Category Archives: What’s great about Birmingham

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

Strong as Steel–a great new song for Birmingham

May 20, 2014 David Sher 1 Comment

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger/singer is Chris Wood. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Editor’s note: Never expected to hear a song about Birmingham’s civil rights struggle written and performed by a young white male from Helena. View & listen to Chris’ new song (below)–it will make you stomp your feet and be proud…

People often have conversations about what they love regarding different cities that they live in or have visited. “Oh, you’ve got to visit Chicago, the architecture is amazing!”… “Man, there’s so much history in Boston!”… “Seattle is just such a cool, hip place.”… You know, sometimes it’s hard to remember that the city we get to live in and be a part of is pretty awesome too. Continue reading Strong as Steel–a great new song for Birmingham →

David Sher posts, What's great about Birmingham

Birmingham: Next David to slay Goliath

April 29, 2014 David Sher 3 Comments

When I picked up Malcom Gladwell’s most recent book, I never expected to be reading about Birmingham.

David and Goliath—underdogs, misfits, and the art of battling giants features Birmingham as one of its primary stories.

I enjoy reading Birmingham history, but I chose David and Goliath only because I liked some of Gladwell’s other books–The tipping point, Outliers, and Blink.

As we’ve come to expect, however, when outsiders talk about the history of Birmingham, they almost always focus on Bull Conner, fire hoses, and dogs.

Gladwell’s description of Birmingham and Bull Conner is no different…

“People told jokes about Birmingham…’A black man in Chicago wakes up one morning and tells his wife that Jesus had come to him in a dream and told him to go to Birmingham. She is horrified: Did Jesus say He’d go with you? The husband replies: ‘He said he would go as far as Memphis.’

Continue reading Birmingham: Next David to slay Goliath →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

Graffiti covers up Birmingham

April 15, 2014 David Sher Leave a comment

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Teresa Thorne. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

2,675 pieces of graffiti were splattered all over downtown Birmingham last year–but you didn’t see any of them. That’s because our CAP officers removed them almost instantaneously.

Can you imagine what downtown Birmingham would look like if we hadn’t been removing graffiti from walls, signs, and power boxes for the past 19 years?

I’ve spent most of my adult life in Birmingham, and I feel we rarely take the time to celebrate our successes. Continue reading Graffiti covers up Birmingham →

David Sher posts, What's great about Birmingham

It must SUCK to be a Birmingham hater

April 8, 2014 David Sher

It must be depressing to be a Birmingham hater.

You guys can’t seem to get a break.

You can bitch and moan about Birmingham all you want, but the tide has turned against you.

It looks like “doodoo Birmingham,” one of our regular al.com anti-Birmingham commenters is in doodoo–himself.

We have been overrun with so much good news about Birmingham, it’s difficult to keep track.

Even our crime numbers are in free fall.

Birmingham’s 2013 crime numbers lowest in 30 years

Yes, this is the “lowest (serious crime) number reported since the FBI started tracking the numbers in its Uniform Crime Reporting data almost 30 years ago.”

Birmingham haters click on the headlines below and weep: Continue reading It must SUCK to be a Birmingham hater →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

Why do we apologize for Birmingham?

March 11, 2014 David Sher 6 Comments

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is David Dionne. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

I moved to Birmingham in 2008, coming from a great job in Maryland where I was building and operating parks and trails. I was lured to Birmingham after receiving a phone call about an opportunity at Red Mountain Park in Birmingham. My knowledge of Birmingham was pitiful so I began to confirm the information provided by the recruiter. First, I was astounded to learn that Birmingham was in the mountains. Then I was delighted to find a city filled with outstanding restaurants, world-class hospitals, six universities, art museums, an excellent orchestra and an overall great quality of life. Continue reading Why do we apologize for Birmingham? →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

Single father sees Birmingham through rose colored glasses

February 11, 2014 David Sher 1 Comment

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Sharrif Simmons. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

I’m not originally from Birmingham. I was born on Long Island, New York, raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, studied at Ealing College in West London, had a brief stay in Atlanta, even lived in Tampa Bay for a while, but when I moved to Birmingham in 2004, I decided to stay. Making Birmingham my new home was motivated by several factors, the most important of which, being a single father to a preternaturally gifted child, was to pursue a course of action that would nurture his talents and provide him, at the very least, a competitive education in a developing community. I use the word developing here, because when I arrived 10 years ago, Birmingham was not the city it is today. Continue reading Single father sees Birmingham through rose colored glasses →

David Sher posts, Government structure, What's great about Birmingham

Atlanta embarrassed–Birmingham soars

February 4, 2014 David Sher 2 Comments

“There was no coordination around school closings, because there are more than two-dozen city and county school systems in “__________.” There was little coordination between highway clearance and service to city streets because “_________” is comprised of dozens of municipalities connected by state and federal highway systems.”

Was this written about Birmingham? Nope, this was written about “Atlanta.” Continue reading Atlanta embarrassed–Birmingham soars →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

Birmingham represents family, love, strength, diversity

January 21, 2014 David Sher 3 Comments

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Avani Patel . We love to hear from young professionals. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Who am I?

People ask themselves this vital question from childhood until old age. What does this question really mean, and why do we continue to ask ourselves this question?

Let us start with our childhood. As a child I was a little Indian girl with an American accent with a twinge of southern slang. I moved to Birmingham, AL at the young age of one and been in love with Birmingham ever since. I attended school with other children who were very similar to me in personality and age group but not so much in appearance. When I asked myself – who am I? Continue reading Birmingham represents family, love, strength, diversity →

Guest blogger, What's great about Birmingham

Insanity: Couples getting married in downtown underpass

January 7, 2014 David Sher 5 Comments

Wedding 18th Street underpass downtown Birmingham — Jemia & Adrian (Photo by Timothy L. Jones

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

Today’s guest blogger is Atticus Rominger. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, please click here.

Birmingham has many fine wedding venues: Couples and their guests can take in grand views at Vulcan Park or The Club, have a fancy affair at the Historic Tutwiler Hotel – or snap a bridal photo under a downtown underpass. That’s right – an underpass.

If I’d told you a year ago the brides would drag their white dresses through a railroad underpass Continue reading Insanity: Couples getting married in downtown underpass →

Alabama Constitution, David Sher posts, Government structure, UAB, What's great about Birmingham

Can Birmingham get over its low self-esteem?

December 31, 2013 David Sher 4 Comments

One hundred years from now, when historians write the history of Birmingham, 2013 will be the year they say changed everything.

Birmingham’s been called the “City of Perpetual Promise.” We’ve been described as the “Magic City” at our zenith and as the “Most segregated city in America” at our low point.

We’ve always been a great place to live, but not a great city. 2013 will be the year Birmingham begins its long-hard journey to become that great city. Continue reading Can Birmingham get over its low self-esteem? →

To begin a conversation about a better Birmingham