issue feature
21 Reasons
to love the city 


1. Because it's just a big small town
There are places, several of them, in this city I can't go without running into a familiar face. I know that's not unique to Birmingham; my sister experiences the same thing in New York City. But here, I'm just as likely to encounter my favorite barista at a ballet as in the coffee shop - and it's really not so unusual to realize his date is a girl I interviewed via telephone earlier in the week.
That's so Birmingham. Everyone is connected here, whether you're a native, transplant or, in my case, both.

Before writing, I started to make a list of all the strange ways people in my life overlap. I recently learned that a publicist I communicate with is the brother of a church friend. I met the father of our former intern while shopping one day, then realized he worked with my aunt in the '80s.

But those are just one week's examples. The list quickly grew unwieldy as I recalled that my uncle's best friend is the mother of a close high school friend of my college crush. (Didn't follow that? I'm not sure I did, either, but I'm pretty sure it connected me to a blood relative through five degrees instead of the usual one.)

Then there's the band member I met who shared my mother's maiden name. When he said he was raised in Hoover I told him we probably weren't related - until he mentioned attending Vann family reunions in Trussville.

You could argue that my family roots here make my experience different than the average transplant's. But then I would have to point out the vast network of Ole Miss grads, and how they all seem to know my office mate. Another coworker was raised in Mississippi and graduated from Georgia, but I've randomly met at least five people that connect me back to her.

Figuring out who you know that I know has become one of my favorite conversations with new acquaintances. The tangled social web we live in is, to me, part of the city's charm. - Carla Jean Whitley
2. The cops like big blueberry muffins.

When we really think about it, my husband and I agree that basically we bought our Edgewood cottage for blueberry muffins on Saturday mornings. Of course, we had usual criteria like updated bathrooms and a quick drive to our downtown offices. But one of the most appealing things to us about living in Birmingham is a walkable community - where neighbors gather in their front yards, as well as at local businesses.

We started a tradition of Saturday morning walks to get coffee at Cool Beans but quickly realized we had an addiction beyond the caffeine - the overflowing, moist and cloudlike blueberry muffins were irresistible. Pretty soon, we were stopping in on weekdays with the gathering of cops, college students and busy moms to get these massive muffins - almost twice the size of the mocha chip, zucchini and cranberry orange muffins also on the shelf. Finally, one day not too long ago I thought to ask, "Why are the blueberry ones so much bigger than the rest?" The answer was simple. "The cops like them." I fell in love with my neighborhood all over again, right then and there. - Mary Ellen Stancill
3. Because they treat my dog as well as me.
Every time I eat breakfast (usually a homemade blueberry bagel, toasted, with butter and honey) outside at Continental Bakery in English Village, other diners or employees bring my dog a treat and a bowl of water. - Jenny Watkins

4. There is great art in building lobbies.

Sometimes I think I choose to dine at the downtown Surin location just so I have a proper excuse to walk through the lobby of the Concord Center. Located on the corner of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. and Third Avenue North, it's a spectacular mini-museum that houses five unexpected and breath-taking works of modern art - all showcased in a fashion easily enjoyed by the passerby. The goal of Concord Center developers, Brookmont Realty, was to create a space beneficial to the community and to bring public art to the city center. Enlisted in this pursuit were the creative talents of architect Joel Blackstock and the expertise of the Birmingham Museum of Art's Gail Andrews.

The first acquisition, "Dream Building (For Birmingham)" by William Christenberry, was commissioned specifically for the space and presented as a gift by Bill Harbert. The spire is composed of wood and metal and uses dried Alabama red earth. The work is part of a series that originated from a dream Christenberrry had in 1979 - a vision of unforgettable buildings created from spires and steeples.

The second installation piece, "Four Men" by German artist Stephan Balkenhol, is a monument to the common man. It consists of four male figures, all dressed in white open collar shirts and black pants. The three men within the interior space are all carved from the same tree while the fourth man, who stands outside the building, is made of bronze. This particular piece is a gift from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Elton B. Stephens family in honor of Elton B. Stephens.

In addition to the two installations, several paintings from the permanent collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art have found a temporary home in the lobby as well. "Chief" by Valerie Jaudon is part of a series created for the museum at the same time the artist was commissioned to do the museum's Blue Pools. "Earth Note XXV" is a textural mixed-media piece from local artist Dick Jemison and a third canvas from Korean artist Sunho Choi was recently added.

For me it's a much-needed infusion of culture and a reminder that some people still care about beauty. Next time you're walking by perhaps you should step inside. - Robin Colter
1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I Next
November Birmingham, Alabama

  

 
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