[A&M Bulldawg]

Y'all are getting off topic.

I pick Huntsville of course, although it is foreshadowed that it will lose some jobs; it still has the brightest future of Alabama.

Birmingham wwould be my next choice because it is time for it to see real growth for its size. It has been growing slow for years. I feel that something will finally spark Birmingham's real growth........Tuscaloosa falls in with Birmingham, to me. These metros are growing closer and closer together. Tuscaloosa is already growing fast, but lags behind when it comes to RETAIL!

[PortCity]

All of the big four are in the postion for the title and possibly all 4 can be the boomtoiwn at one time. Huntsville already has the title as Alabama`s boom town.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by PortCity

All of the big four are in the postion for the title and possibly all 4 can be the boomtoiwn at one time. Huntsville already has the title as Alabama`s boom town.

Yes, but (THIS IS NO KNOCK ON HUNTSVILLE, so please don't get defensive) I really worry that Huntsville is very dependent on two basic customers--NASA and the Defense Department. To be sure, there are other industries in the area, but reduce efforts in those two areas of government and one could see a very sharp curtailment of that city's growth. I think a smart chamber of commerce would work very hard to develop a more diversified economic mix.

Birmingham faced an identical dilemma in the late 70s with steel production. So the metro area worked very hard to nurture healthcare, finance, publishing, and a host of other industries in order to broaden its economic base. The result? Not only does the metro have, on average, one of the lowest unemployment rates of any major city, but it also has realized one of the nation's highest per capita income growth.

[MonaLisaVito]

Stop telling people what a great state this is.

[danmandr]

I think the Auburn/Opelika area has and will continue to see tremendous growth especially after BRAC rolls into town next year. Having I85 run through the area is another plus because this connects Montgomery to Atlanta and that is why the Celebrate Alabama complex is being built along this interstate. Celebrate Alabama will be a retail/dining mecca with over 100 stores and up to 50 eateries along with a proposed Kalahari Resort with indoor waterpark. Auburn also has benefited from being a thriving college town. Every Tigers game attracts thousands of out of state visitors who pump millions into the local economy. The state is also looking at a proposed aquarium in the auburn area.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by MonaLisaVito

Stop telling people what a great state this is.

Sorry. You're right. This place sucks. It's nothing more than a den of knuckle-dragging hillbillies. Culture and entertainment seems to be confined to going down to Earl's gas station on Saturday night, spilling some gas onto the pavement and watching the pretty colors reflected from the overhead lights.

If you're considering a move to Alabama, be prepared for Friday night Klan rallies, non-existent dentistry, and tumbleweeds rolling through our hot, dusty, and deserted streets. You're really much better in Cleveland. Trust us on that.

[Huntsville_secede]

Originally Posted by sedriskell

Guntersville-Albertville-Boaz already is a boom town. It deserves a name... the Sand Mountain Triad? haha

If we can get an East-North expressway built through North Alabama I think the cities close to Huntsville will start booming such as Guntersville-Albertville-Boaz.. Muscle-Shoals-Florence basically anything that is close proximity to the route. But I agree Huntsville's economy is way too dependent on defense and space we need a new industry to diversify, the new biotech industry will help but there needs to be more. As it gets bigger though diversification is bound to happen.

[Alatex]

The state is also looking at a proposed aquarium in the auburn area.

I don't want to ruffle any Auburn feathers, but why in the Sam Hill would the state consider shelling out huge money for a tourist attraction like an Auburn Aquarium, especially given the town's proximity to Atlanta (which already has the largest aquarium attraction in the US) ?

If the state is going to be on the hook for this thing, why not put it somewhere like Birmingham or Mobile that has enough population base to give it some chance of success ?

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by Huntsville_secede

If we can get an East-North expressway built through North Alabama....

An east-west interstate connecting Atlanta to Memphis has been in the works for a couple of decades. I doubt it will happen due to physical obstacles (crossing mountains and the Tennessee River, and expensive right-of-way acquisitions) now that the Atlanta-Memphis-via-Birmingham route is fixin' to open.

[Back Again]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Huntsville, for one reason above all others - engineers and smart people with security clearances out of proportion to just about anywhere.

Just remember this "smart people with security clearance" got this country in the mess it is in now!