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I haven't been to Birmingham, so I'm not trying to make a case either way, but will you explain how the amenities are a wash, outside of sports? Birmingham can't match Pittsburgh's public transit or airport. Would you say it has comparable cultural institutions, dining and nightlife?
I mean for Public Transportation, or Airport, I guess. But I personally don't acknowledge Public Transportation outside of NYC, Chicago, DC and Philly. As for Airports, I honestly don't see how it would be relative to my situation, I mean...it's an airport. lol
Would I say it has comparable cultural institutions? no, because they're two cities who are historically different, it's like comparing Charleston to Pittsburgh; what you'll find unique to Pittsburgh, you won't find in Birmingham, and in vice versa. I'm just saying, outside of sports, when it boils down to the average person, in relation to amenities, what can you do in Pittsburgh, that you can't do in Birmingham? honestly. If it's not NYC, LA, Chicago, DC, Toronto, etc. I see it as a wash.
Birmingham probably comes very close to Pittsburgh on dining, and nightlife would probably be better for a 20-something Black male generally speaking. Pittsburgh would definitely have the advantage with cultural institutions and public transit. For any other amenities Birmingham lacks, Atlanta is only a two hour drive away with even more to offer 20 something Black males.
Cleveland is two hours away from Pittsburgh. Washington DC / Baltimore is 3.5 hrs away. Not to mention Philadelphia and NYC are less than a days drive away. Pittsburgh has more "escape" options than Birmingham.
I guess it would depend on what that 20 something black male is into. Jazz and live music or trap music? Neo Soul? Pittsburgh does have options in the city and eastern suburbs.
Cleveland is two hours away from Pittsburgh. Washington DC / Baltimore is 3.5 hrs away. Not to mention Philadelphia and NYC are less than a days drive away. Pittsburgh has more "escape" options than Birmingham.
DC/Baltimore are closer to four hours away, but all of that misses the point. I wasn't talking about cities in close proximity for "escape" options, but just that whatever big city amenities that Pittsburgh has but are missing in Birmingham can be found in Atlanta which is an easy two hour drive away. Pittsburgh to Cleveland is mostly a lateral move.
Would I say it has comparable cultural institutions? no, because they're two cities who are historically different, it's like comparing Charleston to Pittsburgh; what you'll find unique to Pittsburgh, you won't find in Birmingham, and in vice versa.
I see what you're getting at, but Charleston is the wrong example to use as it has a pretty big cultural footprint for its size and can more than hold its own compared to some larger metros.
I mean for Public Transportation, or Airport, I guess. But I personally don't acknowledge Public Transportation outside of NYC, Chicago, DC and Philly. As for Airports, I honestly don't see how it would be relative to my situation, I mean...it's an airport. lol
Would I say it has comparable cultural institutions? no, because they're two cities who are historically different, it's like comparing Charleston to Pittsburgh; what you'll find unique to Pittsburgh, you won't find in Birmingham, and in vice versa. I'm just saying, outside of sports, when it boils down to the average person, in relation to amenities, what can you do in Pittsburgh, that you can't do in Birmingham? honestly. If it's not NYC, LA, Chicago, DC, Toronto, etc. I see it as a wash.
There's a second tier of cities where you can reasonably live without an automobile. Pittsburgh is on the tier (along with Portland and Seattle). Again, I have never been to Birmingham, so I don't know anything about its mass transit, but in a lot of cities, mass transit is only for the poor and people with DUIs. In Pittsburgh, people can afford cars still use transit.
As far as airports go, where all cities have airports, not all airports are created equally. I would much rather have an international airport with more carriers and destinations. Pittsburgh doesn't have a hub, but there are a ton of routes that fly out of the city, including eight international routes (Although some are seasonal).
Pittsburgh has a lot of amenities, that you would expect to find in a larger city. Beyond the sports, it has top-notch cultural institutions like museums, Opera, symphony and ballet. It has a very large nightlife district, as well as several pockets of nightlife in other city neighborhoods, and a really hot food scene. Jen, I'm not comparing it to Birmingham, but Pittsburgh offers more than a lot of cities and its tier. Everything doesn't equal out once you get below the top 10 cities.
Birmingham probably comes very close to Pittsburgh on dining, and nightlife would probably be better for a 20-something Black male generally speaking. Pittsburgh would definitely have the advantage with cultural institutions and public transit. For any other amenities Birmingham lacks, Atlanta is only a two hour drive away with even more to offer 20 something Black males.
I would say Birmingham overachieves on dining and nightlife, two of the things I am most familiar with about the city. Retail offerings are also impressive compared to other peer cities such as Memphis, Little Rock, and Knoxville. Where Birmingham fails for me is crime, appearance/cleanliness, city management, and the lack of population/job growth. Pittsburgh also underperforms economically as well as retail offerings, but makes up for it in education, cultural amenities, professional sports, and creativity. Pittsburgh for all of its faults is in another league compared to Birmingham. Both are located in a region well known for its poverty, however.
I would say Birmingham overachieves on dining and nightlife, two of the things I am most familiar with about the city. Retail offerings are also impressive compared to other peer cities such as Memphis, Little Rock, and Knoxville. Where Birmingham fails for me is crime, appearance/cleanliness, city management, and the lack of population/job growth. Pittsburgh also underperforms economically as well as retail offerings, but makes up for it in education, cultural amenities, professional sports, and creativity. Pittsburgh for all of its faults is in another league compared to Birmingham. Both are located in a region well known for its poverty, however.
I would say Birmingham overachieves on dining and nightlife, two of the things I am most familiar with about the city. Retail offerings are also impressive compared to other peer cities such as Memphis, Little Rock, and Knoxville. Where Birmingham fails for me is crime, appearance/cleanliness, city management, and the lack of population/job growth. Pittsburgh also underperforms economically as well as retail offerings, but makes up for it in education, cultural amenities, professional sports, and creativity. Pittsburgh for all of its faults is in another league compared to Birmingham. Both are located in a region well known for its poverty, however.
I think in terms of Birmingham, a lot of it may have to do with it being the biggest city in its state in terms of the positive aspects mentioned and its more blue collar/industrial nature plays a factor in terms of some of the negative aspects.
I'd also say that it is more in line with not only Memphis, but cities/areas such as Buffalo, Rochester, Richmond, Louisville, Grand Rapids and maybe even New Orleans(in a statistical sense) than Little Rock or Knoxville, as the first 6 areas are very similar in terms of population.
DC/Baltimore are closer to four hours away, but all of that misses the point. I wasn't talking about cities in close proximity for "escape" options, but just that whatever big city amenities that Pittsburgh has but are missing in Birmingham can be found in Atlanta which is an easy two hour drive away. Pittsburgh to Cleveland is mostly a lateral move.
Yeah, I think the only difference with Cleveland in comparison to Pittsburgh is that the Cleveland metro is about 20% Black. If you cut the Cleveland metro in half, the eastern half, which is closer to Pittsburgh, is probably about 30-33% Black. I say that because the eastern half of the city into nearby suburbs is highly to overwhelmingly Black, with incomes that run the gamut.
I'd also say that it is more in line with not only Memphis, but cities/areas such as Buffalo, Rochester, Richmond, Louisville, Grand Rapids and maybe even New Orleans(in a statistical sense) than Little Rock or Knoxville, as the first 6 areas are very similar in terms of population.
Agreed. I tend to think of other metros between 1-1.5 million as Birmingham's peers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
Yeah, I think the only difference with Cleveland in comparison to Pittsburgh is that the Cleveland metro is about 20% Black. If you cut the Cleveland metro in half, the eastern half, which is closer to Pittsburgh, is probably about 30-33% Black. I say that because the eastern half of the city into nearby suburbs is highly to overwhelmingly Black, with incomes that run the gamut.
Yeah Cleveland is Blacker but in terms of city amenities, they are even.
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