Birmingham Hotel Guide

Those who know nothing of Birmingham often think it's a place filled with steel mills, cotton fields and racial strife.

Nothing could be farther from reality in this southern town which got its nickname, The Magic City, when its population seemed to explode almost magically in its early years.

Even though there have been times when the magic seemed to ebb, Birmingham now is progressive, filled with places to tour and to meet and with restaurants that offer everything from fried green tomatoes to gourmet meals served on cloth-covered tables.

The national media will not allow the turbulent 1960s to fade into history. Memories of that unrest remain vivid when old news clips show fire hoses and police dogs thwarting black demonstrators.

However, the opening of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in 1993 helped to heal the city from within and in the eyes of the nation. With the opening of the Institute, the city now has a forum for telling its own story, and by telling, it can soothe the wounds of the past.

Despite that lingering image in many people's minds, Birmingham has become an advanced city where racial harmony resides, where culture prevails and where steel mills no longer are the primary employer.

With the University of Alabama at Birmingham -- among the top three medical centers in the nation -- as the major employer, Birmingham has evolved into a modern city.

Those who visit often wonder why they did not visit sooner; and they leave wishing they had a few more days to explore the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Here, they find museums, a mild, year-round climate, great public golf courses, excellent places to shop, to eat and to play.

Downtown Birmingham is a major draw, with a convention center and connected hotel, plus a cluster of attractions, including the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Museum and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Unfortunately for visitors who land in Birmingham without a car, the city does not have a tour bus system circling among its attractions. However, for those with their own transportation, the drive among downtown sites is short. (Visitors staying downtown at the Sheraton have an easy walk to the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Sports Hall of Fame.)

A few miles south of downtown -- and within range of DART buses which charge a nominal amount -- Five Points South is the city's entertainment district where nightlife abounds with live music, good food and plenty of places to linger. Just a block or so from the central hub are columned homes (many now housing businesses) which intrigue those not familiar with stately mansions. (Be warned, however, that because Birmingham was not founded until after the Civil War, you will not find abundant mansions like those which exist in pre-Civil War towns such as Vicksburg and Natchez, Mississippi.)

Despite its youth (the city was founded in 1871), Birmingham has an allure which many have said is one of the final bastions of Southern charm.

AROUND TOWN Heading east from downtown you'll run into one of the city's most visible landmarks, Sloss Furnaces, preserved as a reminder of the industry which fueled the city's early growth. (Iron and steel production were a natural for Birmingham because underground lay abundant key ingredients of coal, iron ore and limestone.)

East of Birmingham you'll find the town's original mall, Eastwood Mall (with Parisian, Books-A-Million and Service Merchandise as anchors), which stands now in the shadow of Century Plaza (anchored by Rich's, Sears and McRae's).

In the eastern section, the draws are mixed -- from Birmingham Race Course (with live greyhound wagering and simulcast greyhound and thoroughbred wagering) to Ruffner Mountain Nature Center (a wilderness of 538 unspoiled acres laced with hiking trails).

Communities such as Gardendale and Fultondale north of downtown are primarily residential areas but with easy access via Interstate 65 into downtown.

Vestavia Hills primarily is a bedroom community but one with several shops worth checking out as you wind your way via US 31 South toward Hoover and development which has sprung up beyond that point, in Helena, Alabaster and Pelham.

If you love shopping, check out the Riverchase Galleria (in Hoover, with five anchor stores, including Macy's and Rich's, and some 200 specialty shops). The complex is connected to the Wynfrey Hotel known for outstanding restaurants and shoppers' packages.

Baseball is king at the Hoover Met, home of the Birmingham Barons, AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. In recent years, the team has been a springboard for players such as Frank Thomas, Jack McDowell and Bo Jackson so you never know whom you might spot there. It's an affordable outing, parking is plentiful and the hot dogs yummy.

Some of the city's appeal lies in its restaurants that Gourmet magazine says make Birmingham "a rewarding destination for any inquiring appetite." Most chain hotels are in Birmingham and the local convention and visitors bureau often promotes packages tied to special events. If you think you know Birmingham, don't be so certain. It's a city on the move -- and you'd likely enjoy taking a closer look.

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