Sitting in the center of Alabama at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham may be the second-most populous city in the state, but it’s considered by many to be its beating heart. Having started life as an industrial powerhouse, famed for its iron and steel production, the city quickly grew to be so much more.
In this guide, we’ll look at 5 things that put Birmingham, AL, on the map.
1. Birmingham Is a Historic Hub of the National Civil Rights Movement
During the 1950s and 1960s, Birmingham grew to become a center of the national civil rights movement. The city saw countless acts of violence against the African-American community, including several church bombings. However, fearless activists and civil rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, stood up to the injustice and paved the way towards a brighter, fairer future.
The city has strived to shake off the stigma of violence and is today home to several monuments and memorials. Birmingham is also home to one of the most important Civil Rights Museums in the country. Additionally, visitors and residents alike can explore destinations such as the 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, and the Bethel Baptist Church to learn more about the city’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.
2. Birmingham Is Home to the Heaviest Corner on Earth
In the corner of Birmingham’s 20th Street and 1st Avenue North, four skyscrapers stretch into the sky. In the early 20th century, they were the four largest skyscrapers in the world: The Woodard Building, The Brown Marx Building, The Empire Building, and the American Trust and Savings Bank Building. This led to a claim from one local magazine that the corner was the heaviest in the South. Over time, this claim was exaggerated further to the heaviest corner on earth.
The name stuck, and the corner is still fondly referred to as the heaviest on earth, with an official marker to prove it.
3. Birmingham Is the Perfect Place To Make Steel
Sitting in Jones Valley, Birmingham is famous for being one of the only places on earth where all of the minerals needed to forge steel can be found in close proximity. Iron ore, limestone, and coal were all historically mined in the area, allowing Birmingham to become a major producer of steel, and it soon became one of the largest cities in the South.
The iron and steel industries were instrumental to Birmingham’s success, and while the economy has changed in recent years, the city continues to celebrate its past. Stood atop Red Mountain, an impressive 56 feet tall statue of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, looks over the city and pays homage to Birmingham’s Iron and Steel industry.
4. Birmingham Boasts One of the Largest Urban Parks in the Country
When people think of huge urban parks, places like New York City’s Central Park tend to come to mind. However, Birmingham’s Red Mountain Park is approximately 40% larger, spanning a whopping 1,200 acres.
The park sits on the site of a former iron ore mine, which closed in 1962. It sat abandoned for almost 50 years before being developed into one of the largest urban parks in the USA. Signs of the park’s mining history can still be found scattered across the landscape, with artifacts, tools, and machinery still sitting where they were abandoned when the mine closed.
Beyond mining paraphernalia, the park is crisscrossed with more than 15 miles of trails for hiking and cycling, as well as zip lines, a dog park, and much more.
5. Birmingham Is a Hotbed for Performing Arts
Known as the culture and entertainment capital of Alabama, Birmingham boasts a host of performing arts venues, as well as art galleries. The Theatre District is home to an array of theatres and music venues, as well as shopping and dining opportunities. In the past, the Theatre District boasted 27 theatres within a five-block radius.
Nowadays, the Lyric Theatre is the city’s oldest survivor, dating back to 1914, and oozing charm. The Alabama Theatre is another superb venue, offering a mix of live shows, movie showings, and concerts.
Birmingham offers a vibrant mix of history, culture, and entertainment, making it a fantastic place to call home. Having moved on from its industrial past, the city has adapted to the modern world, and with a good mix of green spaces and urban areas, there’s something for everyone.
Image credit: Sean Pavone, BJ Ray / Shutterstock.com
