Tampa, atlanta,savannah,birmingham..which one? (place, America, life, people)

[birminghamster]

Birmingham (Mt. Brook) has a large Jewish community.

[Tourian]

If you're are looking for mass quantities of major city amenities, pro sports and entertainment venues - Birmingham will disappoint. If you are looking for comfortable affordable living, easy traffic, good schools and a few and growing number of nice neat things to do and raise a family Birmingham is fine. You can always visit Atlanta.

[characterRef]

Originally Posted by birminghamster

Birmingham (Mt. Brook) has a large Jewish community.

That's true..but let's be clear, they are acculturated, and most families come from a long line of NE interlopers who moved to Bham in the "Magic City" days of the steel heyday - they followed the money, retail, banking, jewelers, money changers, and medical professionals (much later). I assure you, Jews in Birmingham are nothing like Jews in the NE (Philly NYC, Bronx, Long Island..lol) or say, in Chicago . At one time Mtn Brook was the largest "Jewish Suburb" in the nation....and one of the richest...period..but even that couldn't promote and launch Birmingham into the new Age...why ? they mostly were the most self-serving, self-aggrandizing group in Birmingham - insular would be an understatement - greedy might be a more appropriate adjective- most were in fact too busy "racking off the top" to really be focused on the growth or the city at large. They used the City only to further secure financial hegemony - and it worked very very well. Believe me, I know....oh too well.

[Breeon_RM]

To add my two cents in - Birmingham, isn't bad...it's just not the best. So take that as you wish. I am trying to think of a good analogy - this isn't the best one, but think Nissan/Infiniti, Toyota/Lexus, Mazda/Acura (<---I *believe* Acura is the luxury equivalent, on that last one). A Toyota will get you there, and pretty well, but we all know what a Lexus delivers. I would advise coming to spend some time here (not sure how much you have, already) and seeing how that goes. There are definitely cultural things going on in the city, but the support and numbers simply cannot compare to Atlanta. And depending on where you go - I almost want to say housing is cheaper in ATL and the suburbs - I know I've definitely seen bigger, newer houses at lower prices than I've seen here, and that is true for apartments also- I have a friend who just finished medical school in ATL (she's from Dothan), and her rent is maybe $50 more than mine is....but her apartment is easily twice the size of mine, and newer, and in a nice area (N Druid Hills). But - if you'd like to come here and work toward pushing Birmingham forward - we could always a few good men ( and WOMEN - !!)

[characterRef]

Pull up a chair, it's going to be a while for Birmingham and Memphis

The horse has already left the gate and running strong around the second turn for Tampa Bay, and Nashville.

[ZonaZoo]

OP, you've selected four cities: one large city (Atlanta), two medium-sized cities (Birmingham and Tampa), and one small city (Savannah). Your decision should be relatively simple depending on what you're looking for in a city.

For example, if you want to live in a large city, then move to Atlanta. If you want to live in a small city, then move to Savannah.

That being said, I like medium-sized cities like Birmingham, Tampa, and Raleigh much more so than both large and small cities. I grew up in a medium-sized city (Providence, RI), and I currently live in a medium-sized city (Tucson, AZ). Eventually, I would love to move to either Orlando or Tampa.

If you're deciding between the two medium-sized cities you've selected, Birmingham and Tampa, the decision should be relatively simple as these two cities are quite different from each other. Do you want to have easy access to saltwater and world-class beaches? Do you want to be within a short driving distance from world-renowned theme parks? Do you desire a year-round warm climate? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, then Tampa it is.

On the other hand, South Florida would definitely fit the bill if you desire a large city/metropolitan area with both a large black community (not necessarily a large "African-American" community) and a large Jewish community.

Good luck and God bless your move.

[DrTesla35]

the reality is you can can generally do the same thing in different cities. for example if you play tennis, you can play tennis anywhere. unless you have specialized niche hobbies, or a niche career, one city vs another one doesn't matter that much in the big scheme. It really comes down to what landscape you prefer, if you are able to move anywhere without a job lined up first which seems risky in this economy.

[todd00]

OP, You didn't mention anything about jobs. Usually finding a job comes before anything else. What were you planning to do career wise after you leave the military? Which city would be best reference securing a good position in your field? Past that, no matter what help you get here, the best thing you can do is have a visit for yourself. Also researching facts regarding taxes, housing costs and crime can be useful. I would start reading the online newspapers from each city you are thinking about too. It can give you an idea whats happening in the city. Good Luck.

[projectmaximus]

Originally Posted by ZonaZoo

OP, you've selected four cities: one large city (Atlanta), two medium-sized cities (Birmingham and Tampa), and one small city (Savannah). Your decision should be relatively simple depending on what you're looking for in a city.

For example, if you want to live in a large city, then move to Atlanta. If you want to live in a small city, then move to Savannah.

That being said, I like medium-sized cities like Birmingham, Tampa, and Raleigh much more so than both large and small cities. I grew up in a medium-sized city (Providence, RI), and I currently live in a medium-sized city (Tucson, AZ). Eventually, I would love to move to either Orlando or Tampa.

Not a bad strategy, but I personally would take it one step further and separate all four cities into different size levels. Tampa is significantly larger than Birmingham and in some ways offers a range of amenities more akin to ATL than Birmingham.

Metro Populations:
ATL - 5.5 million, Tampa - 3 million, Birmingham - 1.4 million, Savannah - 362K

2010 GDP:
ATL - 273 million, Tampa - 114 million, Birmingham - 54 million

Tampa, like Atlanta, also has 3 major league sports teams.

[Newsboy]

I agree that Atlanta has most everything you're looking for (except close access to a beach). It's a huge international metropolis with tons of people from different backgrounds and places and unlimited opportunuties. You mentioned wanting a career in broadcasting, and Atlanta is a center for film and television production -- the new Hollywood!

Birmingham and Savannah are both great cities in their own right, but why settle when you can have the moon?

EXAMPLE: I know that Savannah has a large black catholic community, but I've never met a black Jew here. However, I wouldn't be surprised if there's probably a black synagogue in Atlanta!

Focus on ATL!