Meh, below mediocre decent food - 7/29/2022

Birmingham is better than ever, meaning it is beginning to gain half of the stuff a normal city of its size has. The food scene is definitely an exception and is above average for a city its size if you prefer southern food and some French/Italian the quality is high for the price. I wouldn't say it's as creative and the choices of foreign foods doesn't come close to a Los Angeles etc. I grew up here, lived here for thirty years and moved to the West Coast. You MUST be religious of some type here, otherwise people won't trust you. Most people are evangelicals. You could be catholic, Greek, etc, as long as you're a church attender somewhere. There is a new money Birmingham crowd of mostly doctors and business executives of several mid sized businesses and a lot of small business owners. It's a very business friendly climate on permits and taxes and such if you don't mind it being a small market and consumers with limited curiosity. The same type things tend to work here over and over. Don't try something new here. The city government is less corrupt than it used to be. Birmingham schools are terrible. There are some mediocre religious private schools and one or two really good private schools much cheaper than in other parts of the US. Housing prices are phenomenal comparatively. Rent is low comparatively. Beware of the large landlords. They'll try and scam you out of your deposit. Take tons of pictures. Beware of parking scams in popular bar areas with towing companies and no signs. If you are very Christian and want a cheap place to live, I'd recommend it. If you're Avant garde, a liberal, or want tons of things to do I'd recommend a larger city. People are less racist than you may expect but also it's a real thing in a subtle way. The old money people run everything in Alabama as a whole. New money runs Birmingham but they have limited power due to the State Constitution. Many people who live here grew up here and it might be really hard to make new friends. Established friend groups. You may need to join a prosperity gospel church like Church of the Highlands to make friends or network for a job. There are tons of people with degrees who won't find a job here. Things are handed out on a personal basis to people the managers know. Talk to a local who knows the city well. There are some places you never ever ever want to go, especially at night, it is an extremely dangerous city. The suburbs are cheap and boring and solid middle class places. Mountain Brook and Vestavia kinda are luxurious but overly pretensious for what they are. Don't even bother with Mountain Brook if you're not from there. Homewood is trendy and overly expensive for the small old houses kind of like California with no beach. People are more polite here than on the West Coast, however beware, Birmingham is extremely gossipy and judgmental. Don't mistake polite for trustworthy, although I will say there are people in Birmingham who would give the shirt off their back for others.

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small city to enjoy the typical southerner's life - 12/16/2020

Lived in the Birmingham for years. The small city was divided by the historical train tracks into the north half and the south one. The north section was the downtown of the old iron city. There are many old buildings, abandoned, but still with its charm. Some buildings are occupied by banks, as their national data-centers. People works there in the daytime. But after sunset, it's a ghost town. Across the 20 hwy, on the north side of the ghost town, many houses are abandoned. Tornadoes usually come from the southwest, and pass around the city by the north side. It doesn't worth to the fix the broken houses there. The whole south section is the UAB campus, hospitals, clinics, and law firms. The campus area is much safer than the north section. But you still could get robbed in a garage building, if you leave too late. Most students and apartment-dwellers live in the areas between the UAB campus and the red mountain ridge. Many students don't drive every day. They walk or ride bicycles. There are some common issues among college students, like drugs, weed, smoking. Across the red mountain ridge, it's the residential area for families. Homewood sits in a valley. Houses are usually old and need to be maintained for the higher humidity, and frequent flooding issues. Vestavia is farther south, and has better schools. Housing costs more than Homewood. There are many old and expensive houses in mountain brook, well maintained, but with lead painting are still there. You might find children with lead problems, living in a half million house in mountain brook. Houses in Hoover are relatively new, without lead and asbestos concerns. Homewood, Vestavia, mountain brook and Hoover are all good locations for families. But nowhere is trully safe, as everyone can drive 30 min to everywhere. You can find a judgmental map, a racialdotmap and a community crime map online. Between Homewood, and Vestavia, there is Lakeshore drive, but no lake nearby. By the Lakeshore, there is a Samford univ. It's not a misspelled Stanford. The red mountain ridge is higher than the Homewood valley. Beautiful smoky mountain views are found at sunrise after a rainy night. The green mountains are surrounded by thick fog. The Homewood is buried in the fog. That AL number plate depicts the exact view. Gunshots could be heard almost every few weeks at nighttime. The crispy sound can travel very far, especially in the quiet night. Birmingham is in a hilly area. Many roads are steep, not designed for icy weather. But in winter, night temperature could drop below 30F. For each year, there are 1-2 cold weeks, and 1-2 light snow drops. When the icy roads are expected, the whole city will shutdown for half or one day. Most houses are heated with heatpumps (HVAC) and fireplaces. Tap water tastes very good, and clean. But expensive sewer fees (>$100) are charged for that infamous Jefferson County sewer scandal. Yes. There are something in the sludge. The sewer fee is based on the watermeter. People need to pay the sewer fees for watering their lawn. The air is always fresh and sweet. The sky is always clean. My car was coated by thick pine pollen in the spring. It could be a big issue to someone. Peoples are the typical southerners, conservative, religious, not very open to the strangers, but sincere, and polite. They pronounce "you" as "yall", in a funny way . They enjoy their isolation, weather and their southerner's life. Rude people could be found. But usually they won't bother you, if you didn't initiate it. On the highway, people don't drive in a rude /crazy way. Traffic jams happen at the peak time. The 280 HWY should be designed with more lanes, and there is no space to widen it. Something wrong was initially at the city planning. Five points might the only spot with a limited nightlife. There are not many shows. It's a boring city to party goers, the liberal and artists. The living cost is low. Housing is not expensive. A safer location with good schools is possible for ~ 300K. Generally speaking, I might move back, if there were a better job offer. But their pay rates are usually lower than other cities for the same job. Most people move to Birmingham after getting a job.

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A boring city - 4/7/2020

I moved to Birmingham 6.5 years ago for a new job. The city is very boring in my opinion, there isn't much to do over the weekend except shopping or eating out. Summer is long and humid. Pollen in Spring is terrible. The biggest employer seems to be UAB that does not offer any career ladder for employees. I agree with some of the reviewers here that blending with the locals is not easy. So I feel isolated here. I am glad I can finally move out of here.

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You should visit Birmingham - 3/10/2019

Birmingham was sooo bad just 10 years ago. The city is starting to look alive again. But some places in Birmingham need to be avoided but places like downtown (especially 2nd,3rd and 4th ave N) five Points south, Avondale,south side, and more. Surrounding suburbs are great like Hoover, Vestavia hills, Mountainbrooke, and more and the night seen it is exquisite

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Stay away if you are not white and from the area - 12/5/2018

Birmingham might be a good place for people who have lived there for generations. However, if you are a professional from other regions of the country or god forbid from other countries, try to stay away from it. My spouse and I are both professors and we lived in BHM for 7 years. We almost had to socialize exclusively with transplants like us the entire time. If you are not originally from the Alabama area, the locals won't hang out with you, their kids won't have playdates with your kids, you are discriminated at work, even universities, which are probably the most liberal place in the city. My former next door neighbor told me that she moved to Birmingham from Atlanta because Atlanta is too diverse. I find that to be the kind of mindset of Birmingham. The city is extremely segregated. Neighborhoods are either almost completely white or complete Black, with later having bad public schools. We bought a house in a city with good schools, but we are not white. We left after seven years, before our first kid is about to start elementary school. She would be the only non-white kid in that year in the school we are zoned to. We realized all our colleges and friends, Americans and foreign, as long as they are not from the area, have left at approximately the same time.

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Don't do it... Unless you're a "brown noser" - 7/4/2018

I live in huntsville alabama I've out of work professionally About 4yrs. Temp work here and their. I've noticed if you're not part of the good ole boy click or brown nosing your not going to make it. And if you're the only black person on a team be prepared for the racist side jokes. Been here since 2008 the biggest Mistake of my life. Don't do it.

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Birmingham not the place - 1/3/2013

I have lived here for 12 years, and don't like it at all. My family and I live outside of Birmingham in a suburb. The suburbs are nice, quiet and the cost of living is low but there are few jobs there. Also right outside of the suburbs lurks HIGH CRIME Birmingham laced with murdering youth who kill for no reason. I am a Black female with a MBA and have to constantly fight to get hired for jobs that pay more than $50k per year. Thankfully a Fortune 500 company from a northern state has hired me to work from home in Alabama with a six figure income. Sad enough this could not happen locally, pretty sure due to racism. Outside of this I am terrified that my husband will be hurt or murdered by a senseless crime. committed by the youth from Birmingham. There is so much gun violence it is ridiculous and sad. We are seeking to move away but are still trying to decide where.... We have a 11 month old baby and this is no place to raise a family, or for minorities looking for fair pay and opportunities. Nor is this the pace anyone of any race who is trying to get away from random violence. Look up news on Birmingham Al I am sure you will find many articles on the violence etc. We can't wait to move!

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Suburbs of Birmingham - 10/23/2012

Living in surrounding areas of Birmingham i.e. Mt.Brook, Homewood, Vestavia, Hoover, Southside, Pelham, Trussville, Pelham, Chelsea, or any other small city should not be on a best place to live. The center of all these small cities is a high crime, highly polluted city of Birmingham. Have lived here for a long time and have had to deal with indifferent people, horrible traffic problems(have called the State Transportation Dept. many times and all I get are excuses), air filters in my home are always black from poor air quality and air pollution levels as bad as Flint, MI not to mention what the water quality must be. Crime rates and pollution in Birmingham in top ten in national polls. So there are no cities that surround this type of badly run large city that is going to be a great place to live or bring a family. I have seen to many positive reviews on internet that make no since at all. Get real or get off the internet with the false information. We are moving as soon as possible and will not look back. Do not move to these areas. You can tell people do not like their living conditions here: they are mostly unhappy and indifferent.

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Birmingham, AL - 2/21/2011

Birmingham is more of a big-ole-town rather than a city. People and businesses alike strike to make it a better community for all to live in. We have a world class medical center called University of Alabama in Birmingham. The landscape is mountainous with trees making for a beautiful back drop for our sunsets.

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Birmingham Job Initiative - 11/20/2010

Birmingham is currently undergoing a change in the job market. A change for the worse! In the last year jobs have decreased by 8.72%, therefore helping to raise the unemployment rate to 9.90%. Politicians have made promises to bring jobs to the state, cities, and counties, and we have seen little or no results! Those expecting results should not hold their breath because the last time a politician had to look for a job it was to seek election. No one currently in office has any solutions adn will not present any for the next 2-4 years. It is not in their best interest to do so. We as citizens should force them to change their ways of thinking and it should happen now! Birmingham Water Works constantly brags about having the top 5% best water in the country. As a member of the Birmingham Regional Cahmber of Commerce you receive bottles of water for attending meetings. My question is to anyone listening is this: If Birmingham has the best water in the country why are there no bottles for sale on the shelves at local stores? Maybe the Water Works does not have the capabilties to produce bottles of water like that i do not know, but I seem to know one of the oldest bottling companies in America is headquartered in Birmingham. Why is there not a partnership between Buffalo Rock and the city of Birmingham, creating a Birmingham Water Bottling Division? That alone would create jobs automatically!

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Great School Systems - 7/15/2010

As a school teacher, it is nice to live in a town with lots of options for education! We have several great public school systems to choose from: Mt. Brook, Vestavia, Hoover and Shelby County are all great systems for any family. The teachers are really dedicated to their students and the community is really involved in the local schools! Sadly, you don't find that everywhere you go. Families can find housing in all price ranges in these different communities as well!

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Is Birmingham Right For Me? - 6/28/2010

I am someone who would like to live in the South, and I am considering Birmingham, but I'm not sure if it's the right place for me. I prefer warm, humid summers and mild winters (very little snow and only a few days where the temperature would be close to freezing). I am a current college student who is considering majoring in psychology. How would the job situation be with trying to find a job in this field? I like to see wildlife, especially alligators, snakes and turtles. I also like to fish. I am a United Methodist Christian, and I would probably go to church every Sunday if I find a church I really like. Thank you in advance for any responses to my post.

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cost of living - 7/13/2009

cost of living

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Birmingham Al - 5/11/2009

extremely corrupt government in Birmingham Al and jefferson Cty, read about the Jeffeson Cty sewer mess and the indictments againt Mayor Langford.

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Birmingham? Not bad--I guess. - 9/22/2008

I moved to Birmingham from central Texas recently, and while I like the area, I am looking forward to moving home to Texas. The areas are so drastically different--from street to street. I had the hugest challenge in finding somewhere to live based on the horrific crime rates. While the area offers pretty views in the trees and rolling hills, much of the 'city' portion of Birmingham is forgotten, as the majority of buildings appear to be falling apart or seriously condemned. People are nice enough, although don't tend to go out of their ways to offer a simple smile in passing or anything--keep in mind, I don't think this is anything crazy, being from Texas and all! :) The overall religious backlash is a bit too much as well--I'm a very spiritual person, but the overload of conservative mindset behind modern issues is too Mayberry for me. It is 2008, after all. It's not a bad place to be, if you're a family, desiring a life in a suburbia, full of small-town activities and church life... if you can stay away from the crime of the inner city.

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If you really love sprawl... - 5/12/2008

Birmingham is the place for you. I grew up in this city and as a teenager in the suburbs did not enjoy it much. There seems to be a stark economic dynamic between the urban and rural areas. The old industrial urban downtown is notoriously impovershed and plagued with crime. On the other hand the suburbs, mostly of shelby county, for as long as I remember have been at an insanely rapid state of growth. This development and sprawl constantly cuts into the natural beauty of the area and replaces it with high-end shopping, a bounty of strip malls and monsterous churches. Speaking of which you MUST own a vehicle to get anywhere. This of course created serious traffic problems in my area. The car dependency and hot days also culminates into serious pollution issues. What they called "ozone alert days" are a common occurance. The whole culture of the birmingham metro area seems to be one of consummerism and suburban isolation. But if this is your thing then join in on the great southern migration and buy yourself an SUV, just remember not to go outside in the summertime.

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Weather - 2/10/2008

The weather here is very warm, even during the winter time.

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Education - 9/1/2007

If you plan on moving to Birmingham, AL with children or to have children then you should plan ahead to living in an area where they'll get an quality education from elementary to high school. So far, I've been here 2 years, and I have NEVER heard of schools being closed down, with children still attending. Literally, kids being moved from another elementary school in the middle or toward the end (can't remember month) of their term. It's not impossible or unbelievable, but there are so many empty school around Jefferson County it is sad! People have to literally move out from the downtown area of Birmingham AL or areas very close by, in order to put their child in school or a decent school. It is not the family's fault 98% of the time that they live in that undeveloped area, but the city is not focused on that problem. They cannot get teachers to stay put, and who can blame them. They have to survive also on what little they receive, regardless of how big their heart is for children. If you are lucky or blessed with finances (not saying you have to be rich), move out to the outskirts ex. Highland, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Hoover, or go to a private school. Forgive me for not adding support to the inner-city schools, but it is not their fault that the city is not supporting them. Many people are helping children thrive in those inner-city schools, but who's to say how long they will be able to stay open!

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Birmingham is great - 5/15/2007

I have lived here since Jan 2001, and have grown to love it. It has all the big city stuff, but still a small-town flavor. Everyone is generally nice and helpful, and the weather is good most year-round. The best schools and housing is found generally along and south of Red Mountain in the suburbs. Traffic is never too bad, just thick from 7-8 am and 5-6 pm. Lots of great restaurants, shopping, clubs, and for the family-oriented: Churches and Oak Mountain State Park, a diamond of a facility. Area police are dependable and professional, and health care is superb. Only bad areas are the areas north of I 59-20. Jobless rate is almost non-existent. If we could just get the elected officials to get some things done, it would be outstanding. I rate birmingham a 8 on a 10 scale.

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Great outdoor activity just around the corner - 4/17/2007

Birmingham is surprisingly outdoor-activity friendly, with a great state park just a few miles south of town.

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