Tag Archives: mountain brook

The letter everyone in Homewood & Mountain Brook should read

Letter to Homewood & Mountain BrookBirmingham and Atlanta were about the same size in 1950.

Have you ever wondered why Atlanta grew and Birmingham stagnated?

In 1959, the Mayor of Atlanta sent us a letter spelling out how Birmingham could be a great city.

We paid no attention.

Continue reading The letter everyone in Homewood & Mountain Brook should read

Mtn. Brook man thunderstruck by fun and opportunities in Birmingham

Nadav Raviv
Nadav Raviv

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

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

Over the past few years, I have gone through a period of awakening.

I have been on many adventures and taken many different paths, and funny enough, I ended up right back where I began, but only in the physical sense.

My name is Nadav and I am a child of a wonderful family in Mountain Brook.  Continue reading Mtn. Brook man thunderstruck by fun and opportunities in Birmingham

Mountain Brook builds wall—demands Vestavia pay for it!

Bridge along Jemison Trail in Mountain Brook
Bridge along Jemison Trail in Mountain Brook

A good friend and I walk the Jemison Trail every week.

The Jemison Trail is a quiet peaceful path that winds along Shades Creek in Mountain Brook.

Recently we noticed a new walking bridge had been constructed along the trail.

I remarked that the bridge must have cost a lot of money. Continue reading Mountain Brook builds wall—demands Vestavia pay for it!

The dreaded words Mtn. Brook and Vestavia parents don’t want to hear

Old Mill in Mountain Brook
Old Mill in Mountain Brook

I walked into the restaurant and ran into an old Mountain Brook friend.

He greeted me with, “There’s David Sher, Mr. Birmingham–who’s always pushing for metropolitan government…

…You know when that will happen–when hell freezes over!”

Continue reading The dreaded words Mtn. Brook and Vestavia parents don’t want to hear

Mtn. Brook & Vestavia don’t have to give up their schools for a better Birmingham

Mountain Brook Board of Education
Mountain Brook Board of Education

Fewer people are employed in our Birmingham-Hoover Metro Area today than in 2007.

Meanwhile cities like Nashville, Charlotte, and Austin are growing jobs exponentially.

What is wrong with us?  Why can’t we compete? Continue reading Mtn. Brook & Vestavia don’t have to give up their schools for a better Birmingham

Mountain Brook gal: Achieving my dreams in downtown Birmingham

Mimi Shannon
Mimi Shannon

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

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

At this second, writing this article, I am sitting right next door to my apartment building on the brand new Rotary Trail.

The sun is setting, the “Magic City” sign is changing from red to white, there is a black family with their kids that are playing on an abstract cement seat, a preppy looking young white father and his two toddler children walking by, a young hippie couple admiring the trail, Zyp bikes flying above me on 1st Avenue South, and runners galore.

Continue reading Mountain Brook gal: Achieving my dreams in downtown Birmingham

Mountain Brook points fingers at Birmingham

Mountain Brook Village
Mountain Brook Village

I love to write about Mountain Brook.

People are interested in Mountain Brook and I know a lot about the subject matter–since I’ve lived much of my life and raised my children there.  (I now live in Vestavia Hills)

When I write about Mountain Brook— I’m mostly talking about the three dozen municipalities that surround Birmingham—so you folks in Mountain Brook—please don’t take this personally.

I was recently talking with a good friend (which I will call ‘Bob’) from Mountain Brook. Continue reading Mountain Brook points fingers at Birmingham

What folks in Mt. Brook and Vestavia are losing

Mountain Brook
Mountain Brook

I’m uniquely qualified to write about living in Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills.

I grew up and raised my children in Mountain Brook and about ten years ago my wife and I moved to Vestavia.

People in Birmingham– whether they live in Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, or in Trussville–want the same thing—to be around family and to have good jobs.

However, that’s more difficult in metropolitan Birmingham than in many other Southern cities. Continue reading What folks in Mt. Brook and Vestavia are losing

There’s no way in hell we’ll ever work together

Leadership Birmingham is a diverse group of Birmingham citizens who are selected each year to study Birmingham’s problems and opportunities and then go out and make a difference.

I was in the class of 1992 and when I graduated I asked the business leader who was delivering the commencement speech, “Why doesn’t Birmingham consider combining its city and county government?” Continue reading There’s no way in hell we’ll ever work together