Quote:
Originally Posted by jtown,man
Also Birmingham, has the city made a turn into becoming potentially a "hip" city in the future?
|
It’s quietly been reinventing itself over the past decade or so. The urban core is actually pretty large, has decent bones, and is on a grid system with lots of parking lots and old buildings to be developed/renovated. Near UAB on the south side, there have been a ton of large apartment and condo projects built and under construction over that time. UAB itself is, I think, coming into its own. It’s growing and has some good to great programs. The restaurant and bar/brewery scene is good too.
On a regional level, it’s getting a lot of new distribution/logistics business, as it sits at the meeting point of four interstates. And I think most of the other big industries here are doing fine. The city’s population is pretty stable with steady metro growth. On top of all that, it’s a pretty warm climate with some decent scenery and outdoor amenities.
All that to say, it seems to be successfully transitioning from a southern rust belt vibe to a new south economy. I’d be surprised if it booms like Raleigh or Nashville anytime soon, but it’s positioning itself well for future success.
Major challenges: Crime and shaking off the stigma of being in Alabama.