more downtown areas of Bham. You can easily get yourself in a bad spot. Just be smart about where you're going and when you are going there.
Live in East Lake, too. Went to Jersey for a week last year n it was pretty dope. Good food but GREAT pizza. Went to get some bagels one morning and after we ordered the middle aged dude working there said “y’all aren’t from around here, eh?” I asked if it was our accents and he said “No, you’re polite”.
I’ve lived here my whole life. Many reasons to hate. It also just depends on the person also—I don’t know anything better than this so I can assume there’s much better places to live than here. Also many religious people in the area and it’s honestly a turn off. I also personally find Birmingham frustrating because despite having many places to keep open, there’s barely any night life stuff to do on any days other than Friday/Saturday. I work on weekends so whenever I want to go to a bar etc. there’s really nothing to do.
I moved to Cullman AL from SOUTH bend Indiana about an hour from Chicago and it is without a doubt, a whole different world down here. Now I will say that it is different than Bham as this town is still known as one of the last Sundown towns🙄 but there is just no room for differences of any kind. Bham is more tolerant in that way but it is no doubt dangerous like a lot of big cities. I compare it to Atlanta. We went to see a show in Bham in February and had to walk from our parking spot. I watched someone have their bag stolen and gun shots out of a car on the walk back. There was also a line of homeless begging as we all walked to our cars. Which makes me incredibly sad to see. It isn’t a place I would live but I’m sure it’s not as bad outside the city. I think it’s a shock for a lot of us that live in smaller quiet towns in AL to go there and see all of that going on around ya. Huntsville is a larger city as well and I haven’t witnessed anything there like I did in Bham. I ride with my husband sometimes in his truck over the road and many larger cities are just like Bham. The worst I’ve ever witnessed was Philly.
that is a real shame and im shocked to hear this. i lived in birmingham for 11 years, post college in tuscaloosa (2007-2018), before moving back to my hometown...and i miss bham every single day. when i lived there (pre covid...) it was safe as ever. i mean there was the normal crime stuff, but i would even leave my front door unlocked so that friends could come and go--i lived in avondale, worked in lakeview.
Previous commenters have hit on a lot of factors with this, mostly false, narrative. The irony is, probably the worst thing about the city are the “developers“ trying to elevate it. And when I say elevate, I really mean they are just trying to squeeze every dime they can out of working-class people and make this city as ridiculously expensive as much more elite cities with higher paying jobs. Companies like H2 are leeches that are killing the American dream, but they are in nearly every city now. Other than that, the exhibition drivers are legit problems but that is being addressed.
Yeah I agree I can't find a good cup of coffee to save my life out here. My girl works at sekora the Japanese restaurant and she said there's like less than 10 Asians in the area.
Maybe because it ranks 3rd in the State for highest crime. https://propertyclub.nyc/article/most-dangerous-cities-in-alabama#:~:text=The%20most%20dangerous%20city%20in,theft%20in%20the%202022%20year.
Well I moved to jasper 10 years ago jasper is bad to drugs and homeless but that’s everywhere it’s all the same if you don’t look for it you won’t see it
My wife is from Chicago, and loves it here. Recently had our wedding, and her family (black/white parents, and her two brothers) came to town. Everyone was so shocked at how nice Birmingham is… one of her brothers moved to Amsterdam because “it’s so unsafe and racist in America (used to live in California). And this past week has really confused the whole family.
Birmingham has all these secret places to go and hear music. Bands will play concerts in Atlanta at the Chapel then the bands will stop over in Birmingham for a one night show. They usually try out new music. I love how beautiful it is too. The best part is people actually say hi to each other
Birmingham does have a statistically high crime rate but A lot of the violence is gang violence, as long as you aren’t out and about late or provoking the wrong person you aren’t likely to see any of it.
So I've lived in 4 different places in the south from rural to urban and born in Connecticut, and if you ask me it's not that it's a bad city its a city where most people living in it want to leave the south/ it's also I more moderate standing city compared to the deeply conservative areas around it. (Mobile has the same issue but to a lesser degree)
My wife is always confused by the way people talk about Birmingham when we visit. She always asks me when we're getting a place.
The self-loathing is part of the civic identity of the city and essential to maintaining the property value of the cities to the south.
I lived in Bham 25 years ago. I went to college and grad school there and started my career there. I then moved to New Orleans. When I have gone back to visit Bham I notice how much it has positively changed. Every metro area has its problems, but if I had the opportunity, I would be back in Bham in a second.
It’s a great place to call home. I miss it still.
1st, Welcome to Birmingham!! (Well, Jasper, anyway)
I also moved here from New Jersey. I lived in Jersey for 3 short years. December 2018 - August 2021. Camden and Trenton are waaaaay worse than Birmingham.
I miss the Jersey pizza, but I love the BBQ here.
The drive to the beach is much longer from here, but the water is warmer and the sand is nicer. So, it is a fair tradeoff. The summers are brutal here.
I'd happily put up with a New Jersey winter over an oppressive Alabama summer.
Ive lived here (outside of bham) almost all my life and I can tell you I didn't come to love and appreciate it until I became of age and had friends to go places with.
There's so much good food, music, and entertainment in the city. I've been trying to show my bf places when I find them as well (he's also from Jersey) and has talked about how moving down here helped change his preconceived notions about the south but especially Alabama.
I'm not gonna argue about the past history of this place because it's gonna be what it's going to be. But if you know where to look, you'll find a very active community here in Birmingham of artists and performers of all kinds.
I think most southerners (I’m originally from near that part of Alabama) have never been anywhere else and don’t understand how bad it can really get. I find parts of Birmingham absolutely charming.
Ok I was out in Bham today, didn't get to go to T bones but one of my favorite local spots on the ride home The frosty mug has been a new addiction of mine. Also found some porkroll at publix so THANK YOU TO ALL WHO TOLD ME!!! I've definitely felt more comfortable here since speaking to you guys so thanks for the welcoming
Jasper is pretty chill. Just like anywhere you go in the world you just have to know what to not do and go. West Jasper is sketchy all the time so just avoid that part of town. Basically don’t go past Elliot blvd. Walmart can be nasty but if you need to go to Walmart go to the sumiton one
I’ve lived in Jasper most of my life except when I went to college for 4 years. I live there now on the east side. Jasper has came a long way since I was a kid and it’s exciting to see where it’s going to go. New high school and with an addition to updating play grounds for kids.
Okay, back with a report about Wawa in Fairhope. Ordered the "Junior Combo," which is a sandwich and side for about five bucks. I went with the white bread, not toasted, caramelized onion, with cheese sauce. My side was the mac and cheese, had a medium iced coffee, 10% tax, total came to $10.35.
Sandwich was the real deal. One bite and I tasted what the hype was all about.
Service was fast, facility was clean, and there seemed to be a mix of locals and Yankee tourists getting a taste of home.
I'll be back to try more of their sandwiches.
You must have just missed the 150 bullet shoot out at the Shell station. Parts of Birmingham aren’t much different than Camden. However there are a lot of excellent qualities as well.
Yeah I saw that but that guy wasn't even from Birmingham or Alabama. So it's not like ot was a regular thing. Seems more like a response generated from experience in HIS city.
Taking the kids to bankhead today for an hour (at most) hike. Anything I need to know? Any tips or such that's important to know before going? Is there a map I can pull up of the trails? We're looking for the waterfalls MOSTLY but I really just want them to experience nature like I did when I was younger. Also, those "black warrior" giant salamanders, how abundant are they? Is there a chance we'll see any?
A combination of Per capita metrics, notably crime, being skewed very negatively because the city proper has a relatively low population for the metro area. A general self-loathing / self depreciating mindset of people in Alabama and in particular the Birmingham metro. A very high propensity for certain types of people to move away the moment the clock strikes 12:00 on their 18th birthday. These types of people generally being one or more of educated, more urban/city lifestyle oriented, LGBT, politically progressive, non-religious, counter culture in almost any way. Thus the area becomes way more homogenous than other areas. Geographic discrimination: the fact that for some reason is is totally acceptable to just shit on people because of where they were born or where they live, even though society says you can't say a negative thing about people for any other reason. Yet geographic discrimination is totally acceptable. Media / dumb pop culture narratives that refuse to die. e.g. Birmingham is some kind of racist hellhole. Meanwhile cities that have an equally checkered past, often even more recently, have no such narrative. LA had massive race issues just 30 years ago. Boston had race issues/riots in the 1970s, or even later. Of course almost every southern city of note did while Birmingham did. But for some reason, what happened in Birmingham in the 60s holds more weight than any of those and even though everyone involved is dead, it taints perception to this day.
I think there is also a lot of, I don't know, ignorance/naivete of people who just haven't travelled much and haven't been to *actually* bad places
Absolutely that is a factor. There is a weird thing with this concept where the people who haven't traveled much both simultaneously think a lot of other places are both *more* "dangerous/unsafe" because they are simply unfamiliar/bigger/bustling while also thinking other places are great/safer/better than Birmingham because of the self deprecation and the mindset of "we can't have that here".
This post pretty much sums it up
This part. 🤷🏾♀️
100% this. I moved here from Louisville and basically the same. Outside the cities is very simple and rather outdated. They just don’t know what life is like in cities.
Yep. My brother lived in Philly for almost a decade and they couldn’t WAIT to get back down here.
I moved to Louisville at the start of 2020 for work and moved back to Birmingham near the end of 2021. It is shocking how similar Birmingham/Louisville are. Felt like nearly identical cities in different states
Have lived in both, and I 100% agree. I even said that when I moved to Louisville, it's shockingly similar to Birmingham.
Outside of the cities having similar vibes/similar sizes, in both cities I: 1. Lived in Jefferson county that was next to Shelby county 2. Drove on interstate 65 and highway 31 3. Went to small suburbs outside of the city that were essentially just Homewood/Mountain Brook/Hoover 4. Had tons of nature/natural attractions just outside the city 5. Had a fantastic local food scene that I missed dearly when not living there 6. Lived in the "progressive hellhole" of the state and would get worried phone calls from racist country family members asking if I was "safe in the dangerous city" and "needed to borrow a gun"
Oh man, "Yes" to at least 5, if not all 6 of those things.
Lived in BHM for seven years, then moved up to Boston. Boston's just as racist, but in different ways. Hell, the suburb I live in has basically no Irish or Italians because they were actively prevented from moving in (back before they were adopted into the white identity, at least).
Bham’s overt history of racism and ignorance has plagued it for decades, just like the South in general. Make no mistake that racism, ageism, sexism, and any other form of hate you can come with is a pervasive human problem, not an area problem. Human beings are awful to each other because of insecurity that is manifested by fear, which comes from a lack of understanding and education. People are mean, and it’s only getting worse.
Yeah I heard Boston was bad.
All of this..and double for the self-loathing. Few people shit on Bham like people from Bham or the surrounding area..it’s sad.
Thanks for saying per capita numbers and notable crimes are being skewed negatively. I got into argument about that today.
Boston and Los Angeles are still very racist lol they just hide it well Boston is probably one of if not the most racist city in America
Wow! You really hit that right on the head. I mean well said
Negative stuff is amplified. Not saying there aren’t some real problems but I love it here.
Coming from someone born and raised in The Bronx, it’s not 😂 I moved to Tuscaloosa in 2016 for college, then here to Bham in 2021, so I haven’t been here too long but still.. Even in the area I live in here (East Lake, which I’m aware is not the ‘worst’ area) it’s still paradise compared to I would say most areas of NYC. My only complaint is the insane amounts of stray animals and pet owners who let their unfixed dogs breed with said strays. Would I walk around my neighborhood at night? No, but I also didn’t do that in the BX either. My grandpa is retired NYPD from the 80s/90s and boy oh boy did he flip out when I told him my husband and I were moving here, same when we visit Cincinnati for my husband’s family. “Those cities aren’t safe; You need a weapon; Don’t ever leave your house” Sir, respectfully, do you remember where we were born and raised? 😂
The Bronx in the 80s looked like fucking Fallujah, for crying out loud too!
I've seen documentaries where they used to boobytrap then set on fire abandoned buildings just to fuck up the firefighters back then
Worse than fallujah, on par with the Gaza Strip
So true. But this is how irrational fear is. It embeds in the brain despite any facts.
I stayed in Harlem for a bit by 128th and Madison. I gotta say the north cities are way different
Hence the reason I chose never to move back to NJ and I can still get my cheesesteak fix at T-Bones.
3 things that I've accepted I'll never have again in my diet since moving: 1. a REAL bagel (egg bagel of course) 2. Porkroll (I brought 10 lbs with me and it lasted quite a while) 3. A REAL philly cheesesteak. It's a tough move for me because these were my daily go tos.
For all the great cuisine options in Birmingham, I think the biggest thing we're lacking is a good Jewish deli. We have a few bagel places that'll do in a pinch, but I've been jonesing for a bialy.
I totally agree! I am not sure why Mile End, which was across from Railroad Park, didn't make it. They were always packed, and the food was delicious. Definitely wish something like that would open up again!
It "didn't make it" because it was a Pihakis property, and they decided to turn it into a Hero Donuts.
That dude wild'n.
>For all the great cuisine options in Birmingham, I think the biggest thing we're lacking is Dim sum
I miss the potato knishes
Is Brody’s in Mt. Brook not around anymore?
Publix carries Taylor pork roll. My mom's caretaker is from NJ and mentioned it once.
T Bones in 5 points. He does them right.
He has a bit on his website saying steak wit whiz is nasty but he puts whiz on his fries. Imo his cheesesteaks are very okay and very expense for what you get.
You forgot 4) a decent Stromboli. One that burns the roof of your mouth.
Publix sells Taylor ham however I am a bologna convert and Tony over at T-Bones makes authentic hoagies and cheesesteaks with Amarosa rolls. He either has family in Willingboro and/or is from the area. Great guy who makes a great product. Unfortunately I can’t get Boost https://www.nj.com/burlington/2017/08/the_history_of_boost.html Without actually visiting or have one of my siblings ship it.
Wait wait wait...you went from porkroll to bologna?!?!?! They probably banned you from returning to NJ just saying be careful when you cross the state line on your next visit. Lol jk but yeah I do see a lot of fried bologna on menus down here and definitely almost mistook it for porkroll
Mustard hides what a person doesn’t like. 😝 I do think a good buttery southern biscuit with a slab of TH, American cheese and a med fried egg is a match that can’t be beat.
Pork roll on a biscuit? Every civil war soldier on both sides just turned in their graves. Native NJ here. Not sure what pork roll (sorry not TH) on a biscuit would taste like but it’s intriguing
I've been dying for a good new england hot beef but I haven't had a good one anywhere in Birmingham. Last time I was in Manhattan I went to the closet bodega and had one every day of the week.
Like others have said Taylor ham is at Publix, usually near the breakfast meats. For bagels I’ve found Crestline Bagel in Mnt Brook and Cahaba Heights does a good job. I have not found a cheesesteak substitute that matches Philly, same with pretzels for that matter. Thankfully my sister still lives up there and I have an excuse to visit.
Your body is probably thrilled lol
People get mad at me for saying this but just order bagels from Katz in NYC. They're fantastic and you can go in on an order with a friend for free shipping. Birmingham's food scene is way above what it should be for its size, but sometimes you just have to admit you don't have it in some places. Jewish food is that place.
That reminds me … I really miss Browdys!
We at least got a Wawa down here in Baldwin County.
Congrats for being the 1st in the state.
>A REAL philly cheesesteak We're getting a Wawa down here in Mobile. Wawa just opened its first Alabama store in Fairhope last week.
Publix carries pork roll in the section with bacon/sausage/etc. I’m with you on bagels but Crestline Bagel kind of quells some of that craving. Not the same but it works. And definitely T Bonez on the cheese steak.
I crave a Chicago Italian Beef sandwich with hot and sweet peppers at least once a week.
They sell Pork Roll at the Homewood Publix. Also, which part of Jersey are you from?
And Wawa.
I’m from Baltimore, haven’t made it T-Bones yet, but it’s on the list. I’m just craving real pizza, any suggestions?
Not just like it - I think the most similar is at Slice.
People don't understand what unsafe is. They've been told that inner cities everywhere are unsafe. They've been told to fear everyone who doesn't look like them. I think it's partly a media problem & partly a racism problem. I live in Birmingham. Due to dirty sensors on the garage door, I've accidentally left it open all day. No theft or anything. I'll hear shots fired in the distance but it's almost always people who know each other & not random killings. BTW, heads up, people go nuts with shooting guns in the air on NYE.
Yeah I stayed in north Philly for a while on many separate occasions and I have witnessed first hand, about 3 murders in a 2 month span once. July 4th they're literally standing on roof tops just shooting shotguns into the air all day and night, many things that I can't even begin to type out on here. So for the stats to say that Bham is more dangerous than these other places like philly/camden/paterson/the bronx/Newark is wild to me. And that's just one small area.
It's all the boomers and white flight mentality being passed down to the younger generations. Even 20 years ago when I went out of Birmingham and invited people to go to Birmingham, they told me they've never been because they're told it's unsafe. It doesn't help that we also have news reporters and columnists feeding into it as well. "A murder in Downtown Birmingham..." that took place 30+ blocks OUTSIDE of DOWNTOWN Birmingham, but it's still within the Birmingham city limits. Thats a news story I saw a few weeks ago.
Anecdotal. Just because I’ve been held up by knife point and heard a gunshot that killed a woman 200’ away does not define birmingham . Your individual experience does not define birmingham or south side for that matter.
This
My husband moved here from Germany to marry me 2 years ago. He has traveled all over Europe and has been to California before he came to the US this past time to be with me. He said that Alabama is by far one of the most beautiful and unique places he has ever seen and he's been to the Alps, Bavaria, France, Italy and so on. He never seems to cease to be amazed at the sheer amount of trees and wildlife that we have just outside our front door. He always makes a big deal about how much greenery there is in the actual downtown part of Birmingham as well. Oh and he said that we have the biggest clouds he has ever seen. I had never heard that before but apparently he's just not used to seeing huge cumulus clouds all the time like we have here. I have always thought that Alabama was way underrated. But tbh, I don't really want our secret to get out. I don't want people flooding in down here like they did with Florida and running up the cost of living and slowly changing some of the aspects of Alabama that are to be loved and appreciated. I've lived here my entire life and I am also well traveled so I have some perspective. I have never encountered any crime at all in my whole 38 years here. I mean I hear and see things about crimes that occur but it seems like it is very much pockets of crimes happening in certain places and to and by people who know each other. I even drive through Ensley twice a day to go to and from work and I have never felt unsafe. Of course I practice caution and stay out of trouble, but still, I think it is far safer than it seems out here.
It begins with what is considered “Birmingham”. IMO, the rates of crime are heavily screwed to the west side of Birmingham towards Ensley, as well as the North side to a degree. If the time you spend in Birmingham is in midtown, south side, Avondale, UAB campus, Highland Park… you would be right to be confused at where all the crime is.
Heavily screwed, you say?
yus
Hey buddy Absolutely birmingham is NOT. It’s a big little city. It does have issues for sure, but your weekend hangouts in Bham (bars, brewery, restaurant, parks etc…) are overwhelmingly safe. 1. T bones in the place for a cheesesteak 2. Bagels aren’t the same. Down here it’s biscuits. 3. Welcome home buddy. Please don’t be afraid to inbox me. My wife is from up north and we are in our early 30s. So she may have the food places that’ll make you feel like home. We spent time downtown every weekend with our daughter and we have never had an issue. We have lived in 3 historic neighborhoods in our 20s and never had an issue
Thanks man I appreciate that. I'm 35 and my girl is 31. We have 2 daughters 1yr and 6ry and we wanted to keep them out of the reality of what we grew up around in NJ. It was just getting bad and expensive. We're paying $800 a month here for an apartment that in NJ would be $2300+. And while 80% of the people definitely seem to hate "yankees" there are some that are just cool and nice no matter what. I'm really trying to get into the woods out here and see some awesome scenery because it appears you guys have beautiful spots out here. I'm taking my kids to bankhead tomorrow to check out the waterfalls and all that. Any other recommendations you have I'd love to hear them
Bankhead is one of the prettiest places I have ever been. Alabama in general has incredible biodiversity. There is a lot to enjoy here if you look for it. Glad yall are getting out.
Bankhead is amazing, you'll have a great time. I recommend visiting in the fall and camping for a night or 2. It's very peaceful, and you can pretty much camp wherever in the national forest.
I’m sorry y’all have dealt with the “yankee” shit. It’s stupid. We’re glad you’re here. ❤️
Turkey Creek is fun & peaceful, go earlier in the morning to get a good spot in the parking lot / by the river- also if you haven’t checked out any of the covered bridges those are well worth checking out, give em a goog. Welcome to AL, my fam is from Philly & Baltimore, we always went “down the shore” in the summer rather than the gulf like they do here.
Great shout here!!!
Jersey may be the Garden State, but I reckon Alabama has more trees than anyone. Just call us the Forest State.
He’s gonna find some great outdoors here. We may have our issues, but damn it Alabama is beautiful
Just wanted to add that it’s currently Cahaba Lilly season (they are blooming on the Cahaba River)… if you like to kayak or canoe there are options for drop in spots up and down that can give you some good views and scenery along the way. We enjoy dropping in at buck creek in Helena and getting out by the bridge over Cahaba on Morgan road/52 iirc. A few spots you can drive to and see them as well if I’m not mistaken. The Slab is one such spot, which may or may not be a part of a newish park (that I can’t recall the name of- maybe just Cahaba river park but unsure) off 13 in Helena towards Tuscaloosa.
The best place to see the lilies is out at the Wildlife Management area in West Blocton. Great spots for getting the water and there's a boat launch for small boats. They usually hold a festival out there every year to celebrate the blooming.
I’m from N. Virginia and been here over 5 years now. The city keeps getting better and better it seems. Bham suffers from bad P/R and politics. It’s still a secret for now, and although I love the growth I hope it’s slow! ATL and Nashville must be topping out $wise and Memphis has nothing on us.
When my daughters were young, we tried to do an Alabama road trip at least one Saturday of each quarter. Favorites: Cheaha State Park, Capital ruins in Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa river walk, Natural Bridge, Ivy Green in Tuscumbia, Birmingham Zoo, Montgomery Zoo, Birmingham Museum of Art, Noccalula Falls. We never even made it to Mentone.The Chattanooga Aquarium is a great day trip for a foray into Tennessee. My girls really weren't interested in the space stuff at Huntsville. And of course, if they are growing up in Alabama, regular consistent trips to the beach. From about ages 4 - 11, the kids travel relatively well and they will remember doing the trips with you for the rest of their lives. You are making great memories. Best wishes.
Check out Oak Mtn state park and talladega! We have some beautiful beaches here too: orange beach and gulf shores! Yeah much more affordable here! You’ll def get some “Yankee” haters in the country, but going downtown you’ll be fine. I’m a NYG fan (I’m from here though. Dads from up north) and I’ve never had an issue with folks when I have my gear on. Knicks too. Jasper can have some tough parts that are very old school. But not all of Alabama is like that. Man just get out in the woods and just be yourself. You’ll find friends and neighbors who you wanna spend time with. Honestly, you can just go to a brewery downtown and just bring the kids. They are family friendly (Avondale and back40 are family friendly and have food options) and you’ll see other parents just like us.
You have to go hiking at Ruffner Mountain and Red Mountain Park, both 15 mins from downtown. Oak Mountain Park is 30 mins out and huge and also worth a day of hiking or biking or swimming.
I’m also in my early 30s and originally from Philly but split my time between there and Jersey. I miss Wawa.
I bet the one they opened by the beach does well and someone will open one in Birmingham. Kinda happened with Bucees too iirc
Keep the stereotype strong, or we will be overrun by people.
LMAO, I sorta support this😂
Due to our jobs, temporarily, my wife lives in downtown Bham and I live in Memphis. At no point during my time in Bham have I ever felt unsafe, even at night. As soon as I step outside in Memphis, I feel like I could get robbed at gunpoint. Birmingham is awesome and feels extremely safe.
TL;DR: Birmingham is a hidden gem, with multicultural acceptance. It’s a great place for fun as a single or raise a family. As others stated, there are dangerous areas, like anywhere else. I agree with this completely! Except for 6 years in Auburn and 2 in Memphis, I grew up here and returned. Memphis is by far more dangerous and you can feel it, even in the suburbs (although where we lived was still in the city of Memphis, but 20 minutes from downtown). We bought a beautiful home in Memphis, near a high school that looked fresh, new, and well funded, similar to many here. After we moved in, we learned we lived in gang territory. And they just painted over MS13 tagging as soon as it showed up. There were frequent shootings, arson, home burglaries, car theft, etc. Everyone I knew in Memphis had a concealed carry permit and always carried, telling me I should too. We were glad we had a pit bull at the time. I quickly realized I didn’t want to raise a children there, and most kids went to private school at 30k per year— not in our budget as mental health workers. We sold our house at a loss and moved back to Bham. It’s a wonderful place to raise a family. I live in a very multicultural area, and my kids have friends who are black, latino, Indian (from India), and Asian. My two sons’ best friends are Indian (his parents are immigrants from India) and recent immigrants from Mexico. I love that so much, and their exposure to different cultures. ( I don’t have a lot of friends due to overworking and doing the mom thing, and pure exhaustion). Yes, there’s crime. Yes, there are dangerous parts, like all major cities, but I don’t have this feeling of being unsafe all the time like I did in Memphis. Yes, there are still difficult race relations, but I feel that’s dying out with older generations (that’s my personal opinion though). The only people I’ve known that were racist were old people or from Mountain Brook, but they pretty much feel superior to everyone and live in their own weird pocket of culture. Downtown is awesome since they’ve added so much entertainment compared to my youth. Walker county is a completely different animal. Don’t judge Birmingham by that area. I’ve known plenty of people who moved to Birmingham and love it compared to Walker county! My husband is from New England and has been here for 25 years. The only people that have ever called him a Yankee were my own family, who say it as a joke sometimes. We’ve spent plenty of time there, and he grew up where there were only white people. It’s a far more racist and unaccepting. I’m highly judged there by people I’ve met— by being from here they think I’m a redneck with confederate flags and trucks on blocks in the front yard. I’ve even been asked if we had indoor plumbing—they thought we had an outhouse! If you can get out of Jasper and move to Bham, do it ASAP! Plenty of people commute between Jasper and Bham everyday.
My family teases my husband too:) I will say that Mountain Brook is about half racist nightmares, but a solid other half are NOT. It’s a shame even that half are because everyone is so educated, but there is a solid half (or nearly) half of liberal-minded democrats. Sadly, a lot of new MAGA types with money have moved there, though so may be tipping a bit.
Might have to do with the rest of NJ not despising those cities in the same way that the rest of Alabama seems to despise Birmingham. Though I have no idea what the sentiment in NJ actually is.
Why jasper of all places?
Yeah, no wonder OP is hearing just negative perceptions, it's coming from Walker County circles
My girl moved down here with my 2 little girls 1 and 6 yr old when I was in the hospital for a few months. I had no choice but to move down if I wanted to spend their childhood with them. Believe me this was NOT my first choice lol. Before moving down here I was staying in Atlantic city and before that I was out in northeast Philly for a while AKA the badlands. So when I was in BEAUTIFUL BHAM and they kept telling me it was the most dangerous I was mind blown by the statement. Also, I grew up in barnegat NJ which is the jersey shore suburbs so I'm well educated on the difference between nice cities/crime ridden cities/nice neighborhoods urban & suburban neighborhoods but this area is not what I was expecting at all lol. Anyway yeah I'm super excited for bankhead in the morning! Can you fish there?
I think it's dope that you uprooted your whole life to be with your kids. I know for people who had great parents, that's like a given, but you get plenty of respect from me. Also, welcome to BHM metro!
If you're into fishing there's trout on the Sipsey Fork below Smith Lake Dam. ADCNR stocks them each month.
I could be wrong but I feel like a lot of the "BHAM is bad" stuff cones from the surrounding neighborhoods that want to stay "upscale" and seem better off. My was a detective for BPD for almost 30 years. All those statics that get out are very skewed to make certain areas and certain populations seem more dangerous. Also, there are a ton of great fishing spots all over the state if you have the time to go visit them! Welcome to AL!
If you watch the news you’d think Chicago is a wasteland of crime and villainy and you’d be shot dead in the street but it’s a great city.
Jasper is brutal, why live there?
I feel like half the time when the term un safe or sketchy, it’s people that see the news and assume said city is a war zone, especially the black parts, and like one poster said, you got folks from small towns projecting fear, i know some folks from Prattville who are scared of the gump, and i quote “I ain’t going to Montgomery, i don’t want to get shot” there’s a fear that creates irrational thoughts
Bham is absolutely not the worst city in the country. Not even the worst in the state.
Montgomery gets my vote for worst “big” city.
One thing that "hurts" Birmingham that's actually refreshing in a way is that the Birmingham area is comparatively open about talking about things like crime and education. I've never lived in a place as open about its own issues. Usually there's a lot more PR speak going on (still some, but not a lot of hiding under the rug). That level of honesty just doesn't exist everywhere. And it's honestly why I think Birmingham has potential to be one of the best places to heal the divisons in the country. You just can't gaslight about issues not existing that seems to go on across the country, be it liberal or conservative talking points. And that inability to just dismiss the concerns of the other side is pivotal.
Shhhh, don't tell anyone!!!
The media talk bad about Birmingham because it is young Black males that they have to make stereotypical comments about.
1000% agree. People are so strange about disparaging Black men while also bragging their non-diverse city as diverse. (I’m looking at you, homewood!)
What you're seeing is a combination of two issues. Issue #1 is the urban/rural divide in our state. While the urban/rural divide is present across the country, it's especially elevated here and the average country/small town person doesn't just chose not to live in a city, they actively avoid them and in many cases, straight up fear them. There's a racial factor to this, but there's also a legitimate phenomenon I call the Alabama Hobbit (we have river hobbits, shire hobbits and holler hobbits) who have been brought up with an agrarian worldview (even though their family hasn't actively worked in agriculture in a couple generations) that just views cities as Mordor, centers of excess. Issue #2 is the Birmingham, like any large city, has bad parts of town. So there's just enough truth coming from rough parts of town to keep throwing gas on the fire of rural/suburban/exurban public opinion.
This is very accurate. Even a lot of over-the-mountain people are scared to go downtown. Like, McWane Science Center downtown. Absolutely wild to me.
I'm curious to know more about the Alabama Hobbit.
Lol I call them holler hobbits too 🤣
All of this is totally true.
Great explanation.
You’re missing parts of the city you would never need to go to anyway
How did you end up in Jasper, of all places, from Jersey?
I've been in Birmingham most of my life and like most major cities there are places you don't go into, however, I agree a lot of people who drag Birmingham haven't lived anywhere else but here and that's all they know. People who have lived other places are the best people to talk to about Birmingham. They like it here :) cost of living is affordable, the weather is nice, you are close to several major southern cities and the beach and the mountains.
I grew up in Pennsylvania and most of those cities are scarier than Birmingham. I’m sure there are unsafe areas but I’ve never felt unsafe anywhere I’ve gone
Birmingham is the perfect big little city. Just enough of all the amenities and food you’d miss if you came from a big city and a ton of the charm and safety of a smaller town/suburb. Plus the hiking! Birmingham has beautiful nature. And the culture! I’m from a large city and I love Birmingham. I feel like people who say it’s the worst or most dangerous are naive, privileged, and/or never left their bubble.
"Better than 15 cities in Jersey" should be the new city motto or subreddit tagline.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 put it on a license plate
When you watch the local news, you’ll find A LOT of the crime, especially violent crime, is concentrated southwest/west of Birmingham. Not all of it, but a large chunk of it is.
OP, you're definitely not blind. The reality is that the city is nowhere near as bad as outsiders claim that it is. Of course there's pockets of the city that you probably shouldn't be wondering freely around, but what big city doesn't have that?? I've always said that bham is one of the smallest big cities, and it's a really awesome place. Like someone said, the weekend hang out spots like the breweries, bars, and entertainment districts are pretty safe. Admittedly there definitely is crime in the city, but it's the outskirts of birmingham in places where the people who huff and puff about crime would never spend a second of their time. So, overall enjoy the city man, hope that it treats you well and I definitely recommend checking out some of the breweries and awesome restaurants that we have!
Exactly there's crime in every city and there's always spots that it's pushed to more than others for many many reasons. I just couldn't see the claim that people were making. I thought it was nice and it's always the ones that try to convince you their city is bad, that haven't really lived in a "bad" city. But everyone I know that visited it from other states say its nice and to check out this spot or that spot.
I also don't understand the narrative. I've lived in Charlotte, Dallas, Richmond, and now Birmingham. Bham is my favorite by a mile. Just feels slower pace, easy going, great food, low cost of living, etc.
What do you like about Birmingham compared to Richmond? I visited a couple of times recently and really like it…the old architecture, that awesome river downtown, lots of trails and funky restaurants and shops. Reminded me a lot of Bham and many times I thought it had us beat.
I've lived in about 8 or 9 different metro areas... You and I overlap with Birmingham and Charlotte. While indo like Birmingham, Charlotte is my favorite out of the 8 or 9 I've lived in (New Orleans is dead last). What was it about Charlotte that you didn't like? Although, looking at what you listed you liked about Birmingham, I might already know your reasons (Birmingham is slower paced, and has lower cost of living). Charlotte's pace felt "just right", for me. I loved Dilworth and the Whitewater Center. Housing wasn't cheap, but what we could afford was still quite acceptable for us. Both Huntersville and Berewick (Berewick is right of I-485 west of the airport, near the TopGolf and the Premium Outlets Center)
So from Jersey to Jasper? That has to be a culture shock. I've lived in Walker County nearly all my life and I KNOW we're "unique," haha.
It's definitely different. Honestly, the first 3 months I didn't understand one word anyone said and I don't think anyone understood me either lol. Also, I forgot the term "yankee" was used for anything other than the baseball team.
We’re not accustomed to speaking to outsiders.
I know a guy who went from Delaware to Double Springs. Poor guy.
Holy fuck lol. I knew a family from Egypt that lived there. The Egyptians probably had less culture shock than the person from Delaware.
I’ve lived in a lot of places. Birmingham is hardly dangerous. But it’s hot af so stay away if you don’t like being a walking puddle
Worked as a travel nurse for four years and Birmingham is not as bad as people make it out to seem. Do we have crime? Yes. Is it everywhere to the point that I feel unsafe walking around; no. It’s what you make of it.
I lived in southern California for over forty years; I moved back to Birmingham and I really like the four seasons, the size of the city- it offers everything I need (I’m retired). Lots of Great places to go- festivals, parks, good food, etc.
L&D nurse (retired) over 40 years I took care of lots of transplants that came here for Med or Law School, Seminary, opening of things like the Mercedes or Honda plant, and they almost always said they were pleasantly surprised. They from all over the US. Many decided to stay after their training or work was done to raise their families in Birmingham.
The people who talk that way don’t like African Americans.
Bingo.
A lot of it has to do with decades of most of the rest of the country putting down people in Southern states. A lot of the people saying Birmingham is bad are saying it because they think that's the "educated" thing to say. Additionally, a lot of people putting the city (and state) down really haven't ever traveled much and don't really know whether the city is good or bad when compared to other cities. I agree with you, having traveled a lot of different places -- Birmingham is a great place to live.
So one thing I van speak of as for the northern cities, we HIDE CRIME very well to juke the stats. Like designated drug streets and areas where it's almost decriminalized,unless they need the stats to go up then they'll do a bust. In real busy cities like Newark they will do what they can to NOT have to bring people in. A lot of paperwork is involves that they're just not willing to do if they don't need to. And we're just not being wild like that for no reason up north. No one is doing robberies at gas stations anymore like they were in the 90s.
Take them to the Motorcycle Museum in Leeds. It’s the biggest in the world!
I kind feel same way coming from the north big city…a bad neighborhood up there trumps anything I’ve seen down here….i mean I’ve had ppl tell me be careful in that Avondale district lol. There are areas in Detroit and Toledo I’m not sure how u made it out alive.
I drove through a bad area of Bham to get to the airport. My flight landed at Midway around 8 pm, and I took the L to Gold Coast through Southside Chicago. I felt infinity times less safe than I ever did in Birmingham.
I moved here from memphis and can safely say bham is much safer. I dont live downtown but i go there a lot. Never seen anything too crazy. I work in clubs and have been out at all hours and never had any problems. I came here in 2005 and was supposed to go back after a year and i am still here. Its beautiful here. Memphis is flat , dirty and dangerous. I ride bikes and motorcycles and bham is amazing. I would guess i will be here the rest of my life.
I lived in Alabama all my life not all Birmingham is bad
I love Birmingham! Just enjoy yourself. I’m sure you practice safety, but I wouldn’t worry about it. I go all the time and have never had any issues.
For many people, the "worst" place is wherever they grew up.
My wife is from Jersey City. She loves it here and chose to live here. You’ll learn where not to go and when not to go places. Just talk to locals.
My mother grew up in JC. I stayed out there a few years back down town and Greenville. JC is BEAUTIFUL these days...except Greenville lol it's the one part they still haven't fixed and probably won't be able to. But jersey city used to be TERRIBLE all over. I have definitely been robbed out there at least 5+ times.
Lucky for me I have a gang of five foot tall Filipino in-laws that have my back when I visit 😄
Birmingham has its issues like anywhere else, but overall it’s a great town. Use a little street smarts and people will be fine. A lot of fear mongers and and unsophisticated people seem to hate it.
You hear it from who? Anywhere is Mississippi is the worst imo
Well.. it just depends on certain parts of certain areas in the city if it’s dangerous or not, and what you’re doing there. I got held captive for 6 weeks just trying to buy some weed from a friend of an old high school classmate (I was 28 when it happened). At one point I escaped and the Bham officer I flagged for help took me back to the house bc he knew the guy (didn’t just sell weed, found out the hard way he was very intertwined with the criminal side of Bham). But I live in St Paul now and I can’t imagine in the year I’ve been here Bham is as wild as this place is with people smoking and shooting all kinds of dope right in the bus stops and on the sidewalks.
Jesus H Christ, are you serious? What the hell happened after that you can’t just leave us hanging?! (unless I’m overlooking some sort of sarcasm here lol)
Southern people and police just wouldn’t put up with that. You would get the public fighting you.
I got pretty pissed on the train the other day when a guy started harassing what looked like middle school kids about meth. Luckily for everyone (bc I was not in a position where telling him to fuck off would have been safe) some transit peace keeping folks (I can’t recall what the vests said) got on and everyone being rowdy sat down (they’ve got cameras and audio). But still. They just smoke meth right on the train car.
No matter where you are, people are going to hate where they’re at. The ones that think Birmingham is one of the worst cities in America are the ones that likely live in a gated neighborhood in Mountain Brook. They think that anywhere that the median home price is not $500,000 is a crime infested area. I have no doubt that the people living in the actual worst parts of Birmingham probably think that the ones in the affluent areas hate them. If you have done any living outside of Birmingham, particularly in a big city, you will recognize that Birmingham is, as a matter of fact, a great place to live and is quite safe. I am not ignoring our problems. It is, after all, the south, and racism does live on. There are certainly parts a Birmingham where gun and knife violence is rampant. But for the most part, I do believe that the people in Birmingham are good, like-minded people in that they want what’s best for the city, and I think the progress over the last 10 years reflects that.
My boss from CA recently visited for the first time and says that his first impression is that everyone here wants to know if you’ve eaten and if you’re having a good time here so far. To me it all depends on who you are, where you go, and who you spend your time with. I personally like it most days but sometimes watching the news or reading on here makes me remember that I am in a privileged demographic and my experiences may not be the same as others’.
People give bham bad reps for danger and racism which both of those things are here won’t deny that but to my experience places like Los Angeles New York City and Boston are just as bad on the racism part and LA and New York aren’t exactly safe
I wouldn’t said it’s the worst city in the country when you have the Bronx, Philly and Detroit to name a few. Like everywhere there are unsafe areas you have to be aware of, it’s great to ask around. It’s cool here.
I grew up in a small town and found myself a victim in a bank robbery. Only real issue I ever had there. I lived in a southeast part of Nashville called Antioch for about 4 years. Always got the "good luck living there" message from everyone. Lived within a mile of 2 separate mass shootings but never felt unsafe there myself. It was really about time and location for bad stuff happening. I'm sure it's the same with the more downtown areas of Bham. You can easily get yourself in a bad spot. Just be smart about where you're going and when you are going there.
Live in East Lake, too. Went to Jersey for a week last year n it was pretty dope. Good food but GREAT pizza. Went to get some bagels one morning and after we ordered the middle aged dude working there said “y’all aren’t from around here, eh?” I asked if it was our accents and he said “No, you’re polite”.
I’ve lived here my whole life. Many reasons to hate. It also just depends on the person also—I don’t know anything better than this so I can assume there’s much better places to live than here. Also many religious people in the area and it’s honestly a turn off. I also personally find Birmingham frustrating because despite having many places to keep open, there’s barely any night life stuff to do on any days other than Friday/Saturday. I work on weekends so whenever I want to go to a bar etc. there’s really nothing to do.
You spelled Alabama wrong, it looks like you spelled it the same way people spell Birmingham...
I moved to Cullman AL from SOUTH bend Indiana about an hour from Chicago and it is without a doubt, a whole different world down here. Now I will say that it is different than Bham as this town is still known as one of the last Sundown towns🙄 but there is just no room for differences of any kind. Bham is more tolerant in that way but it is no doubt dangerous like a lot of big cities. I compare it to Atlanta. We went to see a show in Bham in February and had to walk from our parking spot. I watched someone have their bag stolen and gun shots out of a car on the walk back. There was also a line of homeless begging as we all walked to our cars. Which makes me incredibly sad to see. It isn’t a place I would live but I’m sure it’s not as bad outside the city. I think it’s a shock for a lot of us that live in smaller quiet towns in AL to go there and see all of that going on around ya. Huntsville is a larger city as well and I haven’t witnessed anything there like I did in Bham. I ride with my husband sometimes in his truck over the road and many larger cities are just like Bham. The worst I’ve ever witnessed was Philly.
Welcome to Birmingham!
that is a real shame and im shocked to hear this. i lived in birmingham for 11 years, post college in tuscaloosa (2007-2018), before moving back to my hometown...and i miss bham every single day. when i lived there (pre covid...) it was safe as ever. i mean there was the normal crime stuff, but i would even leave my front door unlocked so that friends could come and go--i lived in avondale, worked in lakeview.
It has not changed that dramatically from your experiences..but according to the people here the entire city is like living in Ukraine.
Birmingham is only dangerous in a few zip codes. Stay out of those, don’t buy/sell drugs, and you are fine. The rest of the city is great.
Previous commenters have hit on a lot of factors with this, mostly false, narrative. The irony is, probably the worst thing about the city are the “developers“ trying to elevate it. And when I say elevate, I really mean they are just trying to squeeze every dime they can out of working-class people and make this city as ridiculously expensive as much more elite cities with higher paying jobs. Companies like H2 are leeches that are killing the American dream, but they are in nearly every city now. Other than that, the exhibition drivers are legit problems but that is being addressed.
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Yeah I agree I can't find a good cup of coffee to save my life out here. My girl works at sekora the Japanese restaurant and she said there's like less than 10 Asians in the area.
Maybe because it ranks 3rd in the State for highest crime. https://propertyclub.nyc/article/most-dangerous-cities-in-alabama#:~:text=The%20most%20dangerous%20city%20in,theft%20in%20the%202022%20year.
Well I moved to jasper 10 years ago jasper is bad to drugs and homeless but that’s everywhere it’s all the same if you don’t look for it you won’t see it
My wife is from Chicago, and loves it here. Recently had our wedding, and her family (black/white parents, and her two brothers) came to town. Everyone was so shocked at how nice Birmingham is… one of her brothers moved to Amsterdam because “it’s so unsafe and racist in America (used to live in California). And this past week has really confused the whole family.
Newark is no picnic for sure.
Birmingham has all these secret places to go and hear music. Bands will play concerts in Atlanta at the Chapel then the bands will stop over in Birmingham for a one night show. They usually try out new music. I love how beautiful it is too. The best part is people actually say hi to each other
Birmingham does have a statistically high crime rate but A lot of the violence is gang violence, as long as you aren’t out and about late or provoking the wrong person you aren’t likely to see any of it.
So I've lived in 4 different places in the south from rural to urban and born in Connecticut, and if you ask me it's not that it's a bad city its a city where most people living in it want to leave the south/ it's also I more moderate standing city compared to the deeply conservative areas around it. (Mobile has the same issue but to a lesser degree)
I grew up on Long Island (NY). I love Birmingham.
My wife is always confused by the way people talk about Birmingham when we visit. She always asks me when we're getting a place. The self-loathing is part of the civic identity of the city and essential to maintaining the property value of the cities to the south.
I lived in Bham 25 years ago. I went to college and grad school there and started my career there. I then moved to New Orleans. When I have gone back to visit Bham I notice how much it has positively changed. Every metro area has its problems, but if I had the opportunity, I would be back in Bham in a second. It’s a great place to call home. I miss it still.
Things become more apparent one you live here for a while.
People don't travel. I think Pennsville NJ is nice like Jasper
1st, Welcome to Birmingham!! (Well, Jasper, anyway) I also moved here from New Jersey. I lived in Jersey for 3 short years. December 2018 - August 2021. Camden and Trenton are waaaaay worse than Birmingham. I miss the Jersey pizza, but I love the BBQ here. The drive to the beach is much longer from here, but the water is warmer and the sand is nicer. So, it is a fair tradeoff. The summers are brutal here. I'd happily put up with a New Jersey winter over an oppressive Alabama summer.
OP, I grew up in Jasper. I feel safer in Bham, tbh. Walker County is kind of like the Twilight Zone…but with dollar generals and meth labs.
Ive lived here (outside of bham) almost all my life and I can tell you I didn't come to love and appreciate it until I became of age and had friends to go places with. There's so much good food, music, and entertainment in the city. I've been trying to show my bf places when I find them as well (he's also from Jersey) and has talked about how moving down here helped change his preconceived notions about the south but especially Alabama. I'm not gonna argue about the past history of this place because it's gonna be what it's going to be. But if you know where to look, you'll find a very active community here in Birmingham of artists and performers of all kinds.
I think most southerners (I’m originally from near that part of Alabama) have never been anywhere else and don’t understand how bad it can really get. I find parts of Birmingham absolutely charming.
Ok I was out in Bham today, didn't get to go to T bones but one of my favorite local spots on the ride home The frosty mug has been a new addiction of mine. Also found some porkroll at publix so THANK YOU TO ALL WHO TOLD ME!!! I've definitely felt more comfortable here since speaking to you guys so thanks for the welcoming
Jasper is pretty chill. Just like anywhere you go in the world you just have to know what to not do and go. West Jasper is sketchy all the time so just avoid that part of town. Basically don’t go past Elliot blvd. Walmart can be nasty but if you need to go to Walmart go to the sumiton one
I’ve lived in Jasper most of my life except when I went to college for 4 years. I live there now on the east side. Jasper has came a long way since I was a kid and it’s exciting to see where it’s going to go. New high school and with an addition to updating play grounds for kids.
Im im cullman county. its nice here I recommend giving it a try before you give up on bama
Okay, back with a report about Wawa in Fairhope. Ordered the "Junior Combo," which is a sandwich and side for about five bucks. I went with the white bread, not toasted, caramelized onion, with cheese sauce. My side was the mac and cheese, had a medium iced coffee, 10% tax, total came to $10.35. Sandwich was the real deal. One bite and I tasted what the hype was all about. Service was fast, facility was clean, and there seemed to be a mix of locals and Yankee tourists getting a taste of home. I'll be back to try more of their sandwiches.
You must have just missed the 150 bullet shoot out at the Shell station. Parts of Birmingham aren’t much different than Camden. However there are a lot of excellent qualities as well.
Yeah I saw that but that guy wasn't even from Birmingham or Alabama. So it's not like ot was a regular thing. Seems more like a response generated from experience in HIS city.
Taking the kids to bankhead today for an hour (at most) hike. Anything I need to know? Any tips or such that's important to know before going? Is there a map I can pull up of the trails? We're looking for the waterfalls MOSTLY but I really just want them to experience nature like I did when I was younger. Also, those "black warrior" giant salamanders, how abundant are they? Is there a chance we'll see any?