Birmingham Vs Other Cities (Montgomery, Mobile: transfer, school, college)

[jxndean]

What other cities can compare to Birmingham in regards to its culture, population, and other factors??

I live in Jackson, MS and have always thought that Jackson could easily be comparable to Birmingham. What are your thoughts?

Do you think Mobile and Birmingham are also similar? Any input is appreciated. Thx!

[allinaday]

Having lived in Mobile for 25 years, then moving to Birmingham 10 years ago... they are similar in certain aspects, but very differerent in others. What I found the same: frienldly people, weather (except there are more tornadoes here, but not hurricanes)shopping, culture. What I found very different was the traffic, and use of the interstate. In Mobile, we got on the interstate to go on vacation, here in Bham, you get on it to go anywhere... maybe even the store! I do LOVE Birmingham. Has more options, and is more spread out than Mobile. The thing I miss the most is the closeness to the beach. No more short 1 hour drive, now it is 4 hours for me! Bham population is larger, and more diverse than Mobile.

[PortCity]

I would say you could compare Jackson to Mobile or Montgomery more than Birmingham.Even so Mobile is very different from the both, it is an old coastal city. AS far as size goes I would compare Birmingham to cities like New Orleans and Nashville.Though New Orleans isn`t really an interstate commuting city you can still ride through the city and get to point a and b.

[pennquaker09]

Having attended college in New Orleans and growing up in Bham, I think they are worlds apart.

[PortCity]

As far as culture yes, but I was talking about Metro population.

[mimpdaddy]

Both Mobile and Bham have there people transferring between each other. Birmingham is larger than Mobile, but Mobile is on the gulf coast where you get certain food that is completely foreign to Birmingham.I don't know a whole lot about Jackson MS.

[cpg35223]

Well, you have to realize that the economy of Birmingham is larger than Mobile, Huntsville, and Montgomery combined, with room for a couple of smaller cities thrown in for good measure. Really not a good comparison. Jackson is more comparable to a Mobile than a Birmingham.

[Alatex]

Jackson reminds me more of Montgomery than any other Alabama city, in terms of the climate, terrain, development, and overall culture that goes with being a capital city.

Mobile (where my father was from, plus I own property in Baldwin County) and Birmingham (less than an hour's drive from Tuscaloosa, where I live) feel pretty different to me.
To me, the hilly terrain ties Birmingham to places north and east of it, while the coastal proximity ties Mobile to other areas within 50 miles of the Gulf coast.

What other cities can compare to Birmingham in regards to its culture, population, and other factors??

That's a hard call. Although not a complete fit by any means, I'll throw in some comparison to the Triad area of NC.
Charlotte and Raleigh are the "cool" big cities in central NC (much like places like Atlanta and Nashville overshadow Birmingham as "cool" cities that it looks to), but the Triad has a lot of history as an old industrial area, which is also a huge part of Birmingham's character. The combined metro population of Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point is similar to metro Birmingham's. I'll admit one significant difference is that the Birmingham area has one major city and well-defined downtown area, while the Triad is a collection of several cities.

[PortCity]

Yes Jackson is more comparible to Montgomery in regards as being a capital city,size and maybe culture. I have bben to jackson and it`s the same size as mobile though Mobile has a bigger metro than jackson and I think Montgomery is aslo.

Mobile would be more comparible with cities/areas such as Charlston,Savannah,Missisippi Gulf Coast/Delta, and south eastern Louisiana.

[PlatReader]

I agree

Jackson MS is FAR more like MONTGOMERY AL- both are pretty backward in my opinion.

Comparing the people of Bham to folks in MS is a disservice frankly. Bham has become far
more diverse, educated and cosmopolitan than Jackson will ever be. Jackson is still old school
MS with a bad history.

I have news for you- nobody in Huntsville even likes Montgomery, and few residents in Bham like anything in MS anyway.

The old adage in AL was 'thank god for Mississippi' because otherwise WE'D be at the bottom (educationally, socio-culturally, racial relations, etc)...but to those that really know AL, they will readily admit that Montgomery is quite an awful place.