Birmingham, Alabama. Opinions? (Mobile, Hoover, Bessemer: rental, safe neighborhoods, private schools)

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by H-TownTX 713

I think of Birmingham as very ghetto, very crime ridden, and people try to pass it off as this sweet southern town when Birmingham is probally one of the scariest cities in the south.

And what parts of town have you visited? I'm not talking about the gas station or the McDonalds on I59.

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by H-TownTX 713

I think of Birmingham as very ghetto, very crime ridden, and people try to pass it off as this sweet southern town when Birmingham is probally one of the scariest cities in the south.

I feel the same way about Houston....except it's much uglier, flat as a pancake and covered with concrete...

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Bravo35223

I feel the same way about Houston....except it's much uglier, flat as a pancake and covered with concrete...

Yep. Unlike the poster in question, I've actually spent quite a bit of time in Houston. I was even offered a job there repeatedly by one company who would not take no for an answer. The guy, one of those big Texas guys asked me, "What would it take to get you to move to Houston?"

I replied, "A 45 to my temple."

[AK123]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

Yep. Unlike the poster in question, I've actually spent quite a bit of time in Houston. I was even offered a job there repeatedly by one company who would not take no for an answer. The guy, one of those big Texas guys asked me, "What would it take to get you to move to Houston?"

I replied, "A 45 to my temple."

Originally Posted by Bravo35223

I feel the same way about Houston....except it's much uglier, flat as a pancake and covered with concrete...

You guys need to get off the Houston freeways and actually down in the city.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/houst...mmunities.html

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by JJP

You guys need to get off the Houston freeways and actually down in the city.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/houst...mmunities.html

Been there, done all that. Houston's okay. But there are about fifty other cities in the country where I'd rather live. The original purpose of our entire Houston bashing was dealing with a really rude guy who mouthed all the stereotypes about Birmingham without ever really visiting the place.

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by JJP

You guys need to get off the Houston freeways and actually down in the city.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/houst...mmunities.html

I have spent a huge amount of time in Houston and can say without hesitation, that you will never have a view from your home in Houston where you can see for miles and miles....there is no comparison whatsoever...Houston is flat as a pancake....and while it does have some areas that are wooded, it does not hold a candle to the forested mountain areas of Birmingham. From the 13th hole of my golf course, I can see for eight miles....same as my front door.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/birmi...ding-area.html


Find one picture in your Houston post where you can perch on a mountain top and look over long valleys and show it to me. The difference in physical beauty is obvious.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/birmi...ng-area-2.html

[cartag]

Originally Posted by ohiobarb

We visited Birmingham about 3 weeks ago, looking into a possible move in late September, early October. We really liked the city and most of the people we met. It wasn't what I expected, but was charmed by the city and all it has to offer. We currently live 30 miles from Cincinnati and we
rarely visit because of the crime, drugs and parking situation. We will be
near Pell City, Leeds area, so definitely close enough to get into the city
often. Can't wait to continue exploring. Anyone live near Pell City that could give me some good info on housing would be greatly appreciated.
We have a 4 year old, so I would like to find a good school district. We
would like to lease for about a year before buying. Thanks

I grew up in Pell City. In fact, my ancestors on all sides came to St. Clair County 150 - 200 years ago. But, my immediate family has lived in Hoover (a suburb for Birmingham) for 25 years. I would check into the schools in Pell City closely before deciding where to move. They may be fine, but I get the impression they aren't what they were when I was growing up.

Will your work be in the Leeds, Pell City area? Or are you looking to live on the lake?

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by 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...)

OK - here are a few responses to your assertion that the "food sucks"

Article from Esquire Magazine rating Highland's Bar and Grill as One of the Best Bars in America...

Highlands Bar & Grill - Esquire

Article from the New York Times about Highland's

Highlands Bar & Grill

And oh by the way - Gourmet Magazine rated it the #5 restaurant in the U.S.

Now onto Chez Fon Fon....Where Food and Wine rated it the #1 Wine Experience in America???

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/americas-50-most-amazing-wine-experiences



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 here is an article from the Dallas Morning News that has quite a different view that the "city is an empty-dead shell"

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Travel | Dallas Morning News

And here is a nightclub that packs in 1600 people and stays open often until the sun comes up. One thing Birmingham has that very few cities have: No Closing Law. Bars open 7x24 except closing Sunday between 3 am and Noon.

MySpace.com - Eleven20 Nightclub & Lounge - BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Club / Lounge - www.myspace.com/club1120

And WorkPlay, rated as "One of PASTE magazines 40 Best Venues in America"

http://www.workplay.com/index.asp

And The Nick - rated by Rolling Stone as the "CGBG of the South"

http://www.thenickrocks.com/about.asp

and the suburbs lack any coherence, city planning, or soul for that matter (sidewalks anyone?)

O' Contraire: Mountain Brook, Vestavia and Homewood have plenty of sidewalks and Mountain Brook was one of the nation's first 'planned communites, with a Master Plan dating to 1926 that very carefully describes a town of only 3 commercial villages, with the remainder to be residential.

Once again, I think you have had your head under a rock.
My motto for Birmingham: There are worse places to live.

My best guess is what you said above: during the time you have lived here - you have indeed spent a lot of time indoors: in your residence. It is quite apparent you have spent very little time out in the city.

Here are national publications that place Birmingham's restaurants and nightclubs among the very best in the nation....

And you can't find anything to do..."its not cosmopolitan".

I am not asserting that this place is perfect - but I do ask that those who come here with a very very strong opinion, have something objective to back it up...

[JS20000]

I am more than qualified to speak about Houston because I lived there. I really do not like to indulge in threads that bash other cities out of spite but I will say that every city I've lived in has had its positives and negatives (I may be repeating myself from a previous posting).
IMO, topography is only a component of numerous factors that can lead to a "like it or leave it" decision. I did not like Houston's flatness either, but so what? Houston has a much, much livelier atmosphere, lots more amenities for all forms of entertainment, the beaches in Galveston are not too far away, and if you shop, you couldn't ask for a better place than the Galleria (Riverchase Galleria is actually a downscaled version of this mall-designed by the same architect firm). Houston's crime rate is better, per capita of course.
Houston does have sweltering humidity (I had to run my AC 363 days there), the traffic is unrelenting (the 59 freeway is off limits until 7 pm), and the constant threat of hurricanes does lead to some uneasiness about the region. If the right job offer came along, I still wouldn't mind returning to Houston-even though I personally think Dallas is a better city between the two.
Birmingham has its good points, as they have been elaborated rather profusely here, but I believe in giving equal weight to both sides of an argument. Birmingham's crime rate can not be ignored-from a national perspective there are few major cities doing worse in this regard. The poverty rates in Birmingham proper are another concern, for this a contributing factor to the crime rate (this speaks volumes for the economic health and stability of the region). Lack of cooperation between administrators and the surrounding municipalities are the proverbial "nails in the coffin" (Nashville, Knoxville, Louisville, Mobile, and Miami should serve as models for inter-community cohesion).
I believe Birmingham should have a lot more to offer than just lush scenery and hilly terrain but the whole "build it and they will come" mentality can only become a boon to the region if the region has visibility (this would be analagous to building a domed stadium and entertainment venues in Tulsa). I may have digressed, but if you can give me a city with the climate and scenery of Birmingham, the amenities of Houston, the crime rate of Knoxville, and the traffic volume of Milwaukee then I will be set.

[honest]

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