snorkmaiden

A family friend is quite a good tennis player and is looking into Universities here with reputable Tennis type stuff (I know nothing of Tennis). Her Mum just phoned me to say she is interested in a Uni in Birmingham, Alabama. She is worried her daughter is moving so far away etc, and wondered if we had met anyone who had lived there to see what kind of place Birmingham Alabama is.

Obviously the place is probably so huge that one part of it will differ tremendously from another but have any of you lived there -or do any of you currently live there?

Is it the kind of place you want your lovely 18 year old daughter to move to for three years?

All opinions will be gratefully recieved.

Cheers

Leah

Duncs

I live in Jackson Misssissippi which is next state over.

the south has its charms but if she is intellectually inquistive, tolerant, not particlurly religous and has no diffculty with people of different colors she may not find the south to be all that comfortable a fit. It really is guns, god and grits around here.

regards,

Duncan

snorkmaiden

Cheers Duncs

dunroving

Tell her to look at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA). I think they have a good tennis program, excellent academically, and Athens is definitely NOT your typical Southern town (very fun and varied social scene)! Hotlanta is just an hour away also.

ejay1

I think your overstereotyping the south a bit. You know you shouldn't believe everything you watch on t.v. I've been to Birmingham and that isn't the impression I received. Its less of a city and more of a town. It's a quaint place to live, and the people are very nice. It really is a intellectual place, they have one of the top-ranked hospitals in the country. And they have no problems with people of different colors, it isn't the 50s anymore.

Britfrombristol

I am currently living in Mississippi and have driven through Birmingham on a few occasions. I have to say that from the drive the word quaint does not come to mind. As well as the medical facilities-which apparently boasts some of the best IVF treatment in the world, it seemed to be quite an industrious area with plenty of polution in the air.

As for Dunc's comments of guns, grits and god, this seems to be quite a good generalisation of the South. Whilst this does not apply to all Southerners there are many people who you would not think it applied to but when you get to know them it does! Can any of you remember leaving a college party with a group of 21 year olds agreeing to meet at Church in the morning having spent some time talking abouts how many deers they have shot in the last few weeks? I am not just talking about the men either.

I would definetly pay the area a visit before commiting to several years at the University.

dunroving

UAB has a good academic reputation, at least in my area (Exercise Science). They also have a decent athletic program. The school itself would probably be a good choice for someone wanting to study on a sport scholarship.

As for Birmingham, and Alabama, several enlightened and liberal-minded colleagues have told me they have seen some stereotypical "Southern" behavior (i.e., as per Duncs' post). But like anywhere, there are plenty of exceptions to typical behavior, especially in college towns.

Here in Greenville (in the middle of VERY rural Eastern NC) I see a lot of hunters, a lot of Bible-punchers, though very little signs of racist attitudes (of course, you're not likely to see it among college professionals).

Whether or not someone could be happy in a very "Southern" town depends a lot on whether they are able to look for the postive and either turn a blind eye to the negative or just steer clear of deer-hunting, God-fearing conservative Southern people.

In 10 years in the South (GA, TN, NC) I've never been bothered by a deer-hunter, been pestered to go to church only a handful of times, and come to blows with a real Redneck only once. I can live with that. Nowhere's perfect.

ejay1

Yes, I know there are some people who fit that generilisation in the south. But I don't like it when people blindly say they are all like that and are one in the same. I know alot of people here in Virginia who are Aethist, and Deer hunting is mostly done by the Govt. to cull their population, so they don't overpopulate and starve to death and cause traffic accidents.

Duncs

Sorry but its not based upon my watching the dukes of hazard or something its based on my experience of living day in day out in the middle of the deep south. As for the color thing ask some people who live around here and see what lurks under the surface, youre kidding yourself if you think that racist attitudes still dont have considerable sway in this neck of the woods and i have no reason to believe Alabama is any more progressive. People might seem polite and reasonable but look at bit closer and you will see some things that are not attractive.

regards,

Duncan

ejay1

Im not doubting you on saying there are people who still have racist views in the south. But your making it look like everybody who lives in the south is a racist.

Duncs

No not everyone and people up north can be just as bad. But there is a culture of intolerance here. Just read the local letters page in the papers or listen to peoples conversations.

Oxford MS is a more liberal place as its where the Uni of Missi is and that may have an effect. The liberal nature of it is defined by the fact that it is the only school district in mississippi that does not allow teachers to beat the children. Trust me in other places they do regularly beat the kids ( i know someone who works in the field). Now ok people have different views but its pretty indicative of overall cultural attitudes in the deep south. It has its charms and its not quite the KKK riven place it was in the 60's but it damn sure aint a secular, pluralist, tolerant, liberal community either.

regards,

Duncan

ScousePete

I used to live in the most segregated city in the US. Was it anywhere in the south? No it was Milwaukee, Wisconsin - you can't go any further north without ending up in Canada.

I lived in the south (NC) for two years and found the people to be warm and friendly. Racism is everywhere, just like people who make generalizations and believe stereotypes.

The only problem I ever found with the south was the people were so laid back I thought they would fall over sometimes

NC Penguin

Is Milwaukee's title official or have you awarded that city that title yourself? I'm sure there are posters who could nominate other cities.

I have lived in Durham, NC for nearly two years. I consider Durham to be a black American city. The nation's oldest African American insurance company was founded in Durham (by John Merrick) and the first African American owned bank was founded here too (Mechanics and Farmers. It still exists).

Despite the concentration of Black Americans living in Durham, it's a segrated city with neighborhoods (ghettos?) of Black Americans, Latinos and White Americans. It was initially all a bit surprising for me (and my hometown is London).

Yes, people in the South are certainly laid back (and that includes the Northerners who've relocated to the weather favorable South). Customer service is very slow and and a proactive attitude has yet to become known in the South, in my opinion.




NC Penguin

snorkmaiden

Thanks for all the input everyone. I'll report back to her Mum

Jxab12

A report in the New York Times recently found Long Island to be the most racially segregated region in the US?