Huntsville ranks 15th for the Nation's Fastest Growing City! (Birmingham: amusement parks, home)

[Elizabeth_G]

While I do wish we had a bit more "entertainment" here, I have seen so much progress in the 2 years that I have lived here.

We are always ranked number one for a reason...slow and steady growth. Our economy is much healthier than areas that do have much more to offer for entertainment. At this point in my life, I"ll take slow and steady.

I would LOVE to see more things head our way and I believe in time, they will.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

; other people want fun here just as much as me!

Have you checked these guys out? Maybe they do fun stuff in addition to career enhancing stuff:

HUNTSVILLE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS : : HYP

[mimpdaddy]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

What does Huntsville need to become cool and hip!

I don't know KE, because Huntsville is so disconnected. The people here go hide in there house after work. And most of the college students go home on the weekend.Huntsville made 3 big mistakes by letting the black arts festival go,annual bike meet on mastin lake go away and now the Huntsville Stars might be leaving.I still don't understand why you love Huntsville so much when we have true Alabama cities like Mobile,Montgomery and Birmingham, you know they are growing also.Huntsville is a BIG hype and I can't wait to go back to Alabama when I leave this place because people in Alabama have fun and don't stay on the computer commenting on how much better their city is than all the rest.KE I really think you don't love Alabama because Huntsville is not Alabama.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by mimpdaddy

I really think you don't love Alabama because Huntsville is not Alabama.

I've heard a lot of people say the reason they like Huntsville is because it isn't like Alabama.

[mimpdaddy]

Originally Posted by Charles

I've heard a lot of people say the reason they like Huntsville is because it isn't like Alabama.

Well I don't know what to say for those people but I love Alabama. I just get a proud feeling about this state when I go home starting from Birmingham on down.It's just a different atmosphere up here and you don't appreciate where are from until you are gone.Here's my logic; you would never hear anyone say that Atlanta is not Georgia or Houston is not Texas so why do people in Alabama want a city that does not represent us culturally, traditionally, and is reflection of the majority of people in this state.

[gsp4ever]

Originally Posted by mimpdaddy

I really think you don't love Alabama because Huntsville is not Alabama.

I've heard so many people say that, "there is Huntsville and then there is the rest of Alabama" I would like living in Birmingham (over the mountain areas mainly) and *maybe* Mobile (but it is very hot and muggy) but I wouldn't enjoy living in other areas of this state for a variety of reasons. A lot of those reasons do reflect the culture and traditions of Alabama but not all.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by mimpdaddy

Well I don't know what to say for those people but I love Alabama. I just get a proud feeling about this state when I go home starting from Birmingham on down.It's just a different atmosphere up here and you don't appreciate where are from until you are gone.Here's my logic; you would never hear anyone say that Atlanta is not Georgia or Houston is not Texas so why do people in Alabama want a city that does not represent us culturally, traditionally, and is reflection of the majority of people in this state.

This is probably true for every city in the US as more and more people relocate (especially to the cities like southern cities and in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the west coast cities). Cities themselves are going to be more cosmopolitan and have for example, national chain restaurants, and nationally common cultures. I saw this in Los Angeles in the 1980s but if I went out into the country in California, there was more of a California culture (more agriculture, more mulitgenerational Californians for example). A lot of city people may not have been born in that city due to cities having jobs that are hiring nationally.

Now, I can't say if Birmingham or Mobile feels more "Alabama" than Huntsvile because I don't know those cities.

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth_G

...I do wish we had a bit more "entertainment" here....

What do you mean??? Have you read the City-data-forum lately???? This IS entertainment !

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by friday13

here's my two hard-earned cents:

These rankings are useless! and the fanfare around them.

Ask the people that lost their jobs (mainly) in manufacturing sector (so far). Such rankings don't put food on their table nor pay the bills..

OK Friday... tell us how you really feel about this issue. Please, don't hold back now...

I agree that all politics are local and, if others lost their jobs it's a recession while if you lost your job then it's a depression. It is traumatic and personal when your major source of income has been shutoff.

As to the manufacturing sector job loss, take a cue from the rest of country since the 1980s, we've been rapidly losing manufacturing jobs to lower cost labor countries like China. Our big corporations have been overrun by MBAs who have no vision, no insight, and no intestinal fortitude to invest in their own companies. They only focus on corporate balance sheet for next 3 months at a time. Accounting practice has taken over the values & prides of America solid manufacturing base and decimated it.

So Huntsville is not immune to the 'disease' this nation has for the last 30 yrs. Just as steel mills shut down and auto plants closings, these jobs are not coming back. It's time to move on to other jobs that are in demand.

[mimpdaddy]

Originally Posted by Charles

Now, I can't say if Birmingham or Mobile feels more "Alabama" than Huntsvile because I don't know those cities.

I understand why you would say that. But I was born and raised here. You would have to live in those cities to understand where i'm coming from.Take a trip to Montgomery,Mobile, or Birmingham see the history and meet the people. Huntsville is basically a military base and the Alabama influences are somewhat watered down. Some Huntsville natives know this that's why they separate themselves accept for when it's convenient.It's a shame that most of the transplants here don't get this experience.