issue feature
21 Reasons
to love the city 

9. You can taste wine at Piggly Wiggly.
 
Most grocery stores offer samples from time to time - crackers, cereal, maybe even cookies on occasion. But, has it ever seemed unusual to anyone else that five Birmingham area Piggly Wiggly stores offer free weekly wine tastings? Piggly Wigglies in most towns are iconic but humble places to pick up a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk. Leave it to the folks of Birmingham to have a high falutin Pig. The always-helpful Frank Juliano, wine consultant at the Homewood location, says he has anywhere from 45 to 65 people partake in tastings every Friday afternoon from 4 to 6 p.m.  - Mary Ellen Stancill
10. You have the city to yourself on a football weekend.
Mississippians are defined by the place in the state where you were born and raised. In my home state, I will always be one of those big city Jackson girls. My husband will always be a south Mississippian, from the Free State of Jones (his county seceded from the Confederacy) to be exact. Even now that we're Alabamians, these definitions appear to remain. This is due to the fact that we do not fit into the mold by which Alabamians find their place in life - as fans of Auburn or Alabama. Most Southerners love football and their college teams, but I don't know anyone who won't argue that it's just a little different around here. As an Alabamian am I now an Ole Miss Rebel rather than a Jacksonian? Do subcategories for non-Alabama teams even exist?

I've had other Mississippi transplants to Birmingham tell me that once they moved, they quickly realized they'd have to choose Alabama or Auburn. I just couldn't bring myself to do this. Instead, by foregoing an allegiance and refusing to exchange the pleasantries of Roll Tide or War Eagle, I've found one of the greatest joys of Birmingham.

One thing most folks miss while packing the stadiums in Tuscaloosa or Auburn on fall Saturday afternoons is the opportunity to have this great city all to yourself. The eerie and thrilling sensation of zipping around town on a cool, crisp afternoon while everyone else is at home in front of the TV or hollering in a stadium is my favorite thing about fall in Birmingham. I love pulling into a parking space right in front of my favorite store in downtown Homewood or having three staff members at Huffstutlers give me ideas to fix a leaky pipe. In the spring, summer or winter I avoid the large crowds at many of the same spots that on a perfect fall day, I have all to myself. - Mary Ellen Stancill
11. The country's never far away.

Though I've lived in my apartment for nine months, one of my close friends just made her first visit in early March. I escorted her through my three-room life, pointing out the finer details like a shelf filled with journals and my awesome attic access. The thing that most impressed her, though, had nothing to do with the efficient kitchen layout or my newly-hung art. It was, as they say in real estate, location, location, location.

I have a view of a barn from my bedroom window. Time your arrival right, and you may pass a horse on the drive to my neighborhood. I live in Irondale, one of many places in the metropolitan area that prove in Birmingham, a slower pace of life is never far away.

This part of town is a refuge - as I imagine places like McCalla, West Jefferson and Morris are for people who live there. There are plenty of new neighborhoods and nearby shopping in Irondale. I can make it to my downtown office or the Summit in only 15 minutes. But when I'm home, I'm transported to a slower life. The city could be an hour away, as little as it affects me here.

The friend who admired my relative isolation (and I do recognize that it's relative) confessed that sometimes, she feels like her Homewood house doesn't allow her to get away. Being close in has its benefits, and I admit I envy her for many of them. Because I do live a touch farther out, I'm often visiting my friends in their Southside, Mountain Brook and Crestwood homes. My Homewood-based book club hasn't made the trek to Irondale (yet). But for me and others like me, living just slightly further out of this lovely city means home offers an extra measure of sanctuary. - Carla Jean Whitley
12. I can go on a lunch-time treasure hunt.
I love Birmingham because it's easy to be a lunch-hour scavenger. This morning things were tough in the office, and I just need a little trinket to make it go away. Nothing big. I'm not even sure what it will be, but I'll know it when I see it. I have an hour, and I'm going on a treasure hunt.

I usually start at Hanna Antiques on Seventh Avenue South but you could start at any of the many fabulous antique stores that Birmingham has to offer (Fifth Avenue Antiques, maybe).

Part shopping experience, part museum tour, the local antique places make it easy to get lost in your own memories and the imagined history of others. Reed Books is a favorite source for purchasable nostalgia, but don't forget about downtown newcomer What's on Second? If you stretch your lunch hour wisely you may venture out to the 'burbs and hit Tricia's Treasures in Homewood or Stray Cats in Irondale. Whatever direction your adventure takes you, there is sure to be a treasure somewhere along the way and a place to get lost for a moment.

Will the gardener within lead me toward the rusty piece of iron fence that could become a perfect ivy trellis or will I be more easily bought off by the $9 cobalt medicine bottle in the window? Ultimately an antique photo of some stranger's long-dead relative ends up being my "score." It's a routine I've repeated many times over the years and over the lunch hours. There's no other hour-long adventure quite so capable of getting me out of my own head. - Robin Colter

13. We have intense barbecue loyalties.
Birminghamians are as loyal to their favorite barbecue restaurants as they are to Alabama or Auburn football. The difference is that rather than two teams to choose from, there is a seemingly-endless list of options. As an example, we surveyed our own editorial staff for their favorites. Here are our true loyalties from across the board - and we promise this was not rigged!

"I've been a fan of Dreamland Bar-B-Que's ribs longer than I've been an Alabama resident. When I was in college, I would always return from Birmingham trips with a rack of ribs in tow. (My roommate loved me for it!) The sauce is spicier than anything else I eat, but the saltiness and the flavor of the meat have won me over." -Carla Jean Whitley, Associate Editor
"I love Full Moon BBQ on Sixth Avenue South and 24th Street. They have a sliced tasty turkey plate, which almost makes it seem like health food. A unique spicy relish (chow-chow?) garnishes each plate and provides you with the option of kickin' it up a notch. If you have any room left after yummy steak fries and baked beans you can always take one (or a half dozen) of the half moon cookies to go. Last but not least, the deco-inspired mural along the Sixth Avenue side of the building adds the perfect touch of real culture to your lunch time dining experience." - Robin Colter, Creative Director
"On the Fourth of July I ate Demetri's B.B.Q. while watching fireworks in downtown Homewood. Something about it just felt patriotic and Demetri's has since become a favorite restaurant of mine - not only for the barbecue but for their breakfast, too. There's no better way to begin a Saturday morning than with Demetri's French toast." - Jenny Watkins, Associate Editor
"There are so many barbecue restaurants to choose from. I guess my favorite would be Miss Myra's in Cahaba Heights. It's a little hole in the wall, but the ribs are big and tender and go perfectly with their white barbecue sauce. I also love their sides, especially the deviled eggs. Of course, the chocolate pie is pretty good, too." - Laura McAlister, Web Editor

"For our barbecue fix, we head to Carlile's. Waitresses that call you hun' and gallon-sized glasses of sweet tea are nice, and my husband swears by the pulled pork sandwich (ask for the sweet sauce), but I'd beat the door down for a cheeseburger and their thick, greasy French fries." - Mary Ellen Stancill, Associate Editor
"I love to go to the Johnny Ray's barbecue place on Valley Avenue in Homewood. To soak in the atmosphere, I like to sit at the '50s-style counter with the little stools. These seats make it possible to interact with the staff and smell the great barbecue and sides being cooked. Their meat has a great smoke flavor with a good "medium" sauce (not too spicy, not too sweet). My favorite combination is the pulled pork sandwich with wedding bands finished off with a piece of Honey's pie. My favorite pie rotates; currently it is coconut. If I'm feeling like going on the lighter side, the chicken blonde sandwich is just as enjoyable as the traditional pork. Having this sandwich with the sauce and an unsweet iced tea fits any diet and is filling as well as full of flavor." - Katie Chipman, Advertising Art Director
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January Birmingham, Alabama

  

 
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