Birmingham vs. Mobile (Montgomery, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa: housing, rent, travel)

[Todd4]

What are the benefits and drawbacks of both areas?

[cpg35223]

Well, I would hate to say "Birmingham vs Mobile," because the two cities really aren't in competition with each other. Both are great places in their own right.

However, both are radically different from one another, so each will have its appeal to a certain mindset. Here's how I would define them, fully knowing that somebody will take exception to my thinking:

Birmingham

More mid-South in pace.
Foothills and Mountain.
Very balanced economy with strong, steady economic growth.
Very good arts scene and active arts community
Very fragmented political scene with lots of different players
Mix of old money, new money, middle class, creative class and working class


Mobile

More laid-back, coastal living.
Economy that's historically lagged, but changing with two large industrial projects now coming in
Okay arts and entertainment, but spotty in places
An East Bay / West Bay divide
Highly stratified with Old Money, New Money, and Poor, and never the twain shall meet

[mimpdaddy]

They both are good cities but, I think Mobile has far better leadership in government than Birmingham. Birmingham use to be what Mobile is about to be soon. I have spent a lot of time in both cities.I like the culture, food, and gulf that Mobile has to offer, and you still get a big city feel like Birmingham and not to mention the Mardi gras. So in my opinion it's Mobile for me.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by mimpdaddy

They both are good cities but, I think Mobile has far better leadership in government than Birmingham. Birmingham use to be what Mobile is about to be soon. I have spent a lot of time in both cities.I like the culture, food, and gulf that Mobile has to offer, and you still get a big city feel like Birmingham and not to mention the Mardi gras. So in my opinion it's Mobile for me.

Oh, Birmingham proper is having some tumult, but you're way over the top. Birmingham's economic growth is quite healthy, which means Mobile will not be anywhere close to catching up in the future, if ever.

In fact, to give you some perspective, Birmingham's economic output is higher than Mobile, Huntsville, Montgomery combined.

[Bama`s Port]

Mobile is not realy as laid back as you think both cities are realy the same. Eastorshore is more laid back . Mobile as well has a very good arts scene and active arts community, and neighborhoods (midtown). Mobile has a distinct culture thats different from any other city other than that mimp and cpg both posted truths.

[Bravo35223]

Birmingham and Mobile (given the fact that they are in the same state) are about as different as they can be.

1) Mobile is one of the oldest cities in the US....founded well before the American revolution - Birmingham wasn't even on the map during the Civil War, much less the Revolutionary. It is a young city by comparison.

2) Topographically, Mobile is adjacent to a large bay and the surrounding area is a large coastal plain with sandy soil and lots of pine trees - Birmingham is mountainous and has suburbs where you have beautiful vistas of several miles. Mobile on the other hand is less than an hour away from some of the most beautiful beaches in the U.S. In this regard, they are just about polar opposites....but both very pretty in their own way.

3) Weatherwise - both have hot steamy summers, but with Mobile being essentially on the ocean, it tends to get more rainfall. Mobile's warm season will be longer than Birmingham's.

4) Economy - Birmingham's METRO economy is very, very healthy and has been for decades. Highly diversified, it weathers recessions extremely well. The Birmingham-Hoover Metro has one of the lowest unemployment rates for SMSA's over 1million in the country. Birmingham's economy is built on: healthcare, research, banking, construction, engineering and telecommunications.

Mobile's economy has tradtionally lagged Birmingham's but that lag has come to a complete halt and Mobile has become one of America's boomtowns. Mobile is very strong in aerospace, international shipping (one of the largest ports in the U.S.) and will soon add thousands and thousands of jobs due to a new steel mill and new aircraft assembly plant. In this regard, in the next five years, Mobile will grow faster than Birmingham and have more demand for housing etc.

5) Education - The City of Mobile and the City of Birmingham have both had school systems that underperformed at best. Mobile's has improved signficantly lately whereas Birmingham's has not. On the other hand, if you have children and want to educate them to be prepared for college and do not want to pay $8,000-$10,000 per year for tuition, Birmingham's suburban schools will blow Mobile's away. There is simply no comparison. If you really want to get a good education for your children in Mobile (true college prep), private schools are still a requirement, whereas Birmingham's suburban public school systems will prepare your children for college for free.

6) Wealth - both cities have a lot of private wealth.

They are both good places to live and you should make your choice on your profession, what you consider to be beauty in an area (mountains vs. beach) and your situation (if any) relating to schools.

[Bama`s Port]

Originally Posted by Bravo35223

Birmingham and Mobile (given the fact that they are in the same state) are about as different as they can be.

1) Mobile is one of the oldest cities in the US....founded well before the American revolution - Birmingham wasn't even on the map during the Civil War, much less the Revolutionary. It is a young city by comparison.

2) Topographically, Mobile is adjacent to a large bay and the surrounding area is a large coastal plain with sandy soil and lots of pine trees - Birmingham is mountainous and has suburbs where you have beautiful vistas of several miles. Mobile on the other hand is less than an hour away from some of the most beautiful beaches in the U.S. In this regard, they are just about polar opposites....but both very pretty in their own way.

3) Weatherwise - both have hot steamy summers, but with Mobile being essentially on the ocean, it tends to get more rainfall. Mobile's warm season will be longer than Birmingham's.

4) Economy - Birmingham's METRO economy is very, very healthy and has been for decades. Highly diversified, it weathers recessions extremely well. The Birmingham-Hoover Metro has one of the lowest unemployment rates for SMSA's over 1million in the country. Birmingham's economy is built on: healthcare, research, banking, construction, engineering and telecommunications.

Mobile's economy has tradtionally lagged Birmingham's but that lag has come to a complete halt and Mobile has become one of America's boomtowns. Mobile is very strong in aerospace, international shipping (one of the largest ports in the U.S.) and will soon add thousands and thousands of jobs due to a new steel mill and new aircraft assembly plant. In this regard, in the next five years, Mobile will grow faster than Birmingham and have more demand for housing etc.

5) Education - The City of Mobile and the City of Birmingham have both had school systems that underperformed at best. Mobile's has improved signficantly lately whereas Birmingham's has not. On the other hand, if you have children and want to educate them to be prepared for college and do not want to pay $8,000-$10,000 per year for tuition, Birmingham's suburban schools will blow Mobile's away. There is simply no comparison. If you really want to get a good education for your children in Mobile (true college prep), private schools are still a requirement, whereas Birmingham's suburban public school systems will prepare your children for college for free.

6) Wealth - both cities have a lot of private wealth.

They are both good places to live and you should make your choice on your profession, what you consider to be beauty in an area (mountains vs. beach) and your situation (if any) relating to schools.

I can`t argue with a man who knows what he is talking about and you shure do my friend, but it is hard to believe that B-ham`s economy over takes all 4 of the metros put to gether.I`ll say city Vs city B-ham would be becasue roughly a third of the population lives in your area. Mobile- a port that generates over a billion dollars a year ,and will generate an estimated 5 billion a year when the 300 mill expansion is complet. Montgomery-Hundai, the capitol,Huntsville-engineering hub,Nasa. B-ham- everything .

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Bama`s Port

I can`t argue with a man who knows what he is talking about and you shure do my friend, but it is hard to believe that B-ham`s economy over takes all 4 of the metros put to gether.I`ll say city Vs city B-ham would be becasue roughly a third of the population lives in your area. Mobile- a port that generates over a billion dollars a year ,and will generate an estimated 5 billion a year when the 300 mill expansion is complet. Montgomery-Hundai, the capitol,Huntsville-engineering hub,Nasa. B-ham- everything .

It does. I saw the report recently. I wish I could put my hands on it. Now none of that is a slight on the other cities, but you have to realize how big Birmingham has gotten over the past 15-20 years, a number that's often disguised by the relatively small core of Birmingham proper. The Birmingham MSA has already swallowed up Tuscaloosa, Gadsden, and Anniston. It's recently expanded out to Clanton and Cullman. And, with I-22 being completed soon, it will probably expand out to the northwest. Just travel I-65 or I-20 out of Birmingham at 7 am on any given weekday morning and look at all the cars commuting in. It's pretty astonishing to compare with just 15 years ago. What's more, outside investors are beginning to give the market long, hard looks.

Also, within the area accounting for economic activity, you have to realize that Birmingham acts as a medical hub for the entire region. Birmingham has two major superregional banks and a host of smaller ones. Birmingham has major magazine publishing, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, light industry, law, utilities, distribution, transportation, education, technical, engineering, major construction, retail, etc. etc. etc. etc. The list literally goes on and on. It's really fascinating, when you look at it. But remember that Birmingham's metro population is 1,180,000, according to Census estimates and growing at 4.5%, without Tuscaloosa, Anniston, or Gadsden figuring into the equation--even though all three cities are quickly becoming suburbs. If all three are folded into the Birmingham CSA in the coming years, as is expected, Birmingham's CSA will soar to 1,640,000, vaulting it into the top 30 in the country. Meanwhile Mobile's is only half as large currently.

None of that takes away from Mobile, mind you. But Mobile's economic renaissance is really young, while Birmingham's got underway in 1979 when USS temporarily folded up shop. I'm fairly certain that the two cities will be very strong over the next several decades, complementing each other in terms of the state's overall economic growth.

[Reactionary]

In support of cpg's statement that Bham's economy is larger than HSV, Mobile, and Montgomery combined:

2005 GDP by Metropolitan Area (millions of current dollars):

Birmingham : 49,321
Huntsville : 16,058
Mobile : 12,733
Montgomery : 12,988

BEA : Gross Domestic Product by Metropolitan Area

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Reactionary

In support of cpg's statement that Bham's economy is larger than HSV, Mobile, and Montgomery combined:



BEA : Gross Domestic Product by Metropolitan Area

Ah. Thanks. And growing.

Put Anniston, Gadsden, and Tuscaloosa into the mix (Which is to be expected in the next census), and the GDP grows to 61,995, 5 times larger than Mobile or Montgomery and almost 4 times larger than Huntsville.