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If we are qualifying how Southern a city in Alabama is the “real south” doesn’t exist.
That's not what he's saying. He's saying that there's no stereotypical Southern city, chiefly because the region is diverse and endlessly nuanced in terms of economy, population, geography, culture, and a host of other factors.
I mean, what is the Real South? Capable observers and sociologists have been trying to define the South for generations and will be doing so for generations more. It's like trying to drive a nail through a blob of mercury.
That's not what he's saying. He's saying that there's no stereotypical Southern city, chiefly because the region is diverse and endlessly nuanced in terms of economy, population, geography, culture, and a host of other factors.
I mean, what is the Real South? Capable observers and sociologists have been trying to define the South for generations and will be doing so for generations more. It's like trying to drive a nail through a blob of mercury.
It's kind of the same idea of how numerous people disagree regarding the concept of what the Real Midwest is. Some want to make a claim that northeast Ohio isn't part of the region while others want to make the claim that the western Dakotas aren't part of the region. We have to go by official designations for better or worse.
He has a point. It is not that Birmigham is not trying, but it tends to rank very low in important economic indicators. Birmingham is not a healthy city. The city ranks high for obesity and comorbidities.
I get that Birmingham has its challenges as a city, but I don't agree that it is among the bottom 5 in the South or the bottom 10 in the U.S. as a whole across most relevant metrics. Even when looking at two of the categories you mentioned, educational attainment and crime, Louisville ranks 94th on that same list and ranks third nationwide among cities with the highest increases in their homicide rates over the past two years.
This is a good overview of how both Jefferson counties stack up when compared to each other (since Louisville is a consolidated city, county-level data is more apples-to-apples): https://www.countyhealthrankings.org...1_073%2021_111
I get that Birmingham has its challenges as a city, but I don't agree that it is among the bottom 5 in the South or the bottom 10 in the U.S. as a whole across most relevant metrics. Even when looking at two of the categories you mentioned, educational attainment and crime, Louisville ranks 94th on that same list and ranks third nationwide among cities with the highest increases in their homicide rates over the past two years.
This is a good overview of how both Jefferson counties stack up when compared to each other (since Louisville is a consolidated city, county-level data is more apples-to-apples): https://www.countyhealthrankings.org...1_073%2021_111
Louisville certainly has its issues. West Louisville is well known for crime and drugs. Louisville feels more segregated, at least culturally, than Birmingham. I think both cities really need to work on crime.
Gotta go with Louisville on this one. Very underrated city.
It's overrated, I think it has big issues, and really don't like its location on the Ohio River too much.
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