Dan

I am going through the process of interviewing for a job that is based in Birmingham, AL. I was wondering if anyone can tell me about the city? My wife and I wanted to move to ATL but this is a really nice job and would consider Alaska if I had too. But, for a mid-west couple would we fit in and are there places to go. Is it pretty? We can care less about wild night life but like to hike and boat. Also, we would like to get an old house in a older development. Any suggestions? Thanks!

jabez

I think of it as Atlanta before it got too crowded.It's a very attractive city with hills and trees. It's very close to major lakes,but about 4-5 hours to the NC mountains (great hiking) and the Gulf coast.I think you'll love it.

RB

It's been awhile since we've lived in this area, but I think B'ham would be a good fit based on the parameters you describe. While there are some decent dining opportunities there, it's not a big "nightspot" town. There are very good recreational activities- we always enjoyed hiking around Cheaha State Park near Anniston and Buck's Pocket up near Lake Guntersville (if you're into boating, definitely check it out). Nearby Oak Mountain Park also is a good recreational spot. UAB has a fine school for the health professions. Since it's been awhile since we've been in the area, I'm not sure about residential locations, but I think Mountain Brook would be a good location. Hoover is where much of the new housing has been erected. One more plus for the town- Southwest offers flights (which I would love to see come ATL's way.) Hope this helps.

Maureen

Dan - My family and I lived in Montgomery for over 4 years, which is about 1 1/2 hours drive south. We had moved from the Phila. area. We found the surrounding area of Birmingham to be very pretty with lots of hills and green. The people are much more cosmopolitian than anywhere else in Alabama. The shopping is typical for any suburban area. But, you would enjoy the access to outdoor fun. Lake Martin is about 1 hour away. It has great fishing, boating, etc. and is barely developed. There are plenty of parks - one that we frequented was Oak Mountain State Park. The weather in Birmingham is great also. As to fitting in, of course Montgomery is different, but we pretty much associated with the people who were like us - out-of-towners who moved often. The locals were nice and polite to us, but they didn't want to invest in any longtime relationships since they knew we were not planning on settling there. Just make sure you have a good realtor and choose the right area to move into. Good luck!

Dick Shelby

No overview of Birmingham would be complete without a review of MLK's letter from a Birmingham jail...

http://almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html

Used to live there

I would move back to Birmingham if I had the chance. Several hours to the best beaches in the USA, as well as mountains. Beautiful forests and lakes. I would much rather live in Birmingham than Atlanta.

shhh

Good web site Dick. Too bad more of us don't take the time to read MLK. Things don't change much, ehh?

Dan

Thank you everyone for replying to my post. I was very worried about really standing out as we will define being transplanted Yankees. We are going to take a Last Min. Trip down there in about two weeks in investigate things further. Any suggestions on old southern houses and where we can find them? Thanks!

Lisa

You'll find some older homes in nice areas right outside Birmingham -- Homewood and Mountain Brook to the south and Trussville to the northeast.

RB

Are you looking for "old Southern homes" to tour, or are you thinking of buying such a home to renovate? In nearby Bessemer, there are three renovated pioneer homes: 1840 McAdory Plantation, the mid-1830s Owen Plantation Home, and the 1838 Sadler Plantation Home. You'll need to make an apt. to tour: call 205-491-5543 or 205-424-5358. Also look at other historical sites listed on the Bham Historical Society website: http://www.bhistorical.org/index.html

Dan

No, we want to buy. There is a city in Cincinnati that my wife and I love. We are trying to find something like that (Hyde Park). Nothing super old but something that has nice woodwork hw floors and lots of trees.

Lisa

The housing market has a broad range here. I guess alot will depend on how much you're wanting to invest in a home. If money is not a concern, you'll be able to find pretty much anything you're looking for. By the way, there are lots of 'transplants' here and we're known for being friendly!

jim

You know, it really reminded me a lot of Cincinnati. It had a larger downtown than I wouldve expected and we went through an area that wouldve been nice by anyones standards... I think it had hill in the name or something hill, sorry I dont remember more. It did seem the nicer areas were kind of hilly, small hills etc...

RB

Perhaps it's Vestavia Hills? You may be able to search out suitable historical neighborhoods by looking at the Bham Historical Society site; also look at the web site for Birmingham magazine, www.bhammag.com. You're in for a treat- in spring, the azaleas and other blooming plants/trees are wonderful!

pork chop

Lets hope its not too much like Cincinnati.

http://www.citybeat.com/current/news.shtml

Dan

A historical site. I should of thought of that! Ill check it out. It seems I interviewed well and they want the whole team to see me. Looks like Im going to spend the weekend investigating the city at the library!!!

Out side of houses, what else should I see when we check it out?

RB

While it might be chilly this time of year, Birmingham has a nice zoo and a very fine botanical garden. Sloss Furnace gives you a historical perspective of the city's industrial background. Five Points South is an interesting section of town; Highlands Bar& Grill has been a longtime favorite. If you do move to Bham and are a music fan, keep in mind that May 16,17, and 18 is the annual City Stages, where many types of musical groups perform on 10 stages. This is a great way to see a lot of groups, and it's not as congested as NO's Jazz Fest and ATL's Music Midtown. Have fun!

yankee

The Civil Rights Museum is excellent. I spent a few months on business there, and I have to say that while there have obviously been great strides since the 60s, there is still an undercurrent of racism, and segregation is still the norm though not the law. This may not bother you, but I am from a northern metropolitan area and I found it a little annoying in its blatancy. (Please don't flame me - this is just one person's experience and opinion.)

George

If you are going to live in AL B'ham is the place to be. If you're looking for an older house a good area to check out would be Homeweood. It's a suburb in B'ham with some nice Tudor homes and cottages. Mt Brook is another nice area but may be a little pricey. There's good shopping and several restaurants that are very good. Oak Mtn State Park is just south of town and offers hiking, biking, horseback riding and I'm pretty sure boating.

AndyP

Birmingham is a very livable city. I have been here for 5 years and love it. The only thing Bham lacks is pro sports but I am a sports junkie.

For houses, try Crestline (in Mountain Brook), Mountain Brook and Homewood. All pricey but worth it. Mountain Brook has the best school system in the state and excellent sports teams as well.

We'd love to have you down here