Birmingham, AL?

Question

I'm heading to B'ham soon, have never been, and am hoping to get some info on the city. Where to go, where not to go, in the sense of the 'good' or 'bad' sides of town. I don't want to end up somewhere I shouldn't. Thanks so much in advance!!

Answer 1

Now with in Birmingham proper I'd stay in the Hoover -North Shelby area (south of Birmingham) or the Moody-Odenville area to the east or to the North Gardendale-Morris-Hayden area.These are some of the best areas.Othe areas would include Crestwood,Mountain Brook and Homewood.
Not to talk bad about West End-North Birmingham-Eastlake/Roebuck/Huffman-GateCity/Woodlawn area.These are a little on the shady side.
In Birmingham proper around the U A B Medical center area and 5 Points South is a nice area as is the Lakeview area.
Good luck and welcome to Birmingham(I've lived here for 50 years).

Answer 2

Avoid the Bessemer, Huffman, Fairfield, Ensley and Forestdale areas. Southside, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and the 280 area of Shelby County are all nice places to stay and play.

Here some other places to check out while you're in town:

McWane Center - Interactive adventures are the theme at this exciting complex which includes ScienceQuest, with hands-on science fun; an IMAX dome theater; Just Mice Size, where tots under 6 learn, build and express themselves creatively; World of Water, with creatures from around the world and the amazing HighCycle, which gives you the thrill of a tightrope ride without the danger.

Birmingham Museum of Art - This three-story museum houses an eclectic selection of art, including Wedgewood pottery, the largest collection of Asian art in the Southeast, Native American and African art, impressionism, contemporary art and American landscapes.

Southern Museum of Flight - An aircraft hangar museum with exhibits of authentic old airplanes.

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark - Historic iron manufacturing facility. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Birmingham Zoo - Watch sea lions being trained and fed, zip around on the Zoo Train, hop on the carousel, check out the alligator swamp and tropical rain forest: all this and more are offered at this educational and entertaining zoo housing 170 animals from around the world, including endangered species.

Vulcan Park - The largest cast-iron statue in the world was created for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham - Four young girls were killed when a Ku Klux Klan bomb exploded in this church in 1963. The girls are remembered with a shrine in the crypt where they died, and a vibrant stained glass window donated in sympathy by the people of Wales adorns the historic church.

Alabama Theatre - After a complete restoration, this historic venue once again shows its 1927 grandeur.

Alabama Adventure - theme park/water park

Statue of Liberty - Bronze replica measuring one-fifth the size of its sister statue located in New York City.

There's also a lot of great shopping - hit the Summit and Brookwood, and maybe the Galleria for malls, and Southside and Mountain Brook for boutiques.