Birmingham, Alabama. Opinions? (Hoover, Decatur, Albertville: credit, how much, attorney)

[Jwarde82]

Yes, I came up here from Baton Rouge about 2 months ago...and so far I am absolutely not impressed. Now as for the scenery, I mean my god it is so beautiful here. I have never been anywhere that looks so nice everywhere I go....now I haven't been in deep birmingham yet. I am staying in Alabaster for the moment. Now the problem I have with this place has everything to do with the cultural difference in BR/New Orleans and Birmingham. The people here are nice but it seems that they have this annoying innocense about them that just kills me.
Like say in Baton Rouge...you say something in reference as a joke to something relevant you were talking about...well in Baton Rouge the person understands, laughs and Thats it...on to the next subject....Here you do the same thing....they get offended...or don't understand, or if they do...the carry on and go into detail as to why it was funny and then keep on about it until your sorry you brought it up.
Another thing....People are very cliquish in this town. I haven't made 1 friend yet. You ask someone what they are up to tonight and even though you have allready heard what the plan is....you get...Well I don't know what we are doing..Uhhh..I don't know what time they close, or just some other brush off because your not in their little clique. In Baton Rouge....you would be invited to a party full of people you don't know and we would treat you like one of us because thats our culture.
2 more things....I have noticed the smog in this town in just insane. Today i looked up at a blue sky and saw this grayish fog just covering up beautiful day...
And I have also noticed that there are an abnormal amount of flies in this town...the other day I was in best buy and two of them were flying around the game isle...was at johnny rockets...rave...and also just around my house they are just everywhere. I am going home in august because well I may hurt they next person that says anything bad about LSU..lol no really I am just not fitting in here and I know it won't change. My heart is in Louisiana. And the country accent here...Im trying not to be judgemental about how people talk but it is really breaking me down little by little..lol It physically hurts to hear people talk sometimes...lol

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by Jwarde82

Yes, I came up here from Baton Rouge about 2 months ago...and so far I am absolutely not impressed. Now as for the scenery, I mean my god it is so beautiful here. I have never been anywhere that looks so nice everywhere I go....now I haven't been in deep birmingham yet. I am staying in Alabaster for the moment. Now the problem I have with this place has everything to do with the cultural difference in BR/New Orleans and Birmingham. The people here are nice but it seems that they have this annoying innocense about them that just kills me.
Like say in Baton Rouge...you say something in reference as a joke to something relevant you were talking about...well in Baton Rouge the person understands, laughs and Thats it...on to the next subject....Here you do the same thing....they get offended...or don't understand, or if they do...the carry on and go into detail as to why it was funny and then keep on about it until your sorry you brought it up.
Another thing....People are very cliquish in this town. I haven't made 1 friend yet. You ask someone what they are up to tonight and even though you have allready heard what the plan is....you get...Well I don't know what we are doing..Uhhh..I don't know what time they close, or just some other brush off because your not in their little clique. In Baton Rouge....you would be invited to a party full of people you don't know and we would treat you like one of us because thats our culture.
2 more things....I have noticed the smog in this town in just insane. Today i looked up at a blue sky and saw this grayish fog just covering up beautiful day...
And I have also noticed that there are an abnormal amount of flies in this town...the other day I was in best buy and two of them were flying around the game isle...was at johnny rockets...rave...and also just around my house they are just everywhere. I am going home in august because well I may hurt they next person that says anything bad about LSU..lol no really I am just not fitting in here and I know it won't change. My heart is in Louisiana. And the country accent here...Im trying not to be judgemental about how people talk but it is really breaking me down little by little..lol It physically hurts to hear people talk sometimes...lol

Louisiana is a unique place, with unique culture and ways of doing things. For anyone deeply steeped in the culture of south Louisiana, moving ANYWHERE outside Acadiana is going to be a major cultural shift...it would be the same if you moved to Atlanta, Nashville, St. Louis or Seattle. It ain't gonna be anything like living in Acadiana.

I have many family members (authentic Cajuns of French/Nova Scotia ancestry) who are from Baton Rouge and am very familiar with the area. Five first cousins who graduated from LSU. Unfortunately the economy was so bad there that none of them live there. They are scattered about in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.

I would recommend that you move back because you will never find the culture anywhere in the U.S. to be like South Louisiana. ON the other hand, I must say with all honesty, that I know at least 15 families here from BR and NO, who have moved here to educate their children in superb public schools and while they miss Louisiana's food, wouldn't move back for anything.....

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by Milspec

I simply meant that what we call reverse discrimination is at it's best here in NC. My county is 85% black and 2% indian and the rest some of all. I mean that blacks run the city, county and make every decision that effects our life, locally, while paying only 13 % of the county taxes and commit 82 % of crimes.
No big deal.

And the rest of the 49 states and the Independent Republic of Texas are run by????? Arabs using $4 gas??? Get a grip.. I would hope the any resident in NC that is an elected official regardless of race would do what is in the best interest of the entire community. THe reverse of what you are saying is that if whites were in control they would do what would benefit whites only? Which I would not believe would be the case. However, your opinion is your opinion...

[pennquaker09]

Originally Posted by Southlander

Ollie's is long gone...Jack's is still going strong and can be found around the state. Hamburgers still taste the same, but bring some antacid!!

OMG I miss Jack's. Y'all people up here don't know what real food is.

I would kill for some cornbread and brown beans. I think I need to visit my grandma . . .

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by Jwarde82

Yes, I came up here from Baton Rouge about 2 months ago....... And I have also noticed that there are an abnormal amount of flies in this town.....And the country accent here...Im trying not to be judgemental about how people talk but it is really breaking me down little by little..lol It physically hurts to hear people talk sometimes...lol

You've been in Alabama 2 months...8 weeks...60 days? Give it some more time. No, Alabamians don't have impromptu parties...well, not north Alabamians, anyway. Our idea of a good time is dinner out and Wal-Mart or Target on Friday night...football or hunting on Saturday...church on Sunday...otherwise: work! work! work!
It really makes me laugh to hear a native Louisianan complain about insects...and accents? Hon, I adore a Cajun accent, but the first time I heard it, I thought the person was retarded! Stupid me...but seriously, it could be worse. You could be living in New Jersey!

[bluebeard]

I'm gonna make a lot of enemies here...
I've been in Birmingham for 3 years. As soon as I finish my degree, I'm running far, far away. Yes, the people are nice, but the people nice in my hometown. Another major positive is affordability. The nature is pretty and accessible, but hardly unique (most states have some sort of natural beauty). Other than that, there's nothing much else to like about it. The horrendous summers last 5 months long and you spend them inside. Inside everyone over-air-conditions their places so I feel like I'm always getting sick (hot-cold-hot-cold-hot-cold). It's boring. The food sucks (Surin? Please...) Everyone ASSUMES that my life experience and beliefs are theirs, and that anyone who's wasn't is some freakish exception (from religious beliefs, to particular pop culture references, expected cultural exposures, daily habits, everything). Maybe thats true everywhere, but its so far from myself that it particularly strikes me. THe city is an empty-dead shell and the suburbs lack any coherence, city planning, or soul for that matter (sidewalks anyone?)
My motto for Birmingham: There are worse places to live.

[bluebeard]

Oh yeah football. if you're not Christian and don't care about football, don't count on being able to have a conversation with anyone, male or female.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by bluebeard

Oh yeah football. if you're not Christian and don't care about football, don't count on being able to have a conversation with anyone, male or female.

Okay. Now THAT's total nonsense. I'm not sure what crowd you hang with, but we have a great number of friends whose lives don't revolve around football season or church.

[bluebeard]

While it is an overgeneralization, it's totally not nonsense. Time and time again people talk to me assuming that I Christian, or that not only enjoy football, but know and care about the area's college football teams. I am in academics, so I'm hardly exposed to a population thats more pro-Christianity or pro-football than the rest of Birmingham and Alabama. Are there others out there? Of course. Do you hang out with people that don't talk about football incessantly? I'm sure you do. But I estimate them at less than 20% of the population.

[bluebeard]

However, looking back at the thread, I do have to support you in agreeing that the "blacks taking over" is totally out of line and its the people like that make make this area look worse than it is. Blacks have not taken over anywhere. If you go to any area, of course the politicians will represent the make-up of where they come from. Apart for racial and cultural prefences, its also just what statisitically would make sense. And while in my opinion, race relations have a long way to go, and they may be worse in parts of Alabama than other parts of the US, its a matter of degree, not absolute. There are no "racist" and "non-racist" parts of the US. Some areas are just a little more stuck in the past. In my area of the world, while I've heard some bad comments here and there, 98% of the people I regularly hang out with maintain little racism in their attitudes.