[loboABQ]

Ok, so my visit mostly involved the Birmingham metro area (did make it near Tuscaloosa though) and I posted the following thread in the Birmingham forum yet I felt I would post it here as well to let all Alabamians know how nice of a state you reside in.

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Hey forum, I just returned back to ABQ from Birmingham after my week-long stay there. I have to say, Birmingham really surprised me. I'm not sure what I was imagining, but I really enjoyed what I saw.

I stayed in the Mountain Brook area, off highway 280. I was told this was one of the nicer parts of the city. However, I traveled extensively in all directions just scoping out the area.

First off, the scenery. It is incredible. Again, this is coming from someone living in the desert, but the green, lush landscape was really great. I never knew there were so many hills near Birmingham. And the thick, dense pines and other trees that lined the hillsides. It reminded me a lot of my treks to Northern New Mexico and parts of Colorado (the Rocky Mountains).

The humidity was not bad at all. Maybe I was expecting the worst, but it was very bearable. I prefer the dry heat we have here, but the humidity definitely was not bad. A perk, I did not have to use lotion even once! Here in ABQ, I'm constantly applying lotion as the dryness sucks the moisture from your body.

The first few days in the city, I felt a little suffocated. I'm guessing it was because I could not see the city per say. With all the trees and hills, it really felt like I was crossing many small towns and not a metro area of over a million. I was constantly asking my buddy, "Can you ever see great distances"? That definitely took some getting use to as here in the west you can see for literally hundreds of miles.

Also, where are the sidewalks? lol. I was told "People in the south don't walk" lol. Granted, I saw some in Downtown Birmingham, but for most other parts, they were nowhere to be seen.

Did I say I loved the Greenery? I went on a tour of the older, 'rougher' areas. I was told how this was the 'bad part of town'. I must say that although you could definitely tell these houses were older and the neighborhoods could be cared for a little bit more, they were nowhere near the level of 'trash' as you see here in rural New Mexico and some rough parts of ABQ. Maybe it's because your green grass and thick trees make the areas more desireable to look at, I don't know. But, it seemed like people generally took some type of interest in their property as there was little 'junk' that I saw. Maybe it's because here in ABQ, the junk can not be hidden so it's seen by everyone. Also, green grass and trees look much better than dirt, sagebrush and cedar trees (more like shrubs).

Even today as I'm back in ABQ, it's so hard for me to imagine how much the city is intertwined with nature and the geography there. You can see that Birmingham was built with what it was given. It didn't destroy what was there in order to build what it wanted. I've been to a few cities where the entire area was destroyed (trees, hills, even small waterways in some cases) in
order to create/add on to the city.

The people were really friendly. It was interesting people-watching and picking up on the southern accent. It's really comforting actually. It comes across as very relaxing and I'm sure it made me more courteous, even if it was subconsciously.

Overall, I was very impressed with Birmingham. You often hear many negative things about Birmingham, Alabama and the south in general. While I know it is not perfect there, no place is. You guys should be proud to live there. It has many attractions, genuine people, a very laid-back atmosphere, and a setting to die for.

I just wanted to give props to Birmingham and Alabama in general as you always hear negative stereotypes about the south. I came away from your city with a whole new perspective about Birmingham.

[eufaula88]

Y'all come back now!

[Southlander]

You are too kind (*blush*)!
Please come back any time!

[kevin_1975]

That is very kind words. I am sure you would feel that way about the entire state. It is a great state to live in and does not fit the stereo-types at all. Only the negative people make Alabama and the south sound bad. One visit and you knew the truth for yourself.