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Old 03-21-2012, 02:09 PM
 
28,895 posts, read 54,131,185 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mashley278 View Post
Actually I moved from Arizona to Birmingham, stayed there 15 years, moved to Seattle, moved back to Birmingham, and now back to Seattle. A lot of the negative things are true - racism is still rampant, albeit whispered. It can be dangerous if you're an idiot, you're more likely to get beat up by a redneck for running your mouth. The people are ok, southern hospitality is normally reserved for southerners. You'll be shocked at some of the ultra conservative rhetoric and Bible thumpers. The weather, yes, it's not the best, however, spring and fall are amazing! Now, Birmingham, in itself, if you know where to go, can be a blast, and there is quite a bit of culture and fantastic food. I would stick to Avondale, Crestwood, Highlands, Homewood and avoid West Bham and all the suburbs (Alabaster, Pelham, etc.). West and North Bham are notoriously violent, and the suburbs house the people you hear about on TV, WASPs, rednecks. Not to mention, living south of Bham and working downtown, you'll face nightmarish traffic on your commute (17 miles from DT bham to Helena, for me, was over an hour). I can fill you in on the rest if you PM, it's definitely NOT a horrible place to live, but you need to create your own life there and shut a lot of it out.
Funny. I grew up in Cleveland and lived in Baltimore, San Diego and Chicago before moving to Birmingham and we have had an utterly different experience. We've found Southerners to be embracing folks, and there is a great deal to do here. And, to be perfectly honest, if you haven't lived in a town such as Cleveland or Chicago you have no idea what racism is. Heck, I've heard the N-word more times at my Uncle's table one Thanksgiving than I've heard since moving here in 1993.

As far as the suburban sprawl and horrid commutes are concerned, that describes just about any city in America, including places such as Seattle. So you really have to pick your neighborhood carefully, just as you would any other city. Further, as people who like our music, we found that there's quite a bit of variety here. If you can't find something to do in this town, well you just aren't trying.
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Old 03-22-2012, 10:16 PM
 
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I cast my vote for five points, Highlands, or Homewood. Great areas to walk around and close to nightlife and restaurants. There are nicer, less expensive places farther down 280 east but if you're working in the direction of downtown, be very aware of the commute time. Traffic in the morning and afternoon can be painful.

One of my roommates is from California, moved here for his girlfriend. He turns white every time the siren goes off, but it's so old hat to us we just check the weather channel and go on with our business. Just get to know James Spann and you'll make it here just fine.
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Old 03-23-2012, 10:34 PM
 
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Default moving to Alabama

My husband & I are planing to move to Alabama in September and he is going to work at UAB but we like to live in suburb area.
Any suggestion about the safeset and most beautiful area. I like to do gardening and live in a quiet place.
I'd appreciate of helping me.
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Old 03-24-2012, 06:20 AM
 
28,895 posts, read 54,131,185 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nushi View Post
My husband & I are planing to move to Alabama in September and he is going to work at UAB but we like to live in suburb area.
Any suggestion about the safeset and most beautiful area. I like to do gardening and live in a quiet place.
I'd appreciate of helping me.
Mountain Brook or Homewood would be my choices.
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Old 03-24-2012, 07:18 PM
 
213 posts, read 403,848 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyingV View Post
Glad you like it pjg66 but I have to disagree with some of your statements. I was born in Birmingham at St. Vincents hospital and I lived there for over 30 years. I have lived in Crestwood, Homewood, Southside, Hoover and Oak Mountain.

Birmingham *is not* very cultured and certainly not diverse. It gets a bad reputation for a reason man. The job market is bad, the pay scale is among the worst in the nation. Yes, housing is cheap but your gas bill will be astonomical and god forbid you are on Jefferson County sewer. Water and sewer are combined and will run you $100/month for the sewer and an additional 40-60 or so for water.

Birmingham is constantly ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the nation, the air quality is horrible as it is in a valley. You can move over the mountain south of the city but it will be so white bread and non-diverse, boring, uber conservative WASP Southern Baptists you will ever encounter. Better be a republican and go to their church every Sunday and wear Polo shirts and khakis and talk constantly about Alabama or Auburn football or you won't fit in.

The weather there sucks! Killer tornadoes you can count on every year, hot miserable humid summers with mosquitos and poison ivy. Hurricanes from the gulf of mexico and constant severe thunderstorms. It rains alot too. About 60+ inches a year! It is a humid subtropical climate. Compare that to the Mediterrainian climate of San Diego. I can't emphasize enough how humid it will be and wet and cold in the winter months, you will not get any snow to speak of either, just cold, gray, wet cloudy. Do you like pollen? Alabama has it in abundance along with four indigenous poisonus snakes.

The restaurants are great if you like chain restaurants or a good ole' meat and three! I hope you deep fried food too because pratically everything is deep fried. No diversity here man.

You can buy an assualt rifle there with a simple 3 minute background check at the gun shop and conceal/carry permits are so easy to get. Almost everyone has guns. Remember that sex toys are ILLEGAL though. Don't need to go hurting yourself or somebody else.

Got tattoos, southern people don't really like that.

Many areas have old south blue laws, no beer sales on Sunday (Cause that God's day and you should be at Church)! And let's not forget the Draconian drug laws. Manadatory jail time for marijuana possesion.

I made the move to Los Angeles years ago and will never go back!

Alabama is NOTHING like California. Good luck anyway!
Maybe we just found a very different life here than the one you experienced. Or maybe we focus on the positive aspects of life here instead of the negative. Life is, after all, what you make of it (no matter where you live).

We really have experienced Birmingham as diverse and cultured. We regularly attend theater and music events and have mingled with some of the most fascinating, progressive people you can imagine (some of them transplants from California). And some of the restaurants have received national acclaim.

Maybe I'm just feeling good right now because of the gorgeous Spring we are having here. No place on earth is more beautiful in the Spring.

I think California is a wonderful place and congratulate you for finding your happiness there. But I must say, thank goodness Alabama is nothing like California. If it were, we could never afford to live here!

Last edited by pjg66; 03-24-2012 at 08:21 PM..
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Old 03-26-2012, 08:04 AM
 
2,450 posts, read 5,599,528 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pjg66 View Post

Maybe I'm just feeling good right now because of the gorgeous Spring we are having here. No place on earth is more beautiful in the Spring.
There are a lot of good things about Birmingham, but coming from California, the weather is not one of them! As March rolled in, it suddenly turned from winter to summer. What happened to 70s?
This weekend was great, and coming week looks like it'll be good, but if summer temps restart in April again I'm gonna be depressed!
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Old 03-26-2012, 10:52 AM
 
24,470 posts, read 10,793,748 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nushi View Post
My husband & I are planing to move to Alabama in September and he is going to work at UAB but we like to live in suburb area.
Any suggestion about the safeset and most beautiful area. I like to do gardening and live in a quiet place.
I'd appreciate of helping me.
Please check out Master Gardener Programs. PN me if you need details.
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Old 03-26-2012, 01:11 PM
 
3,516 posts, read 6,779,701 times
Reputation: 5667
Quote:
Originally Posted by nushi View Post
My husband & I are planing to move to Alabama in September and he is going to work at UAB but we like to live in suburb area.
Any suggestion about the safeset and most beautiful area. I like to do gardening and live in a quiet place.
I'd appreciate of helping me.
Definitely Mountain Brook or Homewood. Lots of trees and flowers and residents who take care of their homes. As safe as a suburb can get and great school systems.
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Old 10-05-2012, 07:14 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles
1,045 posts, read 1,635,067 times
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Why?
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Old 10-05-2012, 09:31 PM
 
26,143 posts, read 19,823,041 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fitnesgyrl
We are planning a move to Birmingham probably late next year. Little nervous to leave my home state of Cali. Wondering what it will be like in B'ham.
Some good radio stations there!

98.7 KISS FM (R&B) -- I listen to it often


Good luck in your move!
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