Birmingham vs. Nashville - comparisons (safe, state, largest, compare)

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by Bert_from_back_East

Finally, as another poster mentioned upthread, Birmingham has a more diversified economy that is not so heavily dependent on the lower-paying entertainment and tourism sectors.

Nashville certainly has large tourism/hospitality and entertainment sectors, but it's not heavily dependent on them. The city's leading sector and signature industry is healthcare management. I found a breakdown of Nashville's economy by sector and the percentage of the economy it accounts for:

Education & Health Services = 24.0%
Trade, Transportation & Utilities = 17.9%
Professional & Business Services = 13.0%
Leisure & Hospitality = 12.2%
Government = 4.1%
Manufacturing = 7.2%
Financial Activities = 7.1%
Construction = 6.1%
Information = 3.1%

Seeing as though Nashville has tourism and entertainment on top being a center for higher education, the state capital, a major publishing hub, and a big magnet for corporate relocations and expansions of a variety of companies, I'm not really seeing how Birmingham has the more diverse economy.

[Shakeesha]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Nashville certainly has large tourism/hospitality and entertainment sectors, but it's not heavily dependent on them. The city's leading sector and signature industry is healthcare management. I found a breakdown of Nashville's economy by sector and the percentage of the economy it accounts for:

Education & Health Services = 24.0%
Trade, Transportation & Utilities = 17.9%
Professional & Business Services = 13.0%
Leisure & Hospitality = 12.2%
Government = 4.1%
Manufacturing = 7.2%
Financial Activities = 7.1%
Construction = 6.1%
Information = 3.1%

Seeing as though Nashville has tourism and entertainment on top being a center for higher education, the state capital, a major publishing hub, and a big magnet for corporate relocations and expansions of a variety of companies, I'm not really seeing how Birmingham has the more diverse economy.

I agree as well. Nashville is well known as a healthcare hub. As a healthcare administrator, I hire many individuals from different regions who are trying to make their way. There a few programs available to train individuals to run hospitals, longterm care facilities, and sell insurance, and sales. The medical community is also very well connected.

[cherokee48]

Originally Posted by Bert_from_back_East

In my opinion, the lay of the land in Birmingham is more attractive than that of Nashville. Overall, Birmingham appears to be hillier and more heavily forested than Nashville. Due to the heavily forested character of Birmingham, residential housing lots in the city and its suburbs tend to more effortlessly blend with the natural environment, similar to what you find the Atlanta metropolitan area.

In addition to having more pleasing terrain, Birmingham is located further south than Nashville, so Birmingham has slightly milder winter weather, which is a major consideration for me. Both Alabama and Tennessee are prone to violent tornadoes; however, I presume that Birmingham has a lower risk of crippling ice storms than Nashville.

Although the primary airport in Birmingham, BHM, offers fewer direct, nonstop flight options than the primary airport in Nashville, BNA, Birmingham has much lighter road traffic than Nashville. Also, Birmingham is located 100 miles closer to Atlanta than Nashville, which allows residents of Birmingham to more easily visit Atlanta for international flights as well as conferences, conventions, professional sports games, etc. In my opinion, road quality is about the same in Alabama and Tennessee, even though Tennessee usually receives higher marks than Alabama in this category.

Personally, I like the idea of living in a state with a saltwater coastline, so Birmingham would make more sense for me. Even though the Alabama coastline is very small, it sure packs a mean punch. Additionally, the Florida Panhandle coastline is more accessible to residents of Birmingham than residents of Nashville.

Finally, as another poster mentioned upthread, Birmingham has a more diversified economy that is not so heavily dependent on the lower-paying entertainment and tourism sectors. When you combine a more diversified local economy with a state income tax and lower demand (Birmingham is empirically less popular than Nashville), I presume that salaries are more competitive in Birmingham and nearby Huntsville than Nashville, although I do not know that for sure.

This is a good observation, being nestled in the southern Appalachians gives Birmingham dramatic views and a very well blended urban and forested environment. Although Birmingham has had its share of harsh winters and ice storms, Alabama does lend to less harsh winters and less frequent harsh winters than what Nashville deals with in Tennessee.

[Shakeesha]

Originally Posted by cherokee48

This is a good observation, being nestled in the southern Appalachians gives Birmingham dramatic views and a very well blended urban and forested environment. Although Birmingham has had its share of harsh winters and ice storms, Alabama does lend to less harsh winters and less frequent harsh winters than what Nashville deals with in Tennessee.

I would say it is hard to argue Birmingham wins on scenery and outdoor activities. Nashville has more park land and green space in the city. Nashville is surrounded by hills, rivers, lakes, and streams. We are more flood and tornado prone as proven by recent events.

https://fitt.co/nashville/articles/hiking-nashville

https://www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-...ion/Parks.aspx

https://handluggageonly.co.uk/2018/0...ssee-to-visit/

[cherokee48]

Originally Posted by Shakeesha

I would say it is hard to argue Birmingham wins on scenery and outdoor activities. Nashville has more park land and green space in the city. Nashville is surrounded by hills, rivers, lakes, and streams. We are more flood and tornado prone as proven by recent events.

https://fitt.co/nashville/articles/hiking-nashville

https://www.nashville.gov/Parks-and-...ion/Parks.aspx

https://handluggageonly.co.uk/2018/0...ssee-to-visit/

I don't think so, this is not to take away anything from the beauty of Nashville's scenery but Birmingham's Red Mountain ridges and the views it gives win out. I'd say Birmingham wins on outdoor activities as well. Red Mountain Park has 15 miles or trails and is almost twice the size of Central Park in NYC has hiking, biking, ziplining, and historic mine exploration and it isn't even the most popular outdoor space in the city by a mile.

Red Mountain Park
https://redmountainpark.org/

5 mountaintop drives around Birmingham that will make you say WOW
https://bhamnow.com/2019/09/25/5-mou...e-you-say-wow/

Red Rock Trail System
Freshwater Land Trust – Red Rock Trail System

[mcalumni01]

https://www.governing.com/columns/ur...m-alabama.html

https://bhamnow.com/2017/05/10/celeb...am-area-parks/

https://rootsrated.com/birmingham-al

https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/how...nd-green-space

https://styleblueprint.com/birmingha...-parks-trails/

[BuffaloHome]

Originally Posted by cherokee48

I don't think so, this is not to take away anything from the beauty of Nashville's scenery but Birmingham's Red Mountain ridges and the views it gives win out. I'd say Birmingham wins on outdoor activities as well. Red Mountain Park has 15 miles or trails and is almost twice the size of Central Park in NYC has hiking, biking, ziplining, and historic mine exploration and it isn't even the most popular outdoor space in the city by a mile.

Red Mountain Park
https://redmountainpark.org/

5 mountaintop drives around Birmingham that will make you say WOW
https://bhamnow.com/2019/09/25/5-mou...e-you-say-wow/

Red Rock Trail System
Freshwater Land Trust – Red Rock Trail System

The two largest parks in Birmingham:
Red Mountain Park - 1,500 acres
Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition - 1,040 acres

The two largest parks in Nashville:
Warner Parks - 3,135 acres
Beaman Park - 1,493 acres

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._parks_by_size

There's also a state park located in Nashville, Radnor Lake, which is 1,368 acres as well as a state scenic river and parks run by the state wildlife resources agency. The US National Park Service also has a presence in Nashville with the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Nashville has 100 miles of paved greenway trails and 75 miles of unpaved hiking trails in the city. This does not include the miles of trails at the various state parks and natural areas within the city.

There are also large US Army Corps of Engineers lakes in Nashville which offer another few thousand acres of various parks and beaches run by the COE.

Some pictures of parks in Nashville:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Co...!4d-86.5968347

https://www.google.com/maps/place/El...!4d-86.6246653

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ma...!4d-86.9185495

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ha...!14m1!1BCgIgAQ

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ha...!14m1!1BCgIgAQ

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Be...14m1!1BCgIgAQ#

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Na...!4d-86.9676393

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ra...14m1!1BCgIgAQ#

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lu...!4d-86.8762565

https://www.google.com/maps/place/St...14m1!1BCgIgAQ#

[cherokee48]

Originally Posted by BuffaloHome

The two largest parks in Birmingham:
Red Mountain Park - 1,500 acres
Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition - 1,040 acres

The two largest parks in Nashville:
Warner Parks - 3,135 acres
Beaman Park - 1,493 acres

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._parks_by_size

There's also a state park located in Nashville, Radnor Lake, which is 1,368 acres as well as a state scenic river and parks run by the state wildlife resources agency. The US National Park Service also has a presence in Nashville with the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Nashville has 100 miles of paved greenway trails and 75 miles of unpaved hiking trails in the city. This does not include the miles of trails at the various state parks and natural areas within the city.

There are also large US Army Corps of Engineers lakes in Nashville which offer another few thousand acres of various parks and beaches run by the COE.

Some pictures of parks in Nashville:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Co...!4d-86.5968347

https://www.google.com/maps/place/El...!4d-86.6246653

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ma...!4d-86.9185495

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ha...!14m1!1BCgIgAQ

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ha...!14m1!1BCgIgAQ

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Be...14m1!1BCgIgAQ#

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Na...!4d-86.9676393

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ra...14m1!1BCgIgAQ#

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lu...!4d-86.8762565

https://www.google.com/maps/place/St...14m1!1BCgIgAQ#

Red Mountain Park and Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve are the largest parks in the city proper, but bear bear in mind Birmingham is not a consolidated city/county like Nashville so it leaves blind spots when making comparisons. 20 minutes South of downtown Birmingham lies the largest state park in Alabama in Pelham at Oak Mountain State Park with more than 9,000 acres and 51 miles of trails. Oak Mountain has the area's beach as well as horseback riding and a BMX track among the usual outdoor activities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Mountain_State_Park

Thanks to the Red Rock Trail System the area also has over 100 miles of paved trail and plans for more than 700 miles of trail once completed.

Red Mountain Park's 15 miles of trail are extensive are quite the hike. On the Smythe Trail is .53 miles but the catch is a large elevation change of 180 feet, as well as other trails on the mountain that take hikers and runners up and downhill

Birmingham also has a US National Park Service presence downtown in the Civil Rights District at the national monument.

[49erfan916]

Ive been to both cities late in 2018. Birmingham was meh but Nashville was pretty vibrant.

[BuffaloHome]

Originally Posted by cherokee48

Red Mountain Park and Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve are the largest parks in the city proper, but bear bear in mind Birmingham is not a consolidated city/county like Nashville so it leaves blind spots when making comparisons. 20 minutes South of downtown Birmingham lies the largest state park in Alabama in Pelham at Oak Mountain State Park with more than 9,000 acres and 51 miles of trails. Oak Mountain has the area's beach as well as horseback riding and a BMX track among the usual outdoor activities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Mountain_State_Park

Thanks to the Red Rock Trail System the area also has over 100 miles of paved trail and plans for more than 700 miles of trail once completed.

Red Mountain Park's 15 miles of trail are extensive are quite the hike. On the Smythe Trail is .53 miles but the catch is a large elevation change of 180 feet, as well as other trails on the mountain that take hikers and runners up and downhill

Birmingham also has a US National Park Service presence downtown in the Civil Rights District at the national monument.

Oak Mountain State Park is not in Jefferson County. Jefferson County, at 1,124 square miles is more than twice the size as Davidson County, 526 square miles. So if you want to include parks in counties immediately surrounding Jefferson, then we should also include parks in counties immediately surrounding Nashville.

The largest, Cheatham Wildlife Management Area, is 30 miles west of downtown and covers 20,810 acres. There's also Cedars of Lebanon State Park (9,420 acres) and Long Hunter State Park (2,600 acres).

And then there's 18,854 acres of public recreation areas and parks along Percy Priest Lake immediately east of the airport. Old Hickory Lake, just northeast of downtown, is a larger lake but its shoreline is more developed although it does have more water recreation: 8 marinas, 41 boat ramps, and several campgrounds.

The National Park Service, in addition to the Natchez Trace Parkway, operates the Stones River National Battlefield in Rutherford County.