Why population in Birmingham area not growing? (compared to King County, WA) (Hoover: rent, neighborhood)

[Highpointer]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

The tech sector, long moribund, is also showing remarkable energy. I don't want to oversell this, because it's not a Seattle or Austin, or even an Atlanta or Nashville. But some long-term efforts have begun paying off. For example, Shipt was just purchased by Target for $500 million under the provision that it would keep operations in Birmingham. That $500 million is going almost exclusively to local shareholders, which will fuel even more entrepreneurial activity. Healthcare, pharm, and supporting industries, continue to grow.

I hadn't heard about Shipt before, so I went to their website. It is an online service that provides grocery deliveries, comparable to AmazonFresh. When I went to the Shipt website to see if they provided service in my area, I entered several zip codes for the greater Seattle area, and the message I got was, "We aren’t in your area yet, but we’re expanding every week." In contrast, I entered my zip code for my former residence in Tempe, and I learned that Shipt provides delivery service through Fry's and Target in the greater Phoenix area.

With Amazon's dominance, particularly in the greater Seattle area, I am wondering if Shipt can make inroads in the Puget Sound area, now that they have the backing of Target behind them?

Although Target may claim that they are committed to keeping Shipt in Birmingham, I am wondering how long it would take for many of the people who are working for Shipt in Birmingham would get disenchanted with life in the greater Birmingham area, because the southern USA is not viewed as a desirable region to live by many people in the technology sector? This appears to me to be the view espoused by many high-technology people that I meet in the greater Seattle area, who have negative views of the South. For example, here is a negative view of one of the greatest of all Southerners, Gen. Robert E. Lee, written by a columnist for The Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion...-in-the-south/

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by Highpointer

I hadn't heard about Shipt before, so I went to their website. It is an online service that provides grocery deliveries, comparable to AmazonFresh. When I went to the Shipt website to see if they provided service in my area, I entered several zip codes for the greater Seattle area, and the message I got was, "We aren’t in your area yet, but we’re expanding every week." In contrast, I entered my zip code for my former residence in Tempe, and I learned that Shipt provides delivery service through Fry's and Target in the greater Phoenix area.

With Amazon's dominance, particularly in the greater Seattle area, I am wondering if Shipt can make inroads in the Puget Sound area, now that they have the backing of Target behind them?

Although Target may claim that they are committed to keeping Shipt in Birmingham, I am wondering how long it would take for many of the people who are working for Shipt in Birmingham would get disenchanted with life in the greater Birmingham area, because the southern USA is not viewed as a desirable region to live by many people in the technology sector? This appears to me to be the view espoused by many high-technology people that I meet in the greater Seattle area, who have negative views of the South. For example, here is a negative view of one of the greatest of all Southerners, Gen. Robert E. Lee, written by a columnist for The Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion...-in-the-south/

Well, Shipt continues to expand and they seem committed to expanding personnel in Birmingham. Most people who move here wind up staying here due to a quality of life that also happens to be affordable.

But you totally lost me with the Robert E. Lee article. Please tell me that you don't cling to lazy stereotypes like that. Jesus on a minibike. If so, feel free to stay in Seattle.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

I don't understand why people keep asking these same dumb questions. The BHM metro area IS growing, just not as some crazy rapid pace. The metro area as a whole is healthy and has a good economy. It attracts people from around the region. Is it Seattle, Atlanta, Austin? No! But not many are.

It's definitely not going backwards though.

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by Mississippi Alabama Line

I don't understand why people keep asking these same dumb questions. The BHM metro area IS growing, just not as some crazy rapid pace. The metro area as a whole is healthy and has a good economy. It attracts people from around the region. Is it Seattle, Atlanta, Austin? No! But not many are.

It's definitely not going backwards though.

Saying Birmingham is growing is kinda like saying your money is growing in a checking account that pays 0.1% interest while your friends investments in real estate, the stock market, or something else averages 8%. Birmingham's growth rate lags well behind the national average.

[Highpointer]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

Well, Shipt continues to expand and they seem committed to expanding personnel in Birmingham. Most people who move here wind up staying here due to a quality of life that also happens to be affordable.

But you totally lost me with the Robert E. Lee article. Please tell me that you don't cling to lazy stereotypes like that. Jesus on a minibike. If so, feel free to stay in Seattle.

I don't agree with the Robert E. Lee article. I am a conservative, a supporter of the Confederate cause, and I feel that Lee was one of the greatest Americans. However, most people that I encounter in the greater Seattle area, particularly those working in the technology sector, do not have positive opinions of the South and many people living in this region of the USA still consider the southern USA to be less advanced than the Pacific Northwest.

For example, I recently got dismissed from a job, working for a very large and ubiquitous technology company. I was working at a lower-level position, but aspiring to move up to a position with greater responsibilities and higher salary. I believe that part of the reason why I ran into trouble was because it became known that I had conservative views, and I became a target from people who disagreed with me. I can't prove that, but other people far less qualified than me have been able to keep their jobs and many more people are in high-level positions with lesser qualifications.

[Reactionary]

Highpointer - my ancestors shot at Confederates and I didn't read the article (I am a history buff, though). I won't address that issue.

As for people in the PNW's opinions of Alabama - IMO their opinions are based on ignorance. Find someone at Boeing who travels to Alabama and ask their opinion of the area.

I suggest that you look at Huntsville. It is much more conservative than Birmingham, and has many tech companies (such as Boeing). Huntsville is also growing at a fairly good pace. Huntsville generally doesn't share some Bham's posters disdain for State government (except for roads - ALDOnT).

[jero23]

Originally Posted by steveklein

Saying Birmingham is growing is kinda like saying your money is growing in a checking account that pays 0.1% interest while your friends investments in real estate, the stock market, or something else averages 8%. Birmingham's growth rate lags well behind the national average.

Well, 1.93 percent is basically statistically 2 percent of growth, so actually that is growing. If it was less than 1 percent then I can see you saying that, but that's not really an accurate description.

[Justin Scott]

This post is all over the place. If the South was as bad as people claim, there wouldn’t be a mass migration into the region.

If you’re conservative, you should hop on the Huntsville board. It’s a rapidly growing city.

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by Justin Scott

This post is all over the place. If the South was as bad as people claim, there wouldn’t be a mass migration into the region.

If you’re conservative, you should hop on the Huntsville board. It’s a rapidly growing city.

Even more reason to pose the question... if there has been mass migration to the south, why has Birmingham largely missed out on it?

It's been answered a few times now though.

[_OT]

Originally Posted by steveklein

Saying Birmingham is growing is kinda like saying your money is growing in a checking account that pays 0.1% interest while your friends investments in real estate, the stock market, or something else averages 8%. Birmingham's growth rate lags well behind the national average.

You're still securing the bag regardless of how it's growing. What they eat, doesn't make you sh*t.

Had to sauce up your analogy.