CityWalkBHAM update... (violent crime, neighborhoods, living in)

[GotLuv4Bham]

@TimCity2000
You always capture great pictures in the city! Kudos for everything you do!

[OldBankhead]

I'm not sure if that could have turned out any better. Remember back when "they" didn't want the city to build RR park? Then it was stupid to build Regions, stupid to build Protective and stupid to build this... which, wasn't even on anybody's radar but a gift from ALDOT.

What's next?

[TimCity2000]

I was a big proponent of burying I-20/59 through downtown, but now I'm conflicted having visited CityWalk.

Of course, you could still build a park above an underground interstate and the connectivity to the rest of downtown would probably be enhanced, but the beauty of this is that it automatically has a covering overhead, which in Birmingham (between the brutal sun and unpredictable rain) is a must. Ironically, it's probably more usable this way.

[OldBankhead]

Yes, absolutely totally sunken bridges would have been more impressive and an above ground park prettier aesthetically.

BUT... it would most certainly NOT have been more usable. We now have a space that is shielded from the rain and has shade. This is definitely far more practical and we are better off having this now then trying to get the billion plus dollars and the time to do it the other way.

It is perfect.

[Woodlands]

Man good deal Bham.. City keeps getting better

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

I was a big proponent of burying I-20/59 through downtown, but now I'm conflicted having visited CityWalk.

Of course, you could still build a park above an underground interstate and the connectivity to the rest of downtown would probably be enhanced, but the beauty of this is that it automatically has a covering overhead, which in Birmingham (between the brutal sun and unpredictable rain) is a must. Ironically, it's probably more usable this way.

I was right there with you because who would have thought the State of Alabama would come up with an innovative and aesthetically pleasing solution? That being said, all the fuss people like you kicked up likely forced them to do something other than the usual B-flat pillar and girder construction.

[Zachadoo92]

Unfortunately, the fine residents are already trashing it by peeling out and burning rubber in the street. Saw it on Reddit.

One teen got hit in Bessemer from this same kind of idiocy.

[OldBankhead]

The street under a bridge is not CityWalk. Show me a Hellcat doing an Ollie in the skate park or climbing the rope wall on the playground and you'd be on to something. Nice try, tho.

[bfmx1]

Originally Posted by OldBankhead

The street under a bridge is not CityWalk. Show me a Hellcat doing an Ollie in the skate park or climbing the rope wall on the playground and you'd be on to something. Nice try, tho.

Don't put that out there or someone will actually try it.. Please record this because I'd love to see. People are going to peel out everywhere so who cares? I'm not worried about a little street racing. As long as we can keep it safe feeling for families, it's a huge success and really cool. When/if that changes then we can talk about CityWalk in a different light but right now it's great and a much needed attraction for the city.

[Zachadoo92]

Originally Posted by OldBankhead

The street under a bridge is not CityWalk. Show me a Hellcat doing an Ollie in the skate park or climbing the rope wall on the playground and you'd be on to something. Nice try, tho.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/il...alk/ar-AAZYi5k

Birmingham’s newest attraction, ity Walk, had been open less than a month when the newly painted road was marred with skid marks from an illegal car exhibition.A bystander gave WBRC video of cars drifting on 23rd Street North over the weekend. The witness said officials with BJCC and the Birmingham Police Department were there and did not stop it.WBRC is working to find out if any citations were given for the imports event at City Walk. Birmingham council member and head of the transportation committee, Darrell O’Quinn, said seeing this was disappointing.

“I know what that law enforcement is allowed a certain degree of discretion with how they carry out their tasks but I don’t think this was a circumstance where it was appropriate for them to allow that to happen, if indeed that is the case as has been alleged,” O’Quinn said.

“This activity appears to be individuals operating their vehicles in City of Birmingham streets and violating numerous traffic laws and ordinances by operating their vehicle in a very unsafe manner, especially given the area and pedestrians on the sidewalks.

Security personnel from the BJCC are not police officers. They have no authority or jurisdiction in city streets, and this activity is clearly talking place in a city street by individuals that know they are violating traffic ordinances.

Our security team unfortunately is limited in this case to utilizing their radio or phone to communicate with our dispatch and then calling the Birmingham Police Department for assistance.

It is clear this illegal and unsafe operation of a motor vehicle on any city street, including streets in and around the City Walk and BJCC area is unsafe, unacceptable and must be dealt with appropriately.

We will be following up this matter in further conversations with the City and Birmingham Police Department.”

O’Quinn said not only are illegal car exhibits dangerous, they are also a nuisance due to noise complaints and unsightly damage left behind.

“It cost money to paint the streets,” O’Quinn said. “But even more than those issues, from a government standpoint, it is about public safety.”

Not a good look. I'm sorry if it feels like I'm poo pooing on the GLORIOUS accomplishment of City walk BHAM. I'm not. I've been to the park and think it looks really nice, but there is a certain element of the City of Birmingham that comes out at night and causes trouble.


That looks bad. People don't want to take their kids to a park where people are burning out in the street and doing wheelies.

It's ghetto behavior and it needs to be addressed by the City of Birmingham.

and before anyone says something about why someone would bring their kids out at Birmingham at night...I thought that was the goal of Birmingham. The ultimate goal I mean? To be seen as a city that is safe.

One kid died in Bessemer from these antics.

Not meaning to be like the Footloose parents and ruin people's car fun, but the Birmingham police apparently don't even stop them from doing it a block away from the Police headquarters or even on the same street. It is absolutely pathetic. Oh and this isn't fast and furious. Street racing is illegal.

The reason Birmingham needs to come down hard on this is that we don't want city walk to essentially become the playground for hoodlums. Once that happens it's dead. You might as well have pissed away the money you invested in it.