"Hobo jungles" were established in Boyles, the Twenty-fourth Street Viaduct, Green Springs Bridge, East Thomas, Pratt City, Carbon Hill and Jasper. [78] In the 1970s the city began to diversify spurred on by the growth of the University of Alabama at Birmingham which attracted many students from out of state as well as international students. Better Stop Before Atlanta, Montgomery AL or Chattanooga TN? Langford was convicted in 2010 of accepting bribes in exchange for steering $7.1 million in county revenue to a prominent investment banker. Birmingham's banking institutions enjoyed considerable growth as well, and new skyscrapers were constructed in the city center for the first time since the 1920s. In 2006, the visitors bureau selected "the diverse city" as a new tag line for the city. The school remains among the nation's top high schools. The Tennessee Coal and Iron Company (TCI) became the leading steel producer in the South by 1892. TIME TO SPEND. The WHA Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. Birmingham is home to several museums. As of 2009[update], the finance and banking sector in Birmingham employed 1,870 financial managers, 1,530 loan officers, 680 securities commodities and financial services sales agents, 380 financial analysts, 310 financial examiners, 220 credit analysts, and 130 loan counselors. Many of Birmingham's television and radio broadcast towers are lined up along this prominent ridge. [118] Megabus offers bus service to Atlanta and Memphis.[119].

While excluded from the best-paying industrial jobs, African Americans joined the migration of residents from rural areas to the city, drawn by economic opportunity. [2], Birmingham has numerous suburbs.

The new city was named for Birmingham, England, the United Kingdom's second largest city and then a major industrial city. Screenings are concentrated at the Alabama Theatre.

Males had a median income of $36,031 versus $30,367 for females. As with many major areas, most of the metropolitan population lives outside the city boundaries. The record high temperature is 107 °F (42 °C), set on July 29, 1930,[33] and the record low is −10 °F (−23 °C), set on February 13, 1899.[34]. The United Methodists have 196 congregations and 66,759 members. The facility also includes a white-tablecloth restaurant, meeting rooms, and an extensive reference library. [44], Birmingham has hundreds of Christian churches, five synagogues, three mosques, and two Hindu temples. The Birmingham metropolitan area has consistently been rated as one of America's best places to work and earn a living based on the area's competitive salary rates and relatively low living expenses.

The Birmingham Times, a historic African-American newspaper, also is published weekly. [19] From 340,887 in 1960, the city's population had decreased to 242,820 in 2000, a loss of about 29 percent. Sand Mountain, a lower ridge, flanks the city to the north and divides Jones Valley from much more rugged land to the north. The valley is drained by small creeks (Village Creek, Valley Creek) which flow into the Black Warrior River. Neighboring Bessemer also ranks high at seventh. cities. [63] The number has increased since then, but not significantly. [107] Birmingham is also the home of the Social Security Administration's Southeastern Program Service Center. The Birmingham Post-Herald, the city's second daily, published its last issue in 2006.

With an estimated 2019 population of 209,403, it is the most populous city in Alabama. Birmingham also boasts a growing employee presence from truck insurance specialist Reliance Partners. Birmingham-area voters had sued to force redistricting, and the Court in its ruling cited the principle of "one man, one vote". [8] From the start the new city was planned as a center of industry. Book signings follow each presentation. Birmingham was founded on June 1, 1871, by the Elyton Land Company, whose investors included cotton planters, bankers and railroad entrepreneurs. TYPE. Because the estimated cost of the consent decree was approximately three times more than the original estimate, many blame the increased rates on corruption of several Jefferson County officials. Aldridge offers a place to stroll, but is to add unique displays in coming years. Legal. Birmingham is the cultural and entertainment capital of Alabama, with numerous art galleries in the area including the Birmingham Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the Southeast. The city is served by the Birmingham City Schools system.

This is due to the city's location as the gateway opening to and from both regions and their influences. The Birmingham … The fight sent both men to the hospital.[110][111]. In the 1970s, urban renewal efforts focused around the development of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which has become a major medical and research center. Whites unhappy with social changes in the 1950s committed racially motivated bombings of the houses of black families who moved into new neighborhoods or who were politically active, earning Birmingham the nickname "Bombingham". The Sloss Furnaces has an annual Halloween haunted attraction called "Sloss Fright Furnace".

In addition, a $55-million "Uptown" entertainment district is adjacent to the BJCC featuring a number of restaurants and a Westin hotel. The GEICO 500 & 1000Bulbs.com 500 are NASCAR Cup Series races that occur in April and October at the Talladega Superspeedway 50 miles (80 km) east of Birmingham. In 1907 U.S. Steel purchased it and became the most important political and economic force in Birmingham. Amtrak operates one passenger train, the Crescent, each direction daily. Birmingham is served by the city magazine, Birmingham magazine, owned by The Birmingham News. Manufacturing diversified beyond the production of raw materials. ", "Birmingham's 1905 Confederate monument coming down - al.com", "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Birmingham city, Alabama", "Alabama – Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990", "Birmingham sees no population growth, suburban cities still increasing, Census shows", "Birmingham wins! It is on Kelly Ingram Park next to the 16th Street Baptist Church. To emphasize this point, the city's founders named it in honor of Birmingham, England, one of the world's premier industrial cities. The Birmingham area is not prone to frequent earthquakes; its historical activity level is 59% less than the US average.