Haven't been to Birmingham in years. What can I expect? (Mountain Brook: real estate, insurance)

[Croye22]

I'll be coming to Birmingham in a few weeks for UAB Orientation, but I haven't been inside the actual city part in almost 8 years. Probably a silly question, but what can I expect when I come?

[hlsess]

a very nice and welcoming city with lots to do-

[Southlander]

UAB is a wonderful area. You won't believe the new and rehabbed buildings, not just at UAB but also Children's Hospital.

Just use normal precaution as you would in any larger city.

[dmagoku]

Lots of empty building that need to be lofts of something. Otherwise a very urban inner city.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by dmagoku

Lots of empty building that need to be lofts of something. Otherwise a very urban inner city.

Well, actually the downtown occupancy rate is around 90%, and the old Pizitz building is currently being renovated. Plenty of lofts, too.

[Laocoön]

Originally Posted by Croye22

I'll be coming to Birmingham in a few weeks for UAB Orientation, but I haven't been inside the actual city part in almost 8 years. Probably a silly question, but what can I expect when I come?

In town
The same as it ever was: Blight, bombed-out neighborhoods, and dilapidated buildings. The same Third World crime rate. The same welfare queens and Democrats sucking the city dry. And the same corrupt politicians continuing to own the city's residents' asses. The same apathetic citizens doing absolutely nothing but moving aimlessly, desultorily, and at a glacial pace.

Never a pedestrian in sight, except for maybe a thug strollin' his hos. Less people and less traffic than ever before, which would seem to be a good thing, except when you realize these are signs of massive black flight and the moribund economy respectively. Birmingham: a dying land full of deadbeats amidst a non-place.

In the inner 'burbs
Still a great place to live from age 0 to 18. Still a great place to be safe, yet bored out of your mind. Still a great place to catch a nap or convalesce. Not such a great place anymore to be a financial guy, insurance guy, real estate guy, or any other type of "good guy." Still a good place to be a doc, independently wealthy, a law man -- if you don't mind total boredom.

In the outer 'burbs and on the outskirts of town
More traffic and more people than ever. The same airheaded soccer moms driving too slow and gabbing on cell phones. The same khaki-panted, barrel-chested, and Polo short-sleeved country-come-to-towners barking into cell phones while driving, driving, driving to the golf course, to church, to the football game watching party, and maybe to the office park to move a mouse or push a piece of paper across a desk on a rare occasion. The same old indolent porch monkeys, tea sippers, hay yawlers, American Idol worshippers, and lay-z-boys & girls doing absolutely nothing but watching football and the world go by. Trees, trees, and more trees, and wild weeds and bushes -- and kudzu of kourse -- devouring, blanketing, spreading like a disease and soon to completely engulf most of this God-forsaken city (Thank God) and put it out of its misery once and for all. Still more strip malls per capita than any place on the planet. Still an inordinate amount of people driving their cars from store to store within the same strip mall because they're too lazy or pretentious to walk. Never a pedestrian anywhere in sight. (Dog walkers and joggers don't count.) The same cultural amenities, er amenity: college football. No new art, no new music, no new food, no new architecture to be found here. Move along, nothing to see, hear, taste, or experience here!

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Laocoön

In town
The same as it ever was: Blight, bombed-out neighborhoods, and dilapidated buildings. The same Third World crime rate. The same welfare queens and Democrats sucking the city dry. And the same corrupt politicians continuing to own the city's residents' asses. The same apathetic citizens doing absolutely nothing but moving aimlessly, desultorily, and at a glacial pace.
Still with the kneejerk opinions, right, L? A recent study found the downtown area actually had a lower crime rate than Mountain Brook. So much for for your argument there.

CAP: Downtown crime equal to Vestavia, Mountain Brook - Birmingham Business Journal:

Oh, and downtown currently has an occupancy rate of roughly 90%, not to mention a growing loft community.


Never a pedestrian in sight, except for maybe a thug strollin' his hos. Less people and less traffic than ever before, which would seem to be a good thing, except when you realize these are signs of massive black flight and the moribund economy respectively. Birmingham: a dying land full of deadbeats amidst a non-place.
Again, since we've established that you never get past the city limits of Mountain Brook, I'm not sure how you'd know this. We did a pub crawl in downtown Birmingham a little over a month ago. There's actually a nightlight emerging there.


In the inner 'burbs
Still a great place to live from age 0 to 18. Still a great place to be safe, yet bored out of your mind. Still a great place to catch a nap or convalesce. Not such a great place anymore to be a financial guy, insurance guy, real estate guy, or any other type of "good guy." Still a good place to be a doc, independently wealthy, a law man -- if you don't mind total boredom.
Once again, you're just not trying that hard. Try picking up a copy of Black & White or Birmingham Weekly. There are page after page of things to do in venue after venue. I think you must just be lazy.


In the outer 'burbs and on the outskirts of town
More traffic and more people than ever. The same airheaded soccer moms driving too slow and gabbing on cell phones. The same khaki-panted, barrel-chested, and Polo short-sleeved country-come-to-towners barking into cell phones while driving, driving, driving to the golf course, to church, to the football game watching party, and maybe to the office park to move a mouse or push a piece of paper across a desk on a rare occasion. The same old indolent porch monkeys, tea sippers, hay yawlers, American Idol worshippers, and lay-z-boys & girls doing absolutely nothing but watching football and the world go by. Trees, trees, and more trees, and wild weeds and bushes -- and kudzu of kourse -- devouring, blanketing, spreading like a disease and soon to completely engulf most of this God-forsaken city (Thank God) and put it out of its misery once and for all. Still more strip malls per capita than any place on the planet. Still an inordinate amount of people driving their cars from store to store within the same strip mall because they're too lazy or pretentious to walk. Never a pedestrian anywhere in sight. (Dog walkers and joggers don't count.) The same cultural amenities, er amenity: college football. No new art, no new music, no new food, no new architecture to be found here. Move along, nothing to see, hear, taste, or experience here!

Somebody's bitter, isn't he? I know that you're not a very reflective person and prone to kneejerk, uninformed opinions, but take it from somebody who has actually lived all over the country. You'll find those people pretty much everywhere. I mean, do you ever actually get out of your cloistered little world?

[Croye22]

Other than Laocoon's silly rant, I'm excited to be moving to Birmingham soon and going to UAB.

Btw, is UAB located in the heart of downtown? From what I hear it's in the city, though I don't know its exact location.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Croye22

Other than Laocoon's silly rant, I'm excited to be moving to Birmingham soon and going to UAB.

Btw, is UAB located in the heart of downtown? From what I hear it's in the city, though I don't know its exact location.

It's about ten blocks south of downtown, but it's really all part of the city.

[dmagoku]

Originally Posted by Laocoön

In town
The same as it ever was: Blight, bombed-out neighborhoods, and dilapidated buildings. The same Third World crime rate. The same welfare queens and Democrats sucking the city dry. And the same corrupt politicians continuing to own the city's residents' asses. The same apathetic citizens doing absolutely nothing but moving aimlessly, desultorily, and at a glacial pace.

Never a pedestrian in sight, except for maybe a thug strollin' his hos. Less people and less traffic than ever before, which would seem to be a good thing, except when you realize these are signs of massive black flight and the moribund economy respectively. Birmingham: a dying land full of deadbeats amidst a non-place.

In the inner 'burbs
Still a great place to live from age 0 to 18. Still a great place to be safe, yet bored out of your mind. Still a great place to catch a nap or convalesce. Not such a great place anymore to be a financial guy, insurance guy, real estate guy, or any other type of "good guy." Still a good place to be a doc, independently wealthy, a law man -- if you don't mind total boredom.

In the outer 'burbs and on the outskirts of town
More traffic and more people than ever. The same airheaded soccer moms driving too slow and gabbing on cell phones. The same khaki-panted, barrel-chested, and Polo short-sleeved country-come-to-towners barking into cell phones while driving, driving, driving to the golf course, to church, to the football game watching party, and maybe to the office park to move a mouse or push a piece of paper across a desk on a rare occasion. The same old indolent porch monkeys, tea sippers, hay yawlers, American Idol worshippers, and lay-z-boys & girls doing absolutely nothing but watching football and the world go by. Trees, trees, and more trees, and wild weeds and bushes -- and kudzu of kourse -- devouring, blanketing, spreading like a disease and soon to completely engulf most of this God-forsaken city (Thank God) and put it out of its misery once and for all. Still more strip malls per capita than any place on the planet. Still an inordinate amount of people driving their cars from store to store within the same strip mall because they're too lazy or pretentious to walk. Never a pedestrian anywhere in sight. (Dog walkers and joggers don't count.) The same cultural amenities, er amenity: college football. No new art, no new music, no new food, no new architecture to be found here. Move along, nothing to see, hear, taste, or experience here!

I only visit Birmingham on occasion and I even know that most of this is bull****. The football and pedestrian thing may be true but everything else especially with entertainment is hogwosh or just bitter.