What do you think Birmingham look like in 10 yrs?? (Mobile: foreclosures, student loans)

[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

To be honest with you, I would be horrified by an Atlanta-like boom. Sure, I would like to see more amenities and conveniences. At the same time, Atlanta is a huge, disorganized mess of a city, and its traffic problems make the place virtually unlivable. Ask anybody who commutes three hours a day or endures years of water rationing.

To me, there are better alternatives than Atlanta. Charlotte, for example.

I agree very much with this. My advantages of living in Atlanta= cheaper, more convenient flights and better food, although most of the food I like is out on Buford highway. However, its as said, a disorganized mess. If I wanted to spend that much time in a car every day I'd just move to LA does just about everything Atlanta does better, but with decent weather.
Birmingham isn't perfect, but it can work with its strengths rather than trying to blow up (and inevitably failing) into an Atlanta. Growth can be good, but it does not equal good.

[Threestep2]

Bluebeard do not feel alone - Asian restaurants are still scarce here - employment is picking up. And that like crazy. Some banks are ready to beef up.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by mimpdaddy

Why not shoot for the largest metro in the southeast. I'm just frusrated with Bham it should be leading the way, but nothing has changed in years.

I have to agree with you on this.The negative Alabama image will change when B-ham step up and that is my opinion.

What is Gorgia with out Atlanta ?? Some may argue that Gorgia would still have the image it has if Atlanta wasn`t in Gorgia.I say "Hell To THE NO" !!!!

What I`m saying is that Atlanta was and still is the corner stone of change in that state. Charlotte did the same thing for North Carolina.

I wish that B-ham was a 3 million metro with a pro team.Just that one city would if given the opertunity could really change the image that the state has. I`m sorry people but Huntsvegas can`t do it ha ! And both Mobile and Montgomery aren`t large enough. We have the cruise industry here in Mobile and other things going on.Montgomery has river walk and other good up and coming attractions but we can only do so much.

I wish that the three neighboring Mississippi counties that border Mobile county were part of the CSA.And Washington,Monroe and Clark counties in Alabma that are bordering neighbors to Mobile County as well were all part of the Mobile CSA county (which would give Mobile a CSa population of that is well over 900K). We dream and hope for a lot of stuff and there is nothing wrong with dreaming people trust me but don`t sleep while dreaming is all I`m saying.

[bluebeard]

So growth=progress? Reputation=the primary objective of a metro's plan?
You can have progress without surging population growth. I understand what growth can and can't do. Where I'm from was just about all orchards in my youth, and is now the tech hub of the country, and pretty much the world. However this has brought both positives and negatives. I love the area, but it definitely could have grown in a way that was more beneficial to both the immigrants and especially the pre-existing local residents.
In addition, one need only look at the outer metro/imperial valley California, Phoenix, Vegas, and Florida to see that relentlessly pursuing growth can lead to unintended consequences.
Bigger does not equal better. Birmingham is slowly reversing its trend of flight out of the city. Some increased exchange of population and ideas is likely a good thing, but using Atlanta as a model is unrealistic, and for many undesirable. Atlanta already exists, and its not all that far away.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by mimpdaddy

Tourain all you have to do is look at the city of Birmingham. And some might say Mobile and Montgomery are years behind Bham but when I travel down I-65 those cities look more modern(progessive) than Birmingham. My wife is from Georgia and she likes Mobile out of all the cities in Alabama. There is a cloud over the of Bham city until you reach Hoover and Shelby county. I wish it wasn't so , you guys brag on being the largest metro in the state of Alabama(wow big accomplisment). Why not shoot for the largest metro in the southeast. I'm just frusrated with Bham it should be leading the way, but nothing has changed in years.

I look at it everyday, there is no cloud. I and no body I know brags on being the largest metro in the state - that's just silly - its just a simple fact. There's no way for any one citizen to "Shoot for" being the largest metro in the southeast. Not all of us want that. There are many people here that definitely don't want that. Being bigger is not necessarily the only measure of success. I do not have Atlanta envy.

There are plenty of things to be proud of about this city and even though I've visited every other large city in the state, nothing about them makes me want to leave.

[PortCity]

I agree with both Bluebird and Tourian that bigger isn’t always better...I think that education is the biggest downfall in this state. We all know that the schools in Hoover and Homewood are great but what about the West End,Westlawn,Huffman,and Ensley areas of Birmingham ? The schools in Madison and Hampton Cove are nice but what about South Huntsville ? The schools in West Mobile and the Eastern Shore are good but what about Prichard,Mayesville,Down the bay, and Orange Gove. East Montgomery and Prattville have good schools but what about West Montgomery ?

The flight of a certain demographic and social economic class is another problem that is just as important as education and in my opinion the reason why education is at a lower standard in our inner cities. The result of social economic flight is that you will have another type of demographic that’s left that only bring a certain value to a city.

The only major city in this state that hasn`t really experienced social economic flight is Huntsville and the reason is because Huntsville just recently(like 1990) established the DNA to be an urbanized area.

[Tourian]

This place is like a secret oasis. The good parts of it are like a haven for stars and athletes who come here and want to stay low key. Sports stars discover it most likely because they get sent here for our outstanding health system and many end up buying their 2nd (or third or tenth) home here. Atlanta has the flash and dazzle, but I've heard more then one person here say ATL is a great place to visit, but not a great place to live - but Birmingham is a great place to live, but not necessarily a great place to visit. And even that last part is an asterisk because there are a lot of nice things to see and do here if you enjoy history, shopping, great food, etc. But if you are looking for rubbing elbows with celebrities, professional sports (other then golf), or flashy music industry you will be disappointed with Birmingham. All the old money types in Mountain Brook, Homewood, and Hoover don't want that here and will do whatever they can to undermine any steps the city takes to move us in that direction. I do not know if they are totally against something like an NFL, NBA, or MLB team, but they certainly aren't helping the cause. Anything that would most likely bring in a lot of new people that aren't blue bloods is definitely not high on the list of what the powerful people with money in and around this area want.

I don't play golf, but I love sports car racing, and Barber's is a world class facility. And I do mean WORLD class. Formula One turned their nose up at us and rightly so because we just aren't a big enough city (and not enough hotel beds, yet) to support the international circus that is Formula One - but then they settled on Austin, which doesn't even have a track built yet which kind of makes me think they slighted us in their decision. Still, Austin is bigger and is in a more populous state, so I still understand. Kawasaki chose Barber's to premiere one of its new bikes - to the world. Not Japan, not Germany, not Australia, but Birmingham, AL. Now that Indy car is here we have another big name event with great tv coverage to help promote our city to the world, along with the big golf tournaments. So we are starting to gain good national positive attention. IT won't be long before someone else decides to bring money and development here in some other form of venue, and the number of hotels going up looks like the city is getting ready for it. Now they just need to figure out what to do with the BJCC and/or dome.

[PortCity]

"Old money" is a big problem in our area too man but change is deffinantly coming !!

[Laocoön]

Originally Posted by PortCity

"Old money" is a big problem in our area too man but change is deffinantly coming !!

You are envious and ungrateful. Ever consider that it's the old-monied in places like Birmingham who keep most of you employed and the city you live in of a sustainable human scale (unlike Atlanta)? The old money blue bloodsare not the enemy; they are great treasures: they are knowledgeable, time-tested, and thoughtful. They are proven at what they do/did for a living to earn their wealth. And if they did merely inherit their wealth, well, they are good stewards. They are the wise sages and indeed the backbones of our communities and cities. They keep business, enterprise, and innovation going, which drive progress and growth. They hold in the highest regard education, civility, and aesthetics -- the lynchpins of decent society and livable cities. If you are for eradicating wealth and the blue bloods, then get ready for life in a Third World country. There won't be anything left for them, or for you.

[sleepless in Bham]

I wouldnt say its the ''bluebloods'' un-willingness to bring pro sports here, its people in general here who are not pushing for a pro team, and why would they?, the NFL is not looking at us (even though it would be awesome), nor MLB. The NBA would be bham's best shot, but even then I dont know if there would be alot of interest. I personally would be stoked if pro sports finally came to bham, you can never have enough entertainment options.